EAST SYRACUSE – One of the most important days of the area high school soccer season does not have much to do with the on-field results.
East Syracuse Minoa welcomed the boys team from Jamesville-DeWitt and the girls team from Baldwinsville to Spartans Stadium last Saturday for the annual “Kara Fund” event.
All proceeds from this doubleheader benefits a fund in the memory of Kara MacDougall, an ESM student who, while a senior in a foreign exchange program in Australia, was diagnosed with cancer and passed away at age 17.
Kara’s Fund was set up in MacDougall’s memory to help out children dealing with life-threatening illnesses, along with their families, from providing material items to giving physical and emotional support.
This particular edition of the event was a smashing success as, with the help of sponsors and donors, more than $5,600 was raised for the Cara Fund. And the home fans were happy, too, since ESM swept the twin bill.
The first game on Saturday morning pitted the ESM girls against B’ville, and it didn’t take long for the Spartans to seize control thanks to first-half goals by Angelina Polcaro and Alina Krdzic.
Four more goals followed in the second half, three of them by Leah Rehm and another by Jazzel Meikleham, with Katherine Cox and Natalie Peterson each getting two assists as the Spartans rolled to a 6-0 victory and set the stage for the boys battle between ESM and J-D.
It did not disappoint, either, as the Red Rams got on the board with Aiden Scott’s goal, only to have the Spartans strike for two goals less than a minute apart from Todd Durantini and Zach Shufelt.
Through a scoreless second half, the Spartans held on and topped J-D 2-1, with each of Hamdija Causevic’s six saves important. Rams goalie Sam Allen had nine saves.
Earlier in the week, ESM’s boys earned a 4-0 victory over Fulton, with Durantini leading the way as he netted two of the Spartans’ four goals. Dominic Carauna gained a goal and assist, with Stephen Winans also finding the net. Shufelt and Armin Osmanovic had one assist apiece.
That same night, J-D’s boys, who lost 1-0 to Whitesboro on Sept., 18, rolled past Cortland 5-0. Scott’s two goals and one assist paced the Red Rams as Ntumba Mwepo, Ryan Brazell and Sam Bobrek also converted, with Max MacCaull adding an assist.
A big game last Thursday against PSLA-Fowler would spill into overtime, with J-D able to pull it out in another 1-0 decision.
During regulation, the Rams put on a relentless attack, forcing Falcons goalie Kyaw Pong to make 14 saves. Yet it stayed patient and, in the first OT, won it when Bobrek put in an unassisted goal.
Later that night, ESM went to Oswego and got a 6-0 shutout of the Buccaneers, paced by two goals apiece from Joel Alvarez and Garrett O’Donnell. Durantini and Osmanovic also scored, with Shufelt getting two assists and single assists going to Alex Conzone and Eric Markert.
ESM’s girls, like its male counterparts, won twice with relative ease in the lead-up to Saturday’s twin bill.
Playing at Fulton last Tuesday, the Spartans put away the Red Raiders 5-0. Polcaro and Rehm a each poured in a pair of goals, with Peterson getting a goal and two assists. Laura Sitnik also picked up an assist.
Back home to face Oswego Thursday night, ESM this time won 4-0, and Rehm had a part in every scoring play, netting two goals and assisting on tallies by Polcaro and Peterson. Khloe Welch assisted on one of Rehm’s goals.
