Nick Kimball charges past his opponents. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)
The Bromfield boys varsity soccer team defeated Oakmont and Groton-Dunstable and tied league rival Tahanto this week to improve to 7–1–1. The week included two away night games, starting out with a trip to Oakmont for Tuesday’s match. The team looked poised for another victory after beating Oakmont 5–0 earlier in the season, but once the game got underway, it was easy to see that the Spartans had made important improvements.
Bromfield managed to take the lead early by using forward Josh Lyvers. Lyvers put the team on top with a powerful and accurate header off a corner kick that nicked up the low side of the far post and in. Lyvers again answered the call later in the half, collecting a bouncing ball at the top of the box for a volley into the corner of the net to make it 2–0.
“We did a really great job of transitioning from defense to offense and finishing our opportunities,” said Lyvers.
However, Oakmont began to turn the tide towards the end of the first half, using Johnny Ventura to set up dangerous plays near the Bromfield penalty area. The Spartans placed a low shot in the corner to cut Bromfield’s lead in half just before the midway point.
The Trojans returned in the second half looking to widen the lead, controlling the midfield and containing Oakmont’s newly-found offense. However, it wasn’t until late in the second half, when senior captain Brian Morgan dribbled through three Oakmont defenders and unleashed a rocket to the far post, that Bromfield was able to rest. Ventura had two good chances off of set plays to get Oakmont back into contention, but both were saved by goalkeeper Connor Davy.
The team had little time to rest before playing longtime rival Groton-Dunstable on Thursday. Veteran midfielder and senior captain Ben Brown managed to put the Trojans on top right out of the gate, following a shot to hit a rebound, making it 1–0. The Trojans managed to contain Groton’s offense through strong midfield and defensive play. The starting defensive lineup of AJ Jorgensen, Connor MacKenzie, Salim al-Homsi, and Scott Nussdorfer gave little away throughout the game. Junior Greg Wenger added to Bromfield’s lead in the second half with a left-footed rip from outside the 18. A cross by Josh Lyvers was later finished to round out the score at 3–0.
The week ended with the much-anticipated rematch against Tahanto. After losing 2–1 at home against the Stags, the Trojans looked to rebound with a win that would challenge Tahanto for the top of the league standings. The game was back and forth, with plays broken up frequently by fouls and long clears from both teams. Tahanto took the lead early from a long cross that was headed over goalkeeper Caleb Frost’s valiant dive. After halftime, the Trojans re-emerged to take control of the game. After a foul in the box, senior Brian Morgan stepped up for the penalty kick, placing a shot in the top right corner to tie the score.
