By PAUL GOTHAM
NEWARK, N.Y. — Last November, Tim Mattle lamented his team’s fortunes in the Section V Class A2 finals. Winners of nine straight, Mattle’s Wayne Eagles entered the contest outscoring opponents 30-12 during that stretch.
Those Eagles fell in the finals to Pittsford Sutherland, 1-0. The loss ended a four-year run which saw Wayne reach the final four each year only to come away empty-handed.
The long-time coach knew it was his club’s last chance to claim a title in Class A.
On Saturday afternoon, the Wayne boys soccer team took its first steps as a Class B team. If early returns mean anything, the Eagles are ready for the challenge ahead.
“We knocked it around pretty good,” Mattle said after Wayne’s 4-nil win over Newark in Finger Lakes action. “Goals weren’t coming in the first half, but patience was the key. They showed patience and knocked it around. It started to come.”
Ryan Wilson collected a goal and two assists while Alex Bolt, Tyler Reynolds and CJ Salatino added a marker apiece in the season-opening win.
“We lost six starters from last year,” Mattle said of his club that came within one win of the program’s first title since 1974. “Players had to come in and step up. I told them our goal is to not take a step backward. We need to keep it at the level it was last year or better. That’s our goal, so we’ll see.”
The Eagles applied plenty of pressure throughout the first 40 minutes of action, but it wasn’t the final moments of the half that they were able to put a number on the scoreboard.
Bolt took a Wilson feed just inside the 18-yard box and opened the scoring with 4:09 remaining in the stanza. They carried that momentum into the latter half.
49’ Tyler Reynolds nods in a Ryan Wilson corner kick to give @WCSD_Athletics BSOC a 2-nil lead over @NewarkAthletics pic.twitter.com/f8I80kT1EY
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) October 3, 2020
Reynolds headed in a Wilson corner kick less than 10 minutes after the break. Salatino connected in the 73rd minute after Josh Bolt intercepted a clearing attempt, and Wilson redirected a a cross from Noah Means for the final count.
What the Eagles lacked in goal production over the first 40, they made up for in ball control. They finished with 21 shots on net, many which they took during the first half. They finished with 11 corner kicks.
Mattle wasn’t making excuses, but it’s hard to ignore the impact that COVID-19 can have on a team’s rhythm and timing.
“We didn’t have any scrimmages,” he said referring to the guidelines put into place as a result of the pandemic. “They stopped playing. Soccer pretty much shut down in March. There was a lot to work out. Our chemistry was key.”
Josh Bolt and Dylan Cook combined for just one goal, but the two forwards put pressure on the Newark backline throughout the duration of the match. Pressure that eventually caused the Reds to crack.
https://t.co/JPYcjXadfG pic.twitter.com/KlCgsiyaXU
— Matt Trabold (@TrabsMatt) October 3, 2020
“We do a lot in practice with two-touch,” said Mattle when asked about his forwards’ effectiveness. “I say two-touch, three if you must. They sometimes don’t like me doing that because they want to use their flair. I pound it into them. In the middle of the field, defensive-third or middle-third we got to be playing two-touch. When you get in that attacking third, then you can be a little greedy and create your shot. There are a lot of weapons, a lot of speed.”
I was at game for opening 40 mins. Cody impressed me a ton in net. A number of excellent saves today for his @NewarkAthletics team. https://t.co/uxIo6wdPro pic.twitter.com/eV21Alep1r
— Matt Trabold (@TrabsMatt) October 3, 2020
Wayne’s offensive output overshadowed an other wise impressive performance from Newark’s Cody Luther. The junior keeper denied Wayne of several opportunities including a penalty kick in the 68th minute.
A year ago, Palmyra-Macedon claimed the Class B1 title, and Bath-Haverling took the B2 crown. Both of those squads graduated significant contributors.
“The last two, three years we’ve been contenders for that sectional title. Two years ago (2018), we joined with the big As. I thought that was our year. We look at the final four that year it was Brighton, Churchville-Chili and Spencerport with us. We were the only small school among those. I felt like we missed an opportunity there.
“Last year losing in the finals to a really good Sutherland team. That was tough. Our student population has been dropping. We finally dipped into the Bs, so we’re a B. That’s our school size, so let’s go get it. Obviously that’s our plan this year.”
