Birch on a roll at Catawba, scores three goals in last two outings

Former Herbert Morrison and Cornwall College midfielder Salano Birch will be looking to extend his scoring run to three straight games on Saturday when his Catawba College team takes on Carson Newman University in Jefferson City, Tennessee, USA

Birch, who is tied for the team lead with three goals, appears to be settling in with his team and has scored in the two previous games, twice against Converse University in a 4-4 draw last week Tuesday, before salvaging another draw for his team with a late equaliser against Anderson University in South Atlantic Conference (SAC) on Saturday, both games at Catawba’s Frock Soccer Complex in Salisbury, North Carolina.

The player, who won the Intersecondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) scholar-athlete award after the 2019 season, has played in four games since joining the NCAA Division 2 school — starting three times — said he was adopting well.

“I am fitting into the team pretty well, I’m getting more comfortable with the new playing styles by the session,” he said.

When asked about how he was coping with the new rules in the NCAA he said, “I just try to play the game how I learned it and not focus too much on the new rules, at the end of the day the referee has the final say, so it’s not too hard adjusting to the little changes.”

Birch said he was also adjusting well to the conditions, and despite the temperatures being cooler than he is used to said, “the temperatures haven’t been too much of a challenge, it isn’t too cold as yet, we try to practice in conditions similar to those that we’ll play in.”

Meanwhile, former St James High player Calwayne Allen has scored once in his first season at Division 1 Chicago State University.

Allen, who also played for Jamaica College as well as Jefferson College in the US Junior College system, scored a late penalty kick for Chicago State as they opened the season with a 2-1 win over powerhouse Northwestern in early September.

Since then, he has also had two assists — in games against Detroit Mercy and the University of Michigan — both losses.

(Photo: Catawba College soccer) Salano Birch, who played dacosta Cup football for Herbert Morrison and Cornwall College, passes the ball in a recent NCAA Division 2 football game. Birch has scored three goals in his team’s last two games.

Catawba College soccor) (Photo: Former Herbert Morrison and Cornwall College midfielder, Salano Birch in action for Catawba College in the NCCA Division 2 football competition.