The Bromfield boy’s soccer team has known how evenly matched they are with Groton-Dunstable since their 1-1 tie in Bromfield’s first game of the season. After their match last Wednesday at Harvard Park, little has changed in the equality between the teams.
Both teams had 10 shots in the game. Both had nine fouls. Both had three corner kicks. Both teams’ goalies had eight saves on the afternoon. Most importantly, both teams had two goals, and Bromfield earned their second tie of the year, improving their record to 9-2-2.
Bromfield’s Isaac Cohen brings the ball up the field in a game against Tahanto. (Photo by Vishwa Rasania)
Junior striker D’Vonne Williams had a chance to put Bromfield ahead in the sixth minute, on an open shot from outside the 18-yard line, but sent the shot sailing just above the net. Bromfield’s senior striker Derek Silver had a similar opportunity just two minutes later, but with the same result.
The Crusaders put themselves ahead in the 13th minute when senior midfielder Tynan Macleod sent a corner kick curving toward the Bromfield net. Amidst the jumping crowd in front of the net, Groton midfielder Devin Goudy managed to get his head on the ball, sending it past Bromfield keeper Will Nocka.
Bromfield struck 15 minutes later, when junior striker Brenton Stoddart used two consecutive foot fakes, beating two opposing defenders and creating an open passing lane directly in front of the net. He found senior captain Isaac Cohen with a swift pass outside the 6-yard line, and Cohen shot quickly on a turnaround, beating the Groton keeper and evening the score.
Bromfield took the lead with just seconds remaining in the first half, when Williams speedily cut through the Groton defense and put a hard shot on net, which was saved. But after the ball escaped the diving keeper, senior captain Andy Tabrizi was able to finish on the open net to put Bromfield ahead by a score of 2-1.
The Trojans looked to add an insurance goal six minutes into the second half, when Silver put a beautiful high cross in front of the Groton net, but miscommunication between Williams and senior midfielder Hunter Granville stifled that chance. As Silver’s pass came through, Granville leaped to head the ball, but the oncoming Williams did not see Granville and they collided, sending Granville’s ball flying over the net. It was Bromfield’s most significant scoring opportunity of the half.
Groton, however, was determined to even the score, and did just that 17 minutes into the half. A fake shot on goal off a free kick fooled Bromfield’s wall of defenders into jumping to block the shot, which never came. Instead, the pass came from junior Nate Pomeroy to the right of the Bromfield defense to MacLeod, who finished to the far left post, just out of the reach of the diving Nocka.
Bromfield’s only two ties on the year have come against their Division II rival Crusaders.
They fell in a match against Nashoba Regional High School last Friday by a score of 2-1, but rebounded with a 2-0 win against Oakmont last Monday. It was Nocka’s third shut-out of the season. Bromfield is currently 10-3-2 on the season.
