By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Carter Kladstrup figured he owed his teammates one.
Facing his second penalty kick of the night, the Pittsford Sutherland keeper lunged to his right and knocked away a potential game-tying goal.
With the lead preserved, Sutherland went on to defeat McQuaid Jesuit, 2-1 in a battle of unbeaten and state-ranked sides.
“I knew I had to try and make up for the first PK where I was bummed out,” the senior keeper said. “Wanted to make up for something. There it is.”
Carter Kladstrup guesses correctly this time to keep Sutherland’s one-goal lead. pic.twitter.com/wRfAqaCU44
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) September 21, 2021
Henry Walbaum’s goal with 25 minutes remaining in the contest proved to be the difference as Sutherland (No. 3 NYSSWA Class A) improved to 6-0-0 on the season.
“We were ready for tonight,” Sutherland head coach Sean Hopkins said. “We were fired up. We were ready to go.”
McQuaid (7-1-0/No. 18 NYSSWA Class AA) entered the game having outscored its opponents by a combined total of 25-0 over the first seven games.
Sutherland’s Will Field scored less than three minutes into the contest.
“We wanted to be the first team to score on them,” Hopkins stated.
Field took a pass from teammate Devon Rashid along the left flank. The senior attacker eluded a pair of defenders as he cut back into the middle third of the pitch and went inside post for his team-leading sixth goal of the season.
Will Field needs less than 3 minutes to get @SHSsoccersquad on the scoreboard. That’s the first goal allowed by McQuaid this season. pic.twitter.com/KfGAqhLdfz
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) September 20, 2021
McQuaid responded.
The Jesuit Knights pushed forward with a series of corner kicks and free kicks before earning a penalty kick with 4:16 remaining in the half.
“It was a PK,” Hopkins said acknowledging that the correct call was made. “They were putting all that pressure on us. That’s the sort of stuff that happens.”
Elliot Aguirre converted for his fourth goal of the campaign.
4:16 remaining in the half: Elliot Aguirre converts the PK. @SHSsoccersquad 1 @McQuaidJesuit 1 pic.twitter.com/D1zsFwoygr
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) September 20, 2021
“I hate giving up goals.” Hopkins stated. “Giving up that goal makes me upset. I’m that defensive coach that hates giving up goals.”
Walbaum took advantage of a corner kick opportunity for his second goal of the season. Teammate Ryan Petrone lofted a service from the right flag that Henry Leahy headed from far post into the goal mouth where Waldbaum redirected the ball into the net.
55’ Henry Walbaum converts on the corner kick. Sutherland 2-1. pic.twitter.com/mRiFixH2oo
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) September 21, 2021
McQuaid’s second penalty kick of the night came with 17:17 on the clock.
“His lineup was looking like he wants you to think he’s going to his right, but he came back,” Kladstrup said of his thought process. “I thought it was pretty obvious.”
Hopkins pointed to his team’s pre-game work as the reason for a successful outcome.
“That’s the best warmup that we’ve had all year. It was a great start out of us. I think we were really excited to play a double-A school because we don’t get that opportunity very often. Obviously a really good double-A school that a lot of people have been talking, and they are really good. We wanted to see how we could play against them. I think we did all right.”
McQuaid went the final 37:51 with 10 on the field after a player disqualification for a second yellow card.
The Jesuit Knights travel to play at Wilson/Monroe/Early College on Thursday for a 4:15 p.m. start.
Sutherland hosts Greece Odyssey for a 7 p.m. start on Wednesday.
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