Edgewood boys soccer stifles potent Cocoa Beach attack in one-goal win

MERRITT ISLAND — After both teams won their first matches of the season, Cocoa Beach and Edgewood faced off on Nov. 10 looking to stay unbeaten.Edgewood, facing its second 2025 state playoff team to start the season, shut down a red-hot Minutemen attack posting a clean sheet and earning the victory on a set piece for a 1-0 win.“Very proud. Second game of the year and we’re already down a couple key guys so to get a good result, obviously, priority number one,” Edgewood head coach Nate Johnson said.Cocoa Beach entered the match having scored 17 goals in two wins over Cocoa and Indian River Charter. It didn’t threaten Red Wolves junior goalkeeper Mateo Goyco-Shannon, who made two saves and intercepted multiple crosses from the wings that sailed into the box.“Very strong. We’ve been working on a lot on our defender pressure coverage and team defense as a unit. We were talking about that at the break,” Johnson said. “Guys were doing a really good job putting pressure on the ball, pressing the ball. The help defenders did an equally good job off the ball making sure there’s no channels to play the ball through.”The standout performer on the Edgewood backline was junior Corbin Craft. The junior blocked shots, made timely tackles to win back possession and thwart scoring chances and intercepted crosses for clearances.“It feels great (to get the win). We worked together. We were able to put the goal in the back of the net. Our defense was great,” Craft said. “We had a couple mess ups, but we were able to pull through. We were all moving together. Sometimes it’s looking a little shaky, but we were just able to come back and cover for each other all as a team.”Craft preserved the lead for Edgewood in the 69th minute. Cocoa Beach forced an errant pass on the Red Wolves backline, leading to Minutemen junior Andre Monteros Mogrovejo picking up the ball and dribbling the ball into the box. Craft slid and tackled the ball away.“Just saw that our team, everyone was pushed up and I just had to slide over to help. I just had to do what I had to do. It’s just all timing,” Craft said. “I pretty much learned in game. I saw one of my friends do it and then I was just able to learn how to time it from him.”Craft dealt with the first danger of the game, knocking down a Cocoa Beach cross in the box and clearing the ball in front of the goal line.In the final five minutes of the first half, Craft tackled Cocoa Beach’s leading scorer, senior Ricardo Cortes, in the attacking third and drew a free kick after winning possession. He cleared a Minutemen corner kick in the 39th minute.“They had a lot more of the ball, but I think we just had more heart and effort,” Craft said. “They had like one or two people, but I feel like our whole team was there.”The lone tally of the night belonged to Edgewood junior Nathaniel Jaksetic. In the 18th minute, Jaksetic lined up to take a free kick from near midfield and fired the shot just underneath the crossbar.“Beautiful,” Johnson said. “You get a goal like that you’re always happy. It was fantastic.”Cocoa Beach forced Red Wolves junior Mateo Goyco-Shannon, stopping a soft shot from the top of the box off a corner kick by Monteros Mogrovejo. The next best opportunity for the Minutemen came in the 44th minute as sophomore Chase Cobb fired a shot from the right side of the box right into the arms of Goyco-Shannon.Edgewood came close to scoring a couple more goals, hitting the crossbar off a corner kick in the 21st minute and Minutemen senior Owen Senger making a fingertip save on a shot from distance in the 60th minute. Senger ended the match with six saves.“We felt like we left a couple out there that we should have put in, but you get one and you don’t want to let up,” Johnson said. “That’s always a danger zone right there. Pleased with that goal. Feel like we can do a better job putting the rest in though.”Cocoa Beach dropped to 2-1 and it’ll host Palm Bay on Nov. 12. Edgewood, after a pair of one-goal wins over Astronaut and Cocoa Beach, will play its first district match of the season on Nov. 12 at West Shore with a 2-0 record.“I’m very proud with how our team has started,” Craft said. “We lost a lot of players last year and we only have one senior this year, so we’ve just all learned to mold together and work as a team out here. I think we can make it pretty far this season as long as we just keep this intensity and keep our effort.”Nov. 10 scoresBoysPineapple Cove Palm Bay def. St. Edward’s 6-3The Patriots won their second game in as many days, scoring 11 goals to improve to 2-1. Pineapple Cove Palm Bay hosts Calvary Chapel on Nov. 12.Eau Gallie def. Indian River Charter 8-0Eau Gallie entered the win column for the first time with a blowout win. Emerson Medrano scored a hat trick. Fernando Garcia tallied two goals and two assists. Samuel Lizarazo and Bayron Crisostomo posted one goal and one assist. Emiliano Giraldo finished with one goal. Carder Kroecker and River Stokowski produced one assist.The Commodores improved to 1-2 and they’ll head to Satellite on Nov. 18.Harmony def. Astronaut 6-0The War Eagles suffered their second defeat of the season as they allowed two goals in the first half and four in the second half. Astronaut fell to 1-2 and it’ll host Space Coast on Nov. 13.Bayside def. Palm Bay 4-1Bayside prevailed over its crosstown rival thanks to goals from Luis Bernal, Max Baker and Rodrey Dupuy. The Bears moved to 1-2 and they’ll head to Sebastian River on Nov. 12. Palm Bay dropped to 0-3 and it’ll head to Cocoa Beach on Nov. 12.Holy Trinity def. Titusville 7-3The Tigers remain undefeated following a road victory at Titusville. Holy Trinity improved to 2-0 as it heads to St. Cloud on Nov. 17. The Terriers fell to 1-1 and they head to Heritage on Nov. 12.Vero Beach def. Melbourne 1-0In the first game of the season for Melbourne, the Bulldogs suffered a 1-0 home defeat to Vero Beach. Melbourne seeks its first win of the season on Nov. 12 at Harmony.GirlsMelbourne Central Catholic def. Fort Pierce Central 8-0The Hustlers won by eight goals for the second time to begin the season as senior Rory Conlon netted four goals to raise her season total to seven in two matches.Freshman Ryleigh Lester pitched in with a brace and one assist. Freshman Alice Armstrong recorded one goal and five assists and sophomore Mallory Slingsby posted one goal.Melbourne Central Catholic improved to 2-0 and it’ll travel to St. Edward’s on Nov. 12.Bayside draws Treasure Coast 0-0Bayside fired four shots on goal, but couldn’t find the breakthrough as it finished in a scoreless deadlock. The Bears move to 0-1-1 ahead of its home opener versus Melbourne on Nov. 12.Cocoa Beach def. St. Edward's 2-1The Minutemen secured their first win of the season on goals from junior Ava Scaglione and sophomore Davyn Dias. Eighth grader Josephine Dobbin assisted both goals as the team improved to 1-2. Next game for Cocoa Beach is Nov. 18 at Space Coast.Satellite def. Merritt Island 4-0In the season opener for both teams, Satellite shut out Merritt Island on the road to begin the new season on the right foot. The Scorpions host West Shore on Nov. 12 and Merritt Island heads to Holy Trinity on Nov. 16.Viera def. Winter Park 1-0The Hawks defeated 3-0 Winter Park on a first-half goal from freshman Joslin Slavik on a feed from senior Eva McMenemy-Hoang for their first win of the season. Viera evened its record at 1-1 and it’ll host Satellite on Nov. 17.This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Edgewood boys soccer stifles potent Cocoa Beach attack in one-goal win