By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Through six games this season, the Greece Arcadia boys’ soccer team has allowed just three goals. One of those scores coming on a penalty kick. It’s the Titans’ work on the offensive side of the ball, though, that has the attention of Matt Vergamini.
If the closing minutes of Wednesday’s match mean anything, the 18th-year head coach has reason to hope.
Three different players found the back of the net, and Arcadia defeated Honeoye Falls-Lima 3-0.
“I knew coming into the season that that was going to kinda be our weakness as a group,” Vergamini said of Arcadia’s front line. “We’re strong defensively with a lot of guys returning. We’re pretty strong at the midfield. Up top it’s just some guys who aren’t used to playing the positions a little bit. It’s growing into those spots. We’re showing a little bit of progress each day and that’s what you want throughout the season.”
Ethan Cesario got Arcadia on the scoreboard with 6:55 remaining in a first half that felt like the Titans should have had more.
Gary Cooper gets the push and finds Julian Silva along the left wing and on to Ethan Cesario for 1-nil @SoccerArcadia lead. pic.twitter.com/1nsy6TKN2d
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) September 22, 2021
“A one-nothing game is not a safe game,” Vergamini added. “It’s almost false confidence in my eyes. You’re up, but you haven’t put a team away yet. We’ve had that issue a couple games this year where we’ve been up on teams, had tons of chances and just haven’t been able to put the second one in the back of the net.”
Unofficially, Arcadia outshot HF-L 10-1 in the first half with two or three other good chances and another sequence where the ball bounced around inside the 6-yard box but didn’t find its way over the line.
It wasn’t until Gary Cooper made a rush along the left side of the pitch and fed Julian Silva on the wing who in turn crossed the ball to Cesario.
Any momentum from the sophomore’s first goal of the season didn’t show up in the opening stages of the second stanza.
“Our guys were so concerned with going forward too quickly instead of looking for better opportunities to go forward,” Vergamini explained. “It was just forward, forward, forward, forcing passes forward which became turnovers and it allowed them (HF-L) to build some attack.”
The margin stayed at one for the next 35 minutes.
“All season long our combination play in the final third, our movement in the final third has been one of our key focuses in practice.”
4:43 remaining Julian Silva redirects the cross for a 2-0 @SoccerArcadia lead. Strong effort from@Aidan Lewandowski for the assist. pic.twitter.com/b9Q518AKPN
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) September 23, 2021
Julian Silva redirected a cross from Aidan Lewandowski with 4:43 left on the clock for his second goal of the season. Three minutes later, Kee Bu Soy put the game out reach with his first goal of the year.
The win was the second in the past three games for Arcadia (3-2-1)
“It was nice tonight that we were able to get a second and then the third obviously. Our focus especially this week has been just being more aggressive in the attacking third. Looking to take guys on and then movement off the ball. Guys were finding gaps to play through. It’s been a work in progress up there for us. It’s starting to come together.”
Third @SoccerArcadia goal from Kee Bu Soy. pic.twitter.com/BsJYxl0EKR
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) September 23, 2021
Gabe Taylor and Dan Morton combined for the shutout.
Gabe Taylor save pic.twitter.com/6nZZZIwhbi
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) September 23, 2021
Arcadia plays at Athena on Friday. A 4:30 p.m. start is scheduled.
HF-L (4-2-0) hosts Wayne on Saturday for a 6 p.m. kickoff.
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