Ezra Kraus takes control of the ball in a game against Sutton.
(Photos by Katherine Finnegan)
Entering their Oct. 4 match against Sutton, the Bromfield varsity boys soccer players were looking to continue their winning ways.
The game drew a big turnout as parents and students stood or sat on the hill above the field at Harvard Park. The first half began with offensive momentum from both sides. Sutton tried to start the early scoring, but couldn’t, as goalie Ryan Kennedy saved a ton of potential goals in the first half. A tense moment occurred when Ross Cullinane went down after a play. Adam Lorenz-Kruk was on deck to substitute; Cullinane later returned. While he was blocking shots, Kennedy ended up blocking one out of bounds, allowing for a corner kick by Sutton player Cole Acoceli. While it didn’t seem dangerous at first, Acoceli’s kick caused the ball to curve and bounce into the net, just past Kennedy, giving Sutton a 1-0 lead in the first half.
Missed shots
Afterwards, both teams missed shots, including attempts by Kevin Rothermich of Sutton, and Magnus Hermans and Cullinane from Bromfield. Mitch Sklar went down after a play, seeming to have injured his left leg, and was taken out when the ball rolled out of bounds. He returned later. Fouls were issued to both teams for roughness and holding, but the game remained at a 1-0 lead for Sutton as the first half ended.
Second half looks better
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Mitch Sklar tries to get past an opponent
Once the second half began, things looked bleak for Sutton as Acoceli, who had scored the go-ahead goal in the first half, went down and had to be replaced by P. Ohara for the rest of the game. But Sutton’s attack on Bromfield continued with key breakaways that headed towards the goal. However, Kennedy blocked and saved every shot that came his way and impressed fans as he played to perfection in the second half. The problem for Bromfield, however, was its lack of offensive speed. Fouls led to multiple errors for each side. Even as things seemed to improve for Bromfield, they weren’t getting the shots they needed. Ben L’Ecuyer headed a ball just wide of the net and out of play, keeping the pressure on Sutton and threatening to tie the game. But nothing came easy for the Trojans, as Sutton goalie G. Smythe continued to shut out the Bromfield offense, even after taking a big hit from Andrew Cullinan, which resulted in a foul. Two timeouts called by Coach Hill proved no help as Sutton continued defending their net and attacking Bromfield’s. Bromfield nearly tied the game when a free kick from Eric McAlpine was headed towards the Sutton goal by L’Ecuyer, but was caught by Smythe. The game then came to an end, with Sutton achieving a strong victory, and Bromfield losing for the first time this season, 1-0.
Michael Jarosz is a junior at the Bromfield school.
