Eleven times, the Jamesville-DeWitt boys soccer team has played in 2011. Eight times, it has ended with the opponent unable to put anything on the scoreboard.
And now the 11-0, state Class A no. 1-ranked Red Rams are rising a streak of four consecutive shutouts, thanks to back-to-back 1-0 victories this week over local rivals East Syracuse-Minoa and Christian Brothers Academy.
Whether playing on the artificial turf of ESM Stadium on a gray Tuesday or its own home grass on a sun-drenched Thursday, J-D followed the same pattern – namely, get on the board early and let the defense do the rest.
In fact, both games had the lone goal take place in the 12th minute. Against ESM, it was Tom Lukow taking a feed from defender Eric Nuss and putting a low shot past Spartan goalie Casey Sullivan.
At that exact same point in the game against CBA, the Brothers’ defenders were unable to clear the ball out of its own end. Timing his kick just right, Jimmy Fazio, from 25 yards out, flung a hard shot past Kevin Bailey into the top of the net.
Each time, the Rams would not convert again, leaving it up to a defense that, since J-D’s run to the 2010 state Class A final four, only seems to have improved.
One key, according to head coach Joe Roach, was having Nuss and Anthony Epifani, two midfielders from a season ago, move back to offer help any time the opponent made an attack.
And that unit was already quite good, with seniors Jesse Evensky and Dan Canfield, plus junior Jamie McBurney, offering the main resistance.
“We’ve got fast athletes,” said Evensky. “But the most important part is that we’re organized.”
That organization really manifested itself against CBA. To deal with senior star Manny Collins, the Rams mostly had McBurney shadow him everywhere on the field. Then, whenever Collins had the ball anywhere near the net, one or two other defenders would join in, usually forcing a turnover.
All this work meant that goalie Nate Sturgeon only had to make three saves, the best of them a point-blank stop of Andrew DePerro’s hard shot midway through the second half. Sturgeon is one of three players, along with Lukow and Noel Williams, to see action in goal this fall.
Back in the ESM game, the Spartans’ defense, led by Jarrett Temple, Irfan Tihic and Emir Advakovic, did a strong job containing J-D’s deep front line, and Sullivan finished with nine saves.
At the same time, though, the Rams’ formidable back line rarely let ESM venture too close to the net to make Williams worry. Nick Capriotti had the best chance to tie it, with a shot from the point with 7:35 left, but hit it wide.
Earlier that week, CBA had gone to Chittenango and beaten the Bears 5-2, mostly through a 3-0 first-half blitz that allowed it to withstand the Bears’ late charges.
DePerro scored twice, leading a well-balanced attack. Will Bunn, Zach Zajdel and Matt Stedman also landed goals as Bryce Wiley earned a pair of assists. Collins and Tim Corapi got assists, too.
Then the Brothers finished off Cortland 4-0, carried by Collins and DePerro. Both of them scored twice, and both of them assisted on the other’s scoring plays, helping CBA grab a 3-0 lead by halftime as the Purple Tigers never made a serious threat.
While J-D was blanking CBA, ESM unleashed its offense in a 7-0 romp over Mexico, scoring six times in the first half alone.
Those seven goals came from seven different players – Temple, Senid Hakic, Connor McEachron, Jeremy Barbuto, Esad Tihic, Dane Greabell and Cameron Diedrickson. Tihic added a pair of assists as Capriotti and Hakic got assists, too.
