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Dedefo provides a spark as St. Louis Park rolls past Bloomington Jefferson 

By Drew Herron, SportsEngine, 09/26/17, 10:30AM CDT

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Senior Abati Dedefo scored a pair of first-half goals to lift the Orioles’ to a 3-1 win over the Jaguars.


St. Louis Park senior Abati Dedefo (9) finds his teammates as the ball rolls past Bloomington Jefferson defender Justin Johnson and goalkeeper Jake Swanson. Dedefo scored twice in the Orioles' 3-1 win. Photo by Mark Hvidsten, SportsEngine

Down a goal early against Bloomington Jefferson on Tuesday, St. Louis Park remained committed to controlling what it could.

Control the ball, control the tempo, control the game.

It served the Orioles well as they rallied from the deficit to race past the visiting Jaguars 3-1, a win sparked, in part, by a pair of goals from Abati Dedefo. The senior scored twice in the span of seven minutes as St. Louis Park (6-3-1, 3-1-1) pocketed a pivotal Metro West Conference win that keeps the race for first place in the standings wide open. 

“It was huge to get that momentum back,” St. Louis Park coach Chato Alvarado said. “We played well. We did a good job of controlling the ball, and when you are able to do that, good things usually happen.”

Possession soccer served the Orioles well, as the wing players' speed opened scoring opportunities. Both of Dedefo’s goals were set up by teammate Nick Riley, a sophomore midfielder. Midway through the first half and about seven minutes after Jefferson (4-6-3, 3-1-1) took the lead, Riley delivered a through ball to Dedefo.

Alone with the ball in space near the left sideline, Dedefo forced the Jefferson keeper to make the first move before cashing in and leveling the score.

“First I looked to chip the ball over him.” Dedefo said. “When I couldn’t make that happen, and I saw the angle (the goalkeeper) was coming at me, I knew I had to take that open side.”

Another seven minutes later, Riley delivered a well-placed corner that Dedefo converted with a header, and St. Louis Park stayed out front for good. The Orioles held a 11-3 advantage in shots after the first half, and 17-11 for the game.

Dedefo's two goals were his first tallies of the season.

“Things are starting to come together,” Alvarado said. “The boys are starting to understand and find the best options whoever has the ball. When we are able to take advantage of opportunities like we were able to do today, it’s huge.”

With the win over Jefferson, St. Louis Park pulled even with the Jaguars and Chanhassen atop the Metro West standings, as all sit at 3-1-1 in league play. 

“Our conference is exciting because all the teams are pretty even, and truly any team can win it on any given year,” Alvarado said. “That’s one of our goals...to win it.”


Bloomington Jefferson's Collin Anderson (4) fields a goal kick in front of St. Louis Park's Anthony Brandel (7). Photo by Mark Hvidsten, SportsEngine

First Report

St. Louis Park rallied from a 1-0 deficit with three unanswered goals to knock off visiting Bloomington Jefferson 3-1 Tuesday night.

Orioles' senior midfielder Abati Dedefo scored twice in a span of seven minutes in the first half, helping turn a deficit into a lead for St. Louis Park (6-3-1, 3-1-1). 

The hosts heavily out-shot Jefferson in the first half, 11-3. The Jaguars (4-6-3, 3-1-1) scored an early goal when Cole Jungwirth buried a free kick from 40 yards out, but they struggled to contain Park's steady pressure.

St. Louis Park senior goalkeeper William Phelan finished with 7 saves, while his counterpart Jake Swanson made 8 saves for Jefferson.


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