A great start for the Bishop Ludden boys soccer team continued last week as the result of three wins against OHSL Patriot division rivals that left the Gaelic Knights at 6-0 moving toward the latter part of September.
This great Ludden stretch started wwith last Monday’s visit to the Jones Road soccer complex, where it had to show its grit to pull out a 1-0 decision over Faith Heritage for its fourth win in a row.
Throughout a scoreless first half, Ludden maintained pressure, but couldn’t solve Saints goalie David Ruff, who was on his way to seven saves. Then came a late breakthrough courtesy of Liam Katko, who netted his first goal of the season, unassisted, and it proved enough, Ludden holding Faith to just four shots all afternoon.
Ludden next visited Cato-Meridian on Wednesday afternoon, and didn’t wait to go in front this time around. A pair of first-half goals set the tone, but the Gaelic Knights added two more and eventually beat the Blue Devils 4-0.
Lucas Scutari picked up two of Ludden’s four goals. John Saleski and Connor Catalano had the others, with Katko joining Eric Emmons and Justin Eisenhauer in the assist column. Combined, Gaelic Knights goalies Peter Lockwood and Sean Merrill only had to make four saves.
This led to Friday’s home clash against Tully, another chance for Ludden to prove itself against a well-established opponent. And the Gaelic Knights did so, working all the way to the wire to earn a big 3-2 victory over the Black Knights.
Action went back and forth from the start, but it was Ludden grabbing a 2-1 edge by halftime. Then it traded goals with Tully in the second half and clung to that slim edge for its fifth consecutive victory.
Those three goals came from three different players – Katko, Emmons and Mack Mccurn, with Eisenhauer picking up a pair of assists and Kayleb Lopez also getting an assist. Each of Lockwood’s five saves was needed, though Tully did see Brendan Lyon and Sam Stoogenke earn goals.
There wasn’t much time for Ludden to relax since it faced three more games this week against Manlius-Pebble Hill, Bishop Grimes and Tyburn Academy.
Meanwhile, West Genesee continued its quest to get into the win column, but had to face two of the CNY Counties League’s strongest sides with a 48-hour span.
First, the Wildcats visited Baldwinsville last Monday night and, on the new Field Turf at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium, kept it close for a while before taking a 2-0 defeat to the Bees. Despite constant B’ville pressure, WG only trailed 1-0 at halftime, seeing goalie David Wenner work his way to 10 saves.
But the Wildcats never could mount a concerted attack of its own against the Bees’ formidable back line, which has shut out five of its first six opponents this fall and, on this night, got help from Brandon Mimas and Jason Hahn, who earned the goals as defender Ben Kinslow got an assist, as did Connor Carhart.
Next, WG had to face Liverpool, a game where it was close for a while before things got away in the second half of a 3-1 defeat to the Warriors.
Thanks to a goal by Ricky Francisco assisted by Billy O’Brien, the Wildcats were even, 1-1, at the break, Liverpool kept building pressure, though, and went in front for good after intermission, overcoming Wenner’s 13 saves as Justin Lombard, Caleb Munski and Marques Wright each netted goals.
Now in the midst of a five-game skid, WG hoped to end it Saturday, at Henninger, but instead lost 3-0 to the Black Knights. Throughout the game, Vianey Botane damaged the Wildcats’ defense, having a part in all three goals as he scored twice and assisted on Joe Nana’s tally – and Nana assisted on one of Botane’s goals.
