by THP Admin ·
Friday, September 27, 2024
Sometimes it takes time for a team’s offense to find its rhythm. The Division 3 Bromfield boys seemed to have found theirs last week, first beating Quabbin Regional 6-0 at home Thursday, Sept. 19, and then shutting out North Middlesex Regional, a weak Division 1 team, 3-0 in a nonleague away game the following day.
Ryan Cardoso (#16) on a fast break.(Photos by Lisa Aciukewicz)
The team has one of the best defenses in the Midland Wachusett C League, having allowed only four goals in six games, thanks to the backline of senior co-captain Vasilis Psathas, Jake O’Neil, Gustavo Medina, Lucas Bala, and goalie Jacob Dangel. What’s been lacking is the ability to create opportunities and score.
A low point for Bromfield’s offense came early last week when the team lost 1-0 to second-place Maynard. Although Maynard’s goalie blocked five of Bromfield’s 32 shots on goal, the remaining 27 missed their mark and the team left the field without adding a single point to the scoreboard.
Last week’s game against Quabbin was a different story. The Trojans, who possessed the ball for 90% of the game, converted two of seven shots on goal in the first half to score twice. After a slow start in the second half, the team scored four times on nine shots on goal in the final 30 minutes of the game, doubling its conversion rate and shutting out Quabbin 6-0.
“We definitely needed to find some energy, some spark,” said co-captain Liam Glew after the game. “We really focused on trying to get shots on target today, but we just couldn’t finish [in the first half]. In the second half, though, we found some energy.”
Liam Glew scored twice in the Quabbin game, assisted once by Psathas and once by his brother Conor Liam. Amir Kinayman contributed another two goals, one unassisted and his second with an assist by Psathas. Conor Glew scored once with an assist by Liam Glew, and Theo Myles scored the final goal, also assisted by Liam, the game’s playmaker.
“We’ve got to start getting a better conversion rate and better quality shots,” head coach Alex Horne told his team after the Quabbin game. “But I think we turned it around in the second half and salvaged that game, so nicely done.”
“That’s one thing Alex [Horne] works on,” assistant head coach Tom Hill told the Press following the Quabbin game. “He works on offense. He just works and works and works on offense.”
Gustavo Medina (#8) gets a pass off before his Quabbin opponent can block it.
Statistics were not available for the North Middlesex game as this story was being written, but the 3-0 shutout, with goals by Liam Glew, Myles, and Tomas Woelper, suggested that some of that work was beginning to pay off.
As of Sept. 24, Bromfield was third in the seven-school Mid-Wach C League. Tyngsborough was number one, undefeated after six games. With games against Oakmont, Algonquin, and Tahanto scheduled for the coming week, the team has three opportunities to further improve its standing. Four weeks remain before the start of Central Massachusetts and state tournament season.
Theo Myles sets up for one of the goals in Bromfield’s win over Quabbin, Sept. 19.