CENTRAL NEW YORK – For all the high-quality boys soccer present in the area, it’s Manlius Pebble Hill which might have the best chance at achieving Section III glory -or something more.
The Trojans returned most of its lineup from a 2022 side that reached the sectional Class D final, and second-year head coach Tim Goldman is getting more comfortable after replacing program founder Don Ridall.
All of this was on display last Monday afternoon against Class C’s Tully. After a quiet start, MPH took over in the game’s latter stages and defeated the Black Knights 2-0.
Both sides had early chances, but got turned away, MPH goalie Liam Allenultimately making nine saves to equal Tully counterpart Oscar Breitzka.
But once the Trojans got on the board in the second half, it quickly added two more. Andy Lurvey had two of those goals, the other going to Jacob Temes as Nick Lurvey and Dash Goode had one assist apiece.
Great as this victory was, it was tempered a bit by what took place on Friday afternoon, MPH suffering its first defeat of the season to Bishop Ludden in a 3-2 decision.
They played to a 1-1 first-half draw, and though the Trojans scored again in the second half, the Gaelic Knights converted twice, led by Colden Sheen, who had two goals and assisted on the other, by Max Boyea.
Brody Cook was joined in MPH’s goal-scoring column by Deven Trikka, and Liam Allen recorded seven saves, one more than Ludden counterpart Gavin Hughes.
Bishop Grimes, who would face MPH on Tuesday afternoon, had won its season opener 2-1 over Jordan-Elbridge/Cato-Meridian on Sept. 8 thanks to goals by Eddie Koroma and Cooper Boots, but then lost 3-0 to LaFayette/Onondaga last Monday despite Ryan Millay’s seven saves.
Things stayed tough for the Cobras Wednesday when it lost 4-1 to Ludden. Boots’ first-half goal could not keep the Gaelic Knights from pulilng away, led by Colden Sheen’s two goals and one assist.
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Ludden is whom MPH would face next after the Trojans rolled last Wednesday night to its fourth win in a row, handling J-E/Cato 5-1.
It was Sam Lurvey who scored twice here, the help coming from Nick Lurvey and Andy Lurvey, who joined Brody Cook in earning goals. Gunnard Gustfason had J-E/Cato’s lone tally.
As MPH took that loss to Ludden, Grimes fell 4-0 to Syracuse Academy of Science, the Atoms producing four different goal-scorers, led by Sharif Hussein, who had a goal and two assists.
