Danny Milewski and Alfredo Gil scored the goals as the Pinecrest High School soccer team defeated Central Tar Heel 2-A Conference foes Northwood 2-1 and Union Pines 4-1 Tuesday and Wednesday.

Next week the Southeastern 4-A Conference-leading Patriots return to conference play with a home match Monday against Hoke and an away match Wednesday against Scotland. Pinecrest is 3-0 in the conference and 10-2-2 overall.

A Milewski hat trick in the Union Pines match gives him 17 goals on the season. He now shares the Pincrest career goal record of 43 with Matt Smith. He also picked up his ninth assist of the year, putting him within four of Drew Martin’s career record of 34.

Union Pines (2-6-1 overall) displayed the tough defense that has given up just over two goals per game this season. In spite of mounting little offense and being out shot 40-4, the Vikings did not give up a goal until 10 minutes remained in the first half. Then, Milewski took a ball almost to the goal line on the left and fed it back to Alfredo Gil, about eight yards out, for his 16th goal of the season.

The Patriots scored two more goals to make it 3-0 at the half. At the five-minute mark, Milewski received a ball from right defender Doug Andrews and beat Viking goalkeeper Nick Homesley one-on-one. With two minutes left, the senior won a ball from a defender at the top of the penalty area and tucked it in the right corner of the net.

The Patriots scored their final goal 11 minutes into the second half on a Jason Voss through ball to Milewski to make it 4-0.

The Vikings got on the board with 13 minutes to play. Charlie McGinness received a ball just inside the penalty area and swung it around to Alex Mora, who beat Pinecrest goalkeeper Ryan Nelson from close range. Another serious challenge followed moments later when the Vikings’ Jason Collins approached Nelson one-on-one from the right but shot the ball over the goal.

Patriot coach Larry Martin praised the Viking effort. The two teams had scrimmaged in early August.

“We probably should have scored more goals, but part of it was the way they pressured the ball,” Martin said. “I give them a lot of credit. They play with a lot of spirit. I think they are much improved.”

Because Northwood did not want to use its football field for soccer after the recent rains, Tuesday’s match was played on the soccer practice field.

“The field was all mud,” Patriot defender Ben Richardson said. “You couldn’t get any traction.”

Jesse Sullivan scored 10 minutes into the match to put the Chargers ahead 1-0. Milewski scored an unassisted goal to tie the score with 10 minutes left in the half. With 17 minutes to play, Gil scored the game winner. He struck a ball from about 30 yards out in the middle of the field that skidded off a defender into the goal.

“I told the players before the game that it would turn on little things that happen relating to the treacherous conditions,” Martin said. “It (the conditions) played into every one of the goals because the goalkeepers couldn’t react.”

Martin was happy to get a win under the conditions. He praised the Chargers, who had tied the Patriots 1-1 in the first meeting about a month ago.

“I was impressed by another high quality 2-A team,” the coach said. “They scrapped with us all the way.”

In the Union Pines match freshman goalkeeper Rashad Gatling made his first varsity start. He had one save in one half of play. There was no junior varsity match either night.