OTHER SCORES FROM SATURDAY’S SECTION V SOCCER ACTION
BOYS
PALMYRA-MACEDON (1-0-0) 9
MIDLAKES/RED JACKET (0-1-0) 0
Jace Schafer scored twice and added five assists in the win. Jackson Bay added a pair of goals while Logan Babcock Jay Hiddleston, Brendon Moquin, Joe Clark and Andrew Thomas added a marker apiece. Moquin had two helpers. Babcock and Huddleston had an assist apiece.
HONEOYE (1-0-0) 1
BRADFORD/DUNDEE (0-1-0) 0
Jake Jarosinski scored in the 74th minute with an assist from Jack Reynolds.
MARION (0-1-0) 1
GANANDA (1-0-0) 8
Ayden Neal collected four goals and two assists to lead the Blue Panthers. Andrew Gabbard and Brett Martin had two goals tow goals apiece. Elliott Hergert had three assists for Gananda which led 7-1 at halftime. Gabbard also added an assist. Liam Morgan scored the lone Marion goal.
BELFAST (0-1-0) 1
FILLMORE (1-0-0) 7
Mitchell Ward scored three goals while Mason Cool had a goal and two assists to lead the reigning NYS Class D finalists. Cater Sisson and Zach Sisson added a goal and an assist apiece. Isaiah Voss also found the back of the net. Zach Herring chipped in with a helper.
MARCUS WHITMAN (1-0-0) 3
WATERLOO (0-1-0) 0
Zackary Lovejoy connected for a hat trick to lead Marcus Whitman. Deadlocked in a scoreless tie at half, Lovejoy scored an unassisted goal less than two minutes into the second half. Jordan Lahue collected two assists.
HINSDALE (0-0-1) 0
GENESEE VALLEY (0-0-1) 0
Hinsdale goalkeeper, Ethan Cashimere made 10 saves.
NAPLES (1-0-0) 3
BLOOMFIELD (0-1-0) 0
Owen Hulbert scored twice, and Donivan Todd added a pair of assists to lead Naples. Traugott Uhlen also tallied. Cade Rathbun chipped in with an assist.
ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE (0-1-0) 1
BOLIVAR-RICHBURG (1-0-0) 3
Conner Philips scored Andover/Whitesville’s lone goal. Chris Walker assisted on the play.
GIRLS
NEWARK (1-0-0) 1
MYNDERSE (0-1-0) 0
Kaleigh Pettit scored in overtime with an assist from Megan Napoleon to lift the Reds. Sadie DeTaeye made 10 saves for Newark. Mynderse keeper Olivia Mestan stopped 10 shots.
HONEOYE (1-0-0) 1
BRADFORD/DUNDEE (0-1-0) 0
PALMYRA-MACEDON (1-0-0) 6
MIDLAKES (0-1-0) 0
Maya Ikewood collected two goals and three assists to lead Pal-Mac. Emma Robinson added a pair of markers in the win. Molly Seither added two assists. Kylie Waeghe and Haleigh LaRocca had a goal apiece. Abby Stever chipped in with an assist. Clare Boesel mad six saves for the clean sheet.
WAYNE (1-0-0) 3
WATERLOO (0-1-0) 0
Trinity Surowiec, Riley Simpson and Katie Petratta each connected on unassisted second-half goals. Cadance House made six saves for Waterloo.
PENN YAN (1-0-0) 3
GENEVA (0-1-0) 1
Hayley Andersen snapped a one-all tie midway through the second half and added an insurance tally four minutes later. Morgan Andersen and Vanessa Martinez had assists on the goals. Hailey Hassos gave Penn Yan Yan a lead in the 23rd minute. Grace Pontes leveled the match 12 minutes later. Kaitlyn Wright assisted on the Pontes marker. Marrianna Dalglish had an assist for Penn Yan.
MARCUS WHITMAN (1-0-0) 3
RED JACKET (0-1-0) 0
Katrina Marten, Zoelle Payne and Aurora Woodworth tallied a goal apiece in the win. Tori Brooks and Evelyn Lambert both added an assist.
BELFAST (0-1-0) 0
FILLMORE (1-0-0) 6
Grace Russell led Fillmore with four goals. Shelby Beardsley and Sophia Templeton added a score apiece. Templeton had two assists in the match. Mallory DeRock, Morgan Byer and Hope Russell each added a helper. Fillmore led 2-nil at half.
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