CENTRAL NEW YORK – With its 8-1-1 mark through 10 games and coming off shutouts over the likes of West Genesee the Fayeteville-Manlius boys soccer team continued to rise up the state Class AAA rankings, landing at the no. 6 spot at the start of October.
What bothered the Hornets, though, was that its lone defeat had come Sept. 10 against Baldwinsville, a 3-2 setback that F-M wanted to avenge when it traveled to Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium Tuesday night.
Yet it could not do so. Eighty minutes of regulation and 20 minutes of overtime passed without a goal, the 0-0 draw partially the result of great F-M defense.
Again the Hornets’ back line all but shut down an opponent, limiting B’ville to three shots, but the Bees’ own resistance proved quite strong as a goal remained out of the net.
Contrasting this was Saturday’s 7-1 win over Corcoran/ITC, where F-M’s attack cut loose for six unanswered goals in the first half.
Connor Hutko and Owen Pipes each had one goal and one assist. Alassan Becker got two assists, with Will Beecher, Mahinda Vitharana, Abdalla Elfituri, Jonathan Palmer and Aiden Burkett also netting goals. Grant Webster and Adam Winnowicz contributed assists.
Far busier this week was Christian Brothers Academy who played four times in six days, starting Monday when it dropped a 3-2 decision to Skaneateles at Hyatt Stadium.
That it was even close was a tribute to the Brothers’ resilience after it fell behind 3-0 in the first half. Xavier Kucera scored and assisted on Owen Cruceta’s tally in the second half to pull CBA within one, but it could not quite force overtime.
A day later, facing state Class B no. 4-ranked Westhill, the Brothers were not as close, taking a 4-0 defeat. Matthias Freeman had 10 saves, but the Warriors got goals from Max Cowin, Cal Petrone, Mariusz Sobotka and Aiden Amidon by game’s end, with Cowin and Tom Pendergast getting assists.
Turning it around on Thursday night CBA unloaded on Mexico in a 5-0 shutout, with Grady Shanly leading the way as his three assists set a career mark.
Five different players – Jesse Beach, Greyson Taetsch, Jaden Bowen-Henry, Caleb Buddie and Liam Wichmann – picked up those five goals, with Zach Walma and Ameen Waleed also getting assists.
Then CBA beat Troy LaSalle Institute 4-2 on Saturday afternoon, breaking out of a 2-2 halftime tie helped by Peyton Christ getting a goal and two assists. The other goals went to Shanly, Tien Larrivey and Levi Maidment.
Manlius Pebble Hill started the week 5-2-2 but was turned back Monday in a 2-1 defeat to Faith Heritage, getting its only goal from Nick Lurvey assisted by Brody Cook. Goalies Tyler Wladis and Owen Hay combined for eight saves.
Then came a big game Friday when, again, the Trojans challenged undefeated Bishop Ludden, a team it tied 1-1 on Sept. 18.
Again it proved close, but this time the Gaelic Knights prevailed 2-1 on first-half goals from Avery Nevil and Jack Ruddy that negated an Andy Lurvey tally. Hay played the whole game in the net and made nine saves.
Bishop Grimes ran into state Class C no. 8-ranked Tully Wednesday and lost 6-0 to the Black Knights, who got three-goal hat tricks from Ryan Rauber and Julian Shay as Rauber assisted on two of Shay’s scoring plays.
Yet the Cobras were able to win 2-0 over Altmar-Parish-Williamstown on Friday afternoon, with Cooper Stewart earning a goal in each half and assists credited to Cooper Boots and Eddie Koroma.
