Five years have passed since the East Syracuse Minoa boys soccer team claimed a Section III Class A title. Since then, it’s watched both Jamesville-DeWitt and Christian Brothers Academy net sectional banners of their own.
Perhaps it’s the Spartans’ turn again.
Unbeaten going into last week’s action, the Spartans stayed that away with a signature effort last Tuesday night that resulted in a tough 2-1 victory over defending sectional champion Fowler at ESM Stadium.
This involved a first half where neither team would score, but the Spartans remained patient. Then, early in the second half, ESM got a corner kick that Safet Suljic sent to the middle and Samir Buljubasic headed into the net.
Midway through the half, James Kenyon, off a feed from Buljubasic, added a goal to make it 2-0, little knowing that it would be the game-winner. Mupenzi Irakiza got the Falcons within one late in regulation, but ESM held on, helped by a solid defense and 10 saves from goalie Ryan Cacace.
With a four-game win streak on the line, the Spartans went to Cortland Thursday and made it five in a row, prevailing 3-1 in a game that was tied, 1-1, at halftime thanks to an early goal by the Purple Tigers’ William Pace.
To get in front during the second half, ESM kept attacking and eventually found success, Suljic earning one goal and one assist as Buljubasic and Luke Garlic also took turns earning goals. Cacace only had to make five saves.
Meanwhile, J-D and CBA both had faced real struggles out of the gate, the Red Rams going 0-5 before finally getting into the win column last Tuesday in a hard-fought 3-2 decision over the Homer Trojans that was largely due to Jacob Brazie’s hat trick.
It turned out that the key to victory for J-D was getting the only goal of the first half as Brazie found the net. Homer got goals from Riley McEvoy and Scott Maus, but Brazie also found the net twice more, keeping the Rams out in front as Ben Picone and Liam O’Malley got credit for assists. Each of Tom Binaccio’s seven saves proved important.
CBA wasn’t much better than J-D going into the week, sporting a 1-2-1 record, but it did get back to the .500 mark last Tuesday night, edging the Auburn Maroons in a 2-1 decision at Alibrandi Stadium.
Just as J-D did against Homer, it recorded the only goal of the first half, and that made the ultimate difference. Ryan Caballero assisted on both goals – one by Ayo Oguntola, the other by Dan Melvin.
To preserve it, Matt Buck had to make 12 saves, only giving up a goal to Auburn’s Devon Richardson in the second half as his Maroons counterpart, Mike Morrissey, piled up 17 saves.
Then CBA took its turn with Homer on Thursday night, and did not get on the board in a 3-0 loss to the Trojans. Even though the Brothers had more scoring chances, none of its nine shots got past Homer goalkeeper Cody Wagner.
Meanwhile, the Trojans’ opportunities were far more successful. Martin Tozser had a goal and assist, with McEvoy and Julian Ponirakis also putting shots into the net as Marcus Karam and Joey Esposito picked up assists.
Rebounding on Saturday, CBA blanked Mexico by that same 3-0 margin at Alibrandi Stadium, getting away in the second half as Tobias Okongo proved the focal point, netting one goal and assisting on tallies by Oguntola and Malachi Emmanuel. Buck managed to stop all 12 Tigers shots he faced.
As that went on, J-D lost again, falling to Fulton 1-0 in a contest that symbolized all the frustration the Rams have felt this season.
Aside from Jared Marden’s first-half goal, the Red Raiders had few great opportunities, but J-D peppered the Fulton net, only to get denied every single time as Matt Borrow stopped each of the 17 shots he faced.
