Even with four shutouts in as many games to open the season, the Manlius-Pebble Hill boys soccer team did not find itself in the first state rankings of the season.
Perhaps angry at this point, or wanting to change that equation, the Trojans rolled to a 6-0 victory last Monday over Holy Cross Academy (Maryland), its pressure paying off with five of those goals coming in the second half.
Simon Hoke, Josh Hutko and Dan Mezzalingua each would find the net twice, with Brendan O’Malley picking up two assists. Grant Lewis, Malachy Reagan and Carl Beach contributed one assist apiece.
In Friday’s game at Cato-Meridian, MPH finally surrendered a goal – and it was the only one in a 1-0 defeat to Cato-Meridian. None of the Trojans’ 14 shots got past Blue Devils goalie Trent Lunkenheimer, and Chad Thompson’s first-half goal held up the rest of the way.
East Syracuse Minoa would get an incredible individual effort from Kyle Scalzo as he scored all of the Spartans’ goals in last Tuesday’s 5-1 victory over Central Square.
Scalzo struck in the opening minutes off a feed from Connor Stark. Ethan Hayner answered for the Redhawks before the 10-minute mark, but Scalzo returned and nabbed his second goal in the 13th minute and, a minute later, had his hat trick.
Not content with that, Scalzo struck for the fourth time in the 18th minute, a blitz that demoralized Central Square. It stayed 4-1 until the early moments of the second half, when Scalzo, taking a pass from Sean Belcher, nailed his fifth goal. Safet Suljic also got credit for an assist.
When ESM faced Cortland two nights later, it again won big, 6-0, and Scalzo again produced a hat trick, burning the Purple Tigers 90 seconds into the game with a goal to put his team in front and then seeing Belcher convert a minute later.
It got to 3-0 before the 10-minute mark as Eric Callahan scored on Suljic’s feed. Then Scalzo returned to earn a second goal late in the half and then get his second hat trick in as many games with a third tally in the 54th minute. Suljick added a penalty-kick conversion six minutes later.
When ESM faced Auburn Saturday night, it was another winning effort for the Spartans, who prevailed 5-0 as Scalzo took just 90 seconds to put his team on the board, followed by goals from Suljic and Ty Mulcahy as Lucas Grabowski and Ben Leib earned assists.
Up 3-0 at halftime, ESM kept it going and proved there was more to the attack than just Scalzo as Suljic, who had two assists, scored in the second half, as did Todd Durantini.
Jamesville-DeWitt beat Auburn 3-0 last Tuesday night, netting the only goal of the first half and then doubling that lead less than five minutes into the second half before adding a last-minute tally.
The Red Rams’ three goals came from three different players – Tarek El-Zammar, Jalique Huntley and Joe Bertone. Johnny Keib and Liam O’Malley got credit for assists, as did goalie Alex Carbacio, who also made two saves in a combined shutout with David Tyler.
Another shutout followed on Thursday, this time with Oswego on the other side. J-D’s 1-0 victory over the Buccaneers was scoreless until Andrew Balotin took a pass from Jalique Huntley and converted in the second half. Carbacio and Tyler both made four saves to keep Oswego off the board.
J-D took its turn against Central Square on Saturday and had a different result than ESM did, falling 4-1 to the Redhawks. Even with Bagaza Yves’ first-half goal, the Rams trailed the Redhawks 2-1 at halftime and could not stop Noah Steele, who gave Central Square a three-goal hat trick.
Bishop Grimes was state-ranked, at no. 13 in Class C, but knew it faced a big test last Tuesday night at reigning sectional Class C champion Bishop Ludden, who proceeded to defeat the Cobras 5-1.
Even with Michael DiBlasi’s first-half goal, assisted by Connor Alexander, Grimes trailed, 2-1, at halftime. Ludden then pulled away, overcoming 12 saves by Ethan Fritz as Connor Catalano led the Gaelic Knights with two goals and one assist.
Back home Friday to face Fabius-Pompey, Grimes lost, 1-0, to the Falcons on Kewan Trotman’s second-half goal, negating Matt Tarby’s 10 saves. Then came a Saturday game between Grimes and Faith Heritage and the Cobras lost again, 1-0, the goal coming in the first half by the Saints’ Joe Marziale. Tarby had nine saves.
Christian Brothers Academy, who had gone through a tough early slate, jumped all over Mexico in last Tuesday’s 4-0 victory, scoring all of its goals in a first-half flurry.
Joey Marsello, Tristain Kucera, Dan Melvin and Hunter Burton had those goals, with assists going to Ayo Oguntola, Ben Vlassis, Dean Vlassis and Justin Miller. Between them, Matt Buck and Rocco DeLorenzo stopped all 10 shots they faced.
Now the Lakers looked for a high-quality win Friday night at Cazenovia, and was close to getting it before a late Lakers rally produced a 3-3 draw. With nine minutes left in regulation, CBA led 3-1, using two goals by Kucera and a goal by Josh Hulslander to move in front as Vlassis, Melvin and Jordan Knapp earned assists.
Then, using an all-out attack, Cazenovia twice put shots past Buck to force overtime. Neither side scored in the OT. Ryan Modzeleski, Steve LaFever and Alex Pezzi earned the Lakers’ goals. Buck had seven saves, two less than Lakers counterpart Thomas Bragg.
