The Aberdeen Central boys’ soccer team concluded the regular season in style with a clinical 10-0 win over Mitchell on senior night Tuesday at Swisher Field in Aberdeen. The Eagles, who finished the regular season 10-2, claimed a share of the Eastern South Dakota Conference championship.

Central dominated possession from the opening kick, stringing together passes in midfield and playing through balls past the Kernels’ high line of defense. The Eagles had a goal disallowed 15 minutes into the first half for being offsides.

“I think we need to play faster,” noted Marcos Ramos Garcia. “We play with a lot of possession and maybe we can be more aggressive near goal.”

Jelani Peters provided the breakthrough in the 27th minute off of an assist from Garcia. Peters tallied a total of four goals on the evening, including a first-half hat trick.

“We’ve had a testing week from an adversity standpoint,” said Central coach Lance Mohr. “We lost a game that we really wanted to win on Saturday and we were looking for a response from them tonight and we got it. It took a little longer than I would have liked, but once we got clicking, things went in the right direction.”

Garcia made the score 2-0 30 seconds after assisting Peters. The senior attacking midfielder scored and assisted twice in his final regular-season game at Swisher Field.

Garcia is an exchange student from Madrid, Spain and is making the most of his only year in the Hub City and looks to play a pivotal role in helping the Eagles make a deep postseason run.

“My host family comes to all of my games,” Garcia said. “This is my first year here and I wish I could stay more.”

Central made it 5-0 right before halftime when Peters secured his first-half hat trick, controlling the through ball from Sekou Gogue on studder-stepping past the Mitchell goalkeeper for a wide-open tap-in.

The game ended 10-0 on mercy rule with 16:30 remaining in the second half. Other Central goal scorers were Denon Deuter, Isaac Stockert and Trey Hedges.

The Eagles will now prepare for the playoffs which kick off Tuesday. Last year Central advanced to the quarterfinals but was bounced at home by Sioux Falls Roosevelt.

“It’s going to take 100 percent intensity and focus in training, and it’s also going to take these guys using their experience and applying it come Tuesday,” said Mohr. “Once that comes, it’s win or go home.”

Aberdeen Central 5 5-10
Mitchell 0 0-0

First Half: AC, Jelani Peters (Marcos Ramos Garcia), 27th minute; AC, Ramos Garcia (Denon Deuter),
28th minute; AC, Deuter (Ramos Garcia), 32nd minute; AC, Peters (Gabe Johnson), 38th minute; AC, Peters (Sekou Gogue), 40th minute.

Second Half: AC, Ramos Garcia (Trey Hedges), 46th minute; AC, Isaac Stockert (Deuter), 49th minute; AC, Peters,
51st minute; AC, Hedges (Gogue), 56th minute; AC, Deuter (Parker Helwig), 64th minute.

Shots on Goal: Aberdeen Central 19.