Boys' Soccer - JV
vs.
Avon Old Farms School
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Win 4-1
Watertown, CT—Taft JV Boys Soccer played a very assured game against Avon Old Farms this Saturday. After looking forward to the challenge of playing a hardworking, well-drilled team, Taft took the field and immediately attempted to press high, creating a handful of defensive takeaways and springing counterattacking moves in dangerous territory. As the midfields from the respective teams sought ways to control the flow of play, the Big Red had more answers and multiple players combined to create chances. Will De Luca ’21 stepped up in his first start and made incisive runs against his quick marker, while Eugene Acevedo ’20 seemed to pop up everywhere in midfield, harrying his opponents and passing safely when on the ball. Captain Max Fossland ’19 had his team fired up for the game and barked instructions all along the backline, while Devin Johnson ’20 stayed calm in the face of significant speed and guile in the form of Avon’s forward line. Eight minutes was all Taft needed to break the tension and score the game’s first goal. Gathering a through ball from Edvin Tran Hoac ‘20 after the middie’s characteristic snaking run, Captain Mayan Ewert ’20 ran behind the center backs and slotted home emphatically to put Taft up 1-0. Fifteen minutes passed with Taft holding the greater amount of possession, though Avon looked sharp and just as likely to spring a scoring opportunity as the hosts. Andrew Namkoong ’20 showed his growing defensive nous with smart minutes played up front hounding the Avon back four and creating short field situations for his teammates to use. In such a fashion, Ewert scored Taft’s second goal of the game. Tran Hoac again gathered the ball from Ranon Larpcharern ’20, danced through multiple tackles to find a vertical run from the forward. Ewert latched onto the pass and didn’t miss when rifling his early shot past the Avon GK. The goalie played a strong, authoritative game, playing aggressively from the goal mouth, organizing his team, and taking responsibility for plays in his box. As Peter Yu ’20 pushed into the wing position on the right, he found options throughout midfield for one-twos, though his opponents stayed clever to the threat. Adding to the positivity of the first stanza of the game, Ewert completed his natural hat trick in the 33rd minute. Sensing a chance from a long ball played by CB Aiden Essig ’21, Ewert gathered the 45 yard pass, drew the defense close and played himself through into the Avon box. After rounding the goalkeeper, Ewert had put Taft ahead 3-0. Once the second half got underway, both teams played a cagier game, throwing numbers into attack only when the chance seemed certain. In that both midfields tired, the game became more open, offering Lucas Escallon ’20, Michael Negrea ’21, and Spencer Shin ’21 the chance to contribute. Another sub, Cal Dayton ’20, rounded out Taft’s scoring when, in the 69th minute he was fastest to a loose ball in the Avon box that his teammate Tran Hoac had flicked on from a corner. The 4-0 scoreline gave a bit too much adrenaline. On the ensuing possession from midfield, Avon orchestrated a beautifully worked series that opened up Taft’s edge and allowed a slide rule pass from outside the penalty box to connect with a brave running forward. The final ten minutes featured better instincts than execution as both squads ran hard until the end. Final score: 4-1. Taft looks forward to playing Avon again later this season in mid-October.