CENTRAL NEW YORK – Twice in a span of four days, the East Syracuse Minoa and Jamesville-DeWitt boys soccer teams would battle one another, a consequence of a
weather-releated postponement ni early September.
In the first of these showdowns on J-D’s turf, the defenses ruled for a long while before the Spartans’ attack, twice converting, was able to pick up a 2-0 victory over the Red Rams.
Throughout the first half, and a portion of the second, J-D was able to turn everything back, only to manage just four shots of its own against ESM’s back line.
Then came the decisive goals, one each by sophomore Joevany Alvarez (his first of the season and Jackson Tedesco, with Joel Alvarez and Arnes Osmanovic both picking up assists.
The rematch at Spartan Stadium three nights later at first took a different path, J-D going in front in the first half as Emlie Antoine scored, unassisted, and the Rams remained in front at the break.
But ESM turned it around thanks to A.J. Graham, who not only tied it, but netted the game-winner as the Spartans pulled it out, 2-1, with Tedesco and Amarovic assisting on Graham’s goals to overcome 10 saves by J-D goalies Emir Hodzic and Adam Rigdon.
In between these games, ESM defeated Central Square 3-0 last Tuesday as Osmnovic and Joel Alvarez each gained one goal and one assist, the other goal going to Jett Winans as Tedesco earned an assist.
J-D played that night, too, and doubled ESM’s output in a 6-0 romp over Oswego. Luke Brazell converted twice, with Antoine, Mahir Bechir and Jisan Lamichhane each earning one goal and one assist. Nikhil Suradevara had the other goal and Amar Lopez had two assists, Bekzod Abdusattarov also earning an assist.
After the two defeats to ESM, J-D had to turn around and, playing its fourth game in six days, meet a hungry Fayetteville-Manlius side on Saturday afternoon.
Breaking out of its season-long struggles, the Hornets edged the Red Rams 2-1, using goals by Tyler Koehne and Owen Teelin to get out in front and overcome a second-half J-D tally.
Prior to this, F-M took a second defeat to Nottingham this season when it lost 3-1 last Tuesday night, shut out in the second half as the Bulldogs pulled away late behind single goals from Zakaria Daniel, Steven Shema and Ebuela Bilengana.
A night later, the Hornets fell to Central Square 2-1, going in front with Grant Webster’s first-half goal assisted by Hugh Terreri, but seeing the Redhawks rally in the second half with both of its goals to drop F-M’s record to 4-8.
All this made the win over J-D even more important, as on that same Saturday ESM lost, 1-0, to Section IV’s Vestal, unable to get anything into the net to help goalie Reide Scolaro, who made 10 saves.
