Most of the area’s boys soccer teams faced extreme difficulty in the first days of September – with one notable exception.
Before Labor Day weekend, Bishop Ludden roared to a 7-1 victory over Tyburn Academy in its season opener, but much bigger challenges would wait once school started.
First, the Gaelic Knights would take on Fabius-Pompey last Tuesday night, and though it proved tough and physical, the Gaelic Knights met that challenge and produced a big 1-0 victory over the Falcons.
Neither team scored in the first half, Ludden getting great work from its defense, anchored by goalie Peter Lockwood, who finished with seven saves. That work paid off in the second half when Lucas Scutari, off a feed from Eric Emmons, beat F-P netminder Jack Klawitter for the game’s lone tally.
Then, two nights later, Ludden hosted Manlius-Pebble Hill and continued to surge, blanking the Trojans 2-0. One goal in each half proved enough as Emmons and Scutari netted those goals and Kayleb Lopez contributed an assist. The Gaelic Knights took 11 shots to MPH’s five.
Ludden’s neighbors from Westhill were idle until a big Friday-night clash with defending Section III Class B champion Skaneateles at Hyatt Stadium. With early-season sectional and OHSL Liberty division supremacy at stake, the Warriors pulled out a 1-1 draw with the Lakers.
Braeden Elmer netted the lone goal of the first half. Westhill could not hold on to that 1-0 lead, though, as Gabe Konieczny tied it for Skaneateles in the second half. It took a stellar effort by the Warriors’ defense to preserve the tie, with the Lakers taking twice as many shots and Antonio Scrimale having to record 10 saves in regulation and 20 minutes of overtime.
Marcellus, who lost its opener to Westhill on Aug. 31, ventured to Alibrandi Stadium last Tuesday night to face Christian Brothers Academy, but lost a 2-1 decision to the Brothers.
Trailing 1-0 at halftime, the Mustangs got on the board with Nate Kellar’s late goal, assisted by Alec Stasyuk. CBA answered it, though, overcoming 10 saves from Marcellus goalie Sam Hayduke as Alex Calkins and Tom Daviau found the net for the victorious Brothers.
What followed, on Friday night at Cazenovia, was a game where the Mustangs nearly made up a three-goal deficit to the Lakers in the final minutes before taking yet another one-goal defeat, this one a 3-2 decision.
Cazenovia went right after Marcellus from the opening kickoff, and unlike with RFA, it got on the board in a hurry, scoring in the 15th minute when Joe Spiers found the net off nice passes from Alex Pezzi and Christensen.
Even with an early goal, the Lakers kept pushing and, four minutes later, made it 2-0 with Spiers this time offering the assist on Ryan Modzeleski’s goal. It stayed that way until the second half, when in the 55th minute Justin Gagnon took his turn, pouncing upon a Mustangs defensive turnover and converting.
Understandably, Cazenovia relaxed with its three-goal margin – but Marcellus nearly made the Lakers pay for it. David Bosak and Alex Stasyuk hit on back-to-back goals, and the Mustangs pulled within one with more than nine minutes left.
Throughout the homestretch, Marcellus swarmed the Cazenovia net. Try as it could, though, the Mustangs couldn’t force overtime, Lakers goalie Thomas Bragg making most of his six saves in that closing stretch.
West Genesee, run over at home By Fayetteville-Manlius in its Sept. 1 opener, had a much better performance last Tuesday at Cicero-North Syracuse, but saw its comeback fall just short in a 2-1 defeat to the defending Section III Class AA champion Northstars.
Brady Engle’s pair of goals, one in each half, left the Wildcats trailing 2-0, but it cut into that deficit thanks to Manny Castro’s goal midway through the second half. For the rest of the game, WG played solid defense and applied pressure, but couldn’t pull even. David Wenner had 13 saves as C-NS counterpart Nate Young had nine saves.
On Thursday night, WG got close again, at Nottingham, but lost 1-0. Wenner continued to shine, with 12 saves, and kept the game scoreless until the second half, when Juma Hussein scored for the Bulldogs off a feed from Mohamed Yusuf. None of the Wildcats’ seven shots got past Nottingham goalie Megeno Abdi.
While all this was going on, Jordan-Elbridge took on Mexico last Tuesday afternoon, and a single goal by the Tigers proved enough to squeak out a 1-0 victory over the Eagles.
It wasn’t as close Thursday night, J-E falling to Oswego 5-1. By the time Mason Barrigar, with an assist from Max Bondgren, found the net in the second half, the Buccaneers were well out in front, Cameron Smith scoring twice to lead the visitors.
Solvay, who beat J-E 2-1 on Sept. 1, didn’t find much success in last Tuesday night’s visit to Auburn. The Bearcats lost, 7-1, to the Maroons, only getting a first-half goal from Mike Tomoroska as Joe Guadganolo made eight saves. Auburn teammates Kobe VanDuyne and Devon Richardson each had three-goal hat tricks.
A 2-0 defeat to Central Square followed on Saturday afternoon. It was scoreless until the second half, when Max Emond and Victor Lasserre earned goals and assisted on each other’s scoring plays for the Redhawks.
