By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — With his team carrying a record of four wins and four losses, Brighton boys’ soccer coach Adam Hiller wondered aloud which version of his squad would take the field in Saturday’s inter-sectional matchup with state-ranked Clarence (VI).
Having suffered a pair of setbacks earlier in the month where injuries played a role, the Barons looked the part of the reigning Section V Class A champs and NYS semifinalists in a 4-1 drubbing of rival Greece Athena on September 13th. Three days later, Brighton fell 3-0 to a Brockport XI that was winless at the time.
Thomas Rich converted on a second-half corner kick to give Hiller’s club a one-goal advantage on Saturday , but the Barons could not hold on to the lead.
“That’s a good team; we just didn’t finish the job,” Hiller said of his opponents after Saturday’s 1-1 tie. “A tie’s a good result.”
Rich took advantage of a second-chance opportunity to give Brighton the edge with 18:59 remaining in regulation. The senior reacted quickly when teammate Theo Viggiani-Cole redirected a Mat Ochs service from the left flag.
61’ Thomas Rich takes advantage of a second-chance opportunity. @BCSDSports BSOC 1 Clarence 0 pic.twitter.com/wyaIFYhFd1
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) September 21, 2019
The marker came after a the Barons switched the momentum of the game.
Brighton keeper Will Oberst had made a series of saves late in the first half to keep the game scoreless. The sophomore then came off his line early in the second stanza to thwart a breakaway opportunity.
Cal Oberst comes off his line to take away the break early in second half. No score: Clarence and @BCSDSports pic.twitter.com/PcC48iTPCW
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) September 21, 2019
“We just kinda figured it out,” Hiller explained. “We were talking at halftime that they love to flood the sidelines, and the middle was open. The middle was open on counters.
“Instead of our triangle being on the sideline, we had to have our triangle in the middle. We took advantage of it. They push numbers forward. They play a sweeper/stopper, so we could sneak in behind their stopper a little bit. We had a couple opportunities. We should have finished two or three in that second half.”
It appeared the Barons would put the game away with a late surge that resulted in a penalty kick with less than two minutes remaining in the game. Brighton did not take advantage of the chance with the shot caroming off the post.
Less than 90 seconds later, Clarence’s Aiden Steck lofted a free kick from midfield that was mishandled and found its way to the back of the net.
“They had a little scrum with 15 seconds left,” Hiller noted. “We got to be able to clear that ball. We also got to be smarter with the ball at the end of games with milking the clock, bleeding the clock.
“We missed a PK, but Will (Kelly) shouldn’t hang his head. He had a great game.”
Clarence, No. 2 NYSSWA Class AA, stands at 8-0-1 after Saturday’s result. The Red Devils had outscored opponents 34-0 entering the contest.
“We want to play these quality teams out here in Section V,” Clarence coach Michael Silverstein said. “To battle like we did in the last 15 seconds shows how we got the heart this season. We’ve been successful so far this year in terms of results, but we also want to be successful how well we play when we’re down or we’re up. We did some things really well today that I’m happy with.”
Silverstein pointed to his squad’s ability to adjust late in the game.
“Early in the second half, we were playing into their feet all the time, playing that long ball. We weren’t having any possession. We try to hold on to that ball and play to feet and then turn and take people on. We weren’t getting any of that. We don’t transition in defense well right now, so we couldn’t get the ball back. Once we finally settled down and kept the ball and stopped turning it over that helped us a little.”
Brighton (4-4-1) won the battle between the two teams a year ago. The Barons host Hilton in a clash of reigning sectional champions. Hilton will visit Reifsteck Field on the Brighton campus for a 7 PM start on Monday.
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