by John Osborn ·
Friday, November 1, 2024
There was no redemption to be had Tuesday night as the Sutton Sammies once again outscored the Trojans 2-1 in this year’s Central Mass. Athletic Directors Association Class B championship final, played on a chilly evening under the lights of Millbury Memorial’s turf field.
Sutton junior Sean Venuti, left unguarded on the right by Bromfield’s defenders, scored Sutton’s first goal 18 minutes into the first half with a shot past junior goalie Jacob Dangel. The Sammies scored again in the second half, this time with a nudge into the net by junior Kyle Kolovsky, assisted by senior co-captain Reeg Kassatly. Bromfield’s lone goal was scored by senior Ethan Russo toward the end of the second half, with nine minutes remaining in the game.
Senior Ethan Russo (#20) challenges a Sutton player for the ball. (Photos by Lisa Aciukewicz)
Fired up by Russo’s goal, Bromfield was on the attack for most of the game’s remaining minutes, but in spite of multiple opportunities, the team was unable to even the score. Bromfield’s play was marked by technical errors and poor decision-making at critical moments. Those mistakes led to turnovers and Sutton counters that defused several promising Trojan attacks.
The Trojans outshot Sutton 3-2 and earned five corner kicks, none of which it converted. The team was also plagued by fouls, six in each half, according to statistics kept by team manager Bala Ramkumar. Players on both teams skidded and fell at key moments on turf they later described as “thin” and “slippery.”
“I think we gave them the win,” said senior co-captain Vasilis Psathas after the game. “We had some very good opportunities, which we failed to score, and then just too many mental mistakes. At the end, [Sutton] started putting pressure on us, and some of us could and some of us couldn’t handle it. And I think that’s how the game went, in general.”
Bromfield goalkeeper Jacob Dangel makes one of a half dozen or so saves of the evening.
“In soccer, to score goals, you have to string a lot of things together for it to even reach the point where you have a chance,” assistant coach Nate Adelson said. “If you can do two things right, but then you mess it up, it doesn’t matter how many things you can do in a row.” If the chain breaks down, it destroys your momentum, he added.
The Trojans had better luck in their semifinal match at home against Tyngsborough last Saturday, defeating the Wildcats 1-0 in overtime. And luckily for the Trojans, their season is not over. As a top team in the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association’s Division 5 power rankings, Bromfield is guaranteed a spot in the upcoming state tournament.
“It’s helpful for the boys to feel a sense of disappointment, but for it to not end the season,” said Adelson as he walked off the field. “In theory, we could see [Sutton] again. … It’s kind of like the prequel, knowing the sequel is coming later, and that if we want to win that, we’re gonna have to be better than we were today.”