CENTRAL NEW YORK – Area high school boys soccer teams went into October convinced that they could still have special seasons even if they were getting challenged in every game they played.
East Syracuse Minoa played Cicero-North Syracuse to a 0-0 draw last Tuesday at the Gillette Road complex, a frustrating game on the part of the Spartans.
Through 80 minutes of regulation and two 10-minute overtime periods, ESM spent long stretches on the Northstars’ end, ultimately taking 14 shots – but seeing C-NS goalie Niko Severider stop all of them.
Then, facing Baldwinsville on Thursday night, it was another draw, only this time 1-1 as Joel Alvarez, with a second-half goal, answered Greg Ramin’s early tally, but the Spartans were otherwise thwarted as Bees goalie Nick Hollingshead had eight saves, two more than Reide Scolaro.
In Saturday’s “Kara Day” game, ESM met Henninger, emerging as a Class AAA contender, and once again found itself struggling to finish its chances, which led to a 1-0 loss to the Black Knights.
Long portions of the game were spent in Henninger’s end, yet the Spartans could get none of its 16 shots past goalie Jean Damaru, whose effort was rewarded when Ahmed Saad scored the game’s only goal.
Fayetteville-Manlius had a three-game win streak before hosting Liverpool last Tuesday night and running right into an airtight Warriors defense that led to a 3-0 defeat.
Liverpool, who had shut out seven of its first eight opponents, did so again here, limiting the Hornets to five shots, all stopped by Jacob McQuatters. The Warriors led 2-0 by halftime, carried by Antonio Wilson, who scored twice and assisted on the other goal.
Then F-M got blanked again Thursday, this time 1-0 by West Genesee, who went out in front on Christian Long’s second-half goal and overcoming the fact that the Hornets had twice as many direct chances, Boston Crandall recording eight saves.
Jamesville-DeWitt lost at home last Tuesday to state Class AAA no. 10-ranked Baldwinsville, who blanked the Red Rams 2-0 behind a late scoring flurry.
They were 0-0 when, in the second half, the Bees, who had put on constant pressure throughout the game, broke through with goals by Nick Hollingshead and Will Stevens, which helped to overcome 12 saves by J-D goalie Adam Ridgon.
Turning it around on Thursday, J-D shut out PSLA-Fowler 3-0, all the goals coming in the first half. Emile Antione led the way, notching a goal and assisting on goals by Bezkod Abdusattarov and Emmet McCaul.
Then J-D took a 2-1 defeat to Liverpool on Saturday afternoon, a game made more frustrating by the fact that the Rams were only the second team all season to get a goal against the Warriors.
Yet that first-half conversion only produced a 1-1 halftime tie, and Liverpool inched in front late. Rigdon, in defeat, had six saves, with the Warriors’ goals going to Antonio Wilson and Christian Kritzer.
