Hamilton’s Silvio Aparicio battles for the ball against Steinert’s Jake DiChiara & Max DiPierro at Hamilton’s 2nd series of the Patriot Games at Veterans Park. Photo by Amanda Ruch.
By Rich Fisher
Fish4scores.com
Oct. 12: If this keeps up, Anthony Tessein may order red white and blue socks for every game.
For the second time in as many games, Tessein’s Steinert boys’ soccer team was victorious wearing patriotic footwear at Cowell Field, as the Spartans took a 3-2 win over Hamilton to snap an eight-game losing streak.
Steinert’s last win was on Sep. 15, also at Veterans Park and also wearing the socks dedicated to the veterans.
“They’re working, I guess,” said Justin Brunow, who had Steinert’s first goal.
Indeed they are. The Spartans (5-9-1) not only won, but they tied their season output for most goals in a game after scoring just four during their losing streak. Billy Jones had the game-winner with 13:20 remaining.
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“It’s definitely a confidence booster coming from these last few games,” Brunow said. “We barely had any goals so I think these three goals built up our confidence.”
They were hard goals to come by, as Hamilton goalie Giuseppe Scordato made eight saves, several of them robbing the Spartans. But two saves that he could not corral proved costly as Steinert scored its first and last goals off rebounds.
When it came to the run of play, each team did some good things. For Hamilton (1-11), it was another case of a solid effort being wasted.
“We’ve been playing great, in my opinion, all season,” Hornet coach Chris “C Mo” Morales said. “They controlled the ball in the midfield, we were hitting the corners, we were making good runs, taking guys on baseline. We were getting in a little too deep in our runs but the crosses were there, the opportunities were there. It was just a couple of quick, mental lapses they were able to capitalize on.”
Hamilton opened the scoring with a long shot by Adam Edders, who tallied his team-leading sixth goal of the season. Steinert came back when a save on Adrian Strawinski’s shot landed near Brunow, who finished it off to tie it.
Steinert carried that momentum into the second half when Frank DiNatale scored off a pass from Sam Cohen just 42 seconds into play. A big defensive play by Hamilton’s Steven Mizsak and a sparkling save by Scordato to rob Brunow kept it at 2-1, and Richet Barchue scored his fourth goal of the year with 23:06 left to tie it.
Strawinski then had another shot saved by Scordato. The rebound went to Jones, who slammed it into the back of the net. A heads-up defensive play by Steinert’s Brandon Jones late in the game preserved the victory.
“This feels great,” Billy Jones said. “A lot is lifted off our shoulders. We started to get frustrated, but we kept working every day to get better. Tonight was just perseverance.”
“We definitely were aware of it,” Brunow said of the losing streak. “We just went out to practice every day and did the best we could so we could come out and get this victory and get back on the winning end.”
Morales is looking for his team to do the same, and was encouraged by the fact it scored two goals for the second straight game.
“This is only the third game where we scored more than one goal, so we had the nose for goal today too,” C-Mo said. “If the ball rolls the other way a couple times it could have been a different game.”
Despite the mounting losses, Morales is happy with his team’s effort.
“Every day at practice we’re coming out strong, every day in the locker room we’re in there, we’re fired up on the bus ride,” he said. “They’re gamers, they play to the final whistle every time.”
Spartan girls score early and often to run winning streak to nine
The Steinert girls got déjà vu goals within the first five minutes of play and went on to take a 7-1 victory over Hamilton West in the second game of tonight’s doubleheader at Cowell Field.
Steinert (12-1-1) has won nine straight and is unbeaten in its last 11.
Lynzie “Lou” Morgan assisted Giana “G” Pittaro nine seconds into the game, and 4:52 into play it was the Lou-to-G Show a second straight time to make it 2-0. Steinert led 5-0 at half and Pittaro completed a hat trick after intermission.
Morgan, Crysten Wood, Margarita Ivanova and Riley Scharko also scored, while Ashley Navarro, Brielle “Bean” Flodmand, Scharko and goalie Emily Inman had assists.
Hamilton’s Peyton Olsen scored off an assist from Lauren Korpics.
Luckie in goal, unlucky in result for Nottingham boys; Stars girls fall to Lawrence
Goalie Pat Luckie did everything he good for the Nottingham boys, making 15 saves against Lawrence. But the Northstars could not get the victory as they had to settle for a scoreless tie.
The Lawrence girls snapped Nottingham’s win streak at three games as the Cardinals posted a 5-2 victory. No details were available.
