Boys Soccer: Providence steamrolls Joliet Catholic
By Steve Millar For Sun-Times Media September 17, 2012 10:40PM
Providence's Brandon Picciolini(7) is greeted by teammates Jake Zeeman (5) and John Barrett (13) after scoring his third goal Monday against Joliet Catholic. | Matt Marton~Sun-Times Media
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Updated: October 19, 2012 6:22AM
In the midst of an 0-3-1 slide over its previous four games, Providence was on the wrong side of lopsided outcomes a couple of times, falling 4-0 against Sandburg and 5-1 against Bloom.
The Celtics turned the tables Monday.
Brandon Picciolini and Ben Salvador each had a hat trick as Providence rolled past Joliet Catholic 8-2 in New Lenox.
“It felt great,” said Picciolini, who also had two assists. “It was a big confidence booster. It was pretty awesome to get the hat trick, but nothing would be possible without my teammates. It starts with the defense and goes from there.”
Jameison Jamnik scored both goals for Joliet Catholic (2-8), with two assists from Max Emendoerfer.
The Celtics (7-4-2) scored two goals in less than a minute on two occasions.
Salvador beat Hilltoppers goalie Patrick Devine to the ball off Picciolini’s long pass, dribbled around Devine and scored into an open net with 19:54 left in the first half.
Twenty-four seconds later, Picciolini headed home Berni O’Donnell’s cross for a 2-0 lead.
Providence’s quick-striking attack was at it again in the second half as Picciolini scored, getting off a perfectly placed strike to the far corner while falling down, for a 4-1 lead and Salvador, who increased his season total to 15 goals, found the net 56 seconds later.
Each recorded his first career hat trick.
“I’ve been trying to catch up to (Salvador) all season, but he always tops me,” Picciolini said.
O’Donnell and Marty Maloney also scored for the Celtics while Jake Zeeman had two assists.
“We were in a little bit of a slide and we talk all the time about if you have a bad game, you turn around and take it out on the next team you play,” Celtics coach Dan Potempa said. “You go out there and play your hearts out and sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, but it definitely feels better to win a game like this.”
