When Jordan-Elbridge and Solvay’s boys soccer teams met on Saturday in the finals of the Bearcats’ annual kickoff tournament, someone was going to leave with a 2-0 mark.
That turned out to be the Eagles, who used some late magic from Anthony Disanto to make the difference in a 2-1 victory over the Bearcats.
At the same time, Bishop Ludden hosted its own season-opening tournament and went 1-1, beating Henninger 5-1, but dropping the final to Corcoran 2-1.
As the Solvay Tournament opened at Earl Hadley Stadium, J-E toyed with Phoenix, putting together one of its biggest offensive outputs in recent memory to beat the Firebirds 7-2.
Productive all afternoon, the Eagles saw Tom DeLapp earn a three-goal hat trick, often fed by Mike Alley, who earned three assists to go with his lone tally.
Mike Nguyen scored twice, while Mike Wright joined Alley in the one-goal column. Kalys Zhumakadyr and Dillon Kirk earned single assists.
Then it was the host Bearcats’ turn, facing Cato-Meridian. Controlling the flow of play, Solvay handled the Blue Devils in a 3-0 shutout.
All Cato could manage was three shots, which Kosta Sukhorukov scooped up. Meanwhile, the Bearcats saw Sean Mulholland earn one goal and one assist, with John Salvagno and Ahmed Abdi also converting. Ken Nguyen and Matt DeLuca had one assist apiece.
In the consolation game on Saturday, Phoenix beat Cato 4-1, and then it was time for Solvay and J-E to confront each other with the championship on the line.
The Bearcats struck first, Salvagno taking a pass from David Voytowich and firing the ball past Eagles goalie Jed Daniels.
It remained 1-0 until the second half, when J-E tied it on Andrew Forward’s goal. With less than 20 minutes left in regulation, Anthony DiSanto pushed a shot past Ryan Gardynski for what proved to be the game-winner. Wright and Alley both had assists.
While all this was going on, Bishop Ludden, who went 10-6-4 a season ago (falling in the Class C quarterfinals to Cooperstown in a penalty-kick shoot-out), was at home, doing much more than just hosting a tournament.
In recent years, Ludden players, through head coach Oscar Vergara, Ludden players had befriended Zach Dahlem, a 13-year-old muscular dystrophy patient who had undergone 35 different surgeries, yet still maintained the ability to walk.
For Ludden’s opener against Henninger on Friday, Zach was made honorary team captain, and led the players out onto the field. With new soccer cleats he bought earlier in the day, Zach participated in the opening kickoff.
Freshly inspired, the Gaelic Knights further added to Zach’s enjoyment of the proceedings, beating Henninger 5-1 with a balanced attack.
Matt Weeks scored twice, while Jared Littlejohn and Mike Rommel each had one goal and one assist. Sean Sobotka also scored, as Brent Riczak added an assist.
In Saturday’s final, Ludden faced Corcoran, who beat Watertown IHC 2-0 in the other opening-round contest.
They each scored once in the first half, Rommel getting Ludden’s goal off a feed from Littlejohn. Despite goalie Kelly Beaudoin’s six saves, though, the Gaelic Knights watched as Shawn Cregg and Kevin Keeley both scored to put the Cougars in front.
