High school boys soccer: Stevens falls to Winnisquam
Published: 10-02-2024 6:01 PM
Modified: 10-03-2024 12:28 PM |
CLAREMONT — All Brendan Goodwin needed was one errant touch.
Stevens and Winnisquam, two diametrically opposed teams, had played 74 minutes of scoreless soccer on Tuesday before Goodwin capitalized on a heavy touch from a Cardinals defender. The Winnisquam right back darted down the pitch toward the endline and whipped a cross into the center of the box, where Xavier Mondesir was waiting.
“I just knew that Brendan was going to go to the corner and cross it in, and I just made a run, got the ball and tapped it in,” said Mondesir, offering a matter-of-fact description of his game-winning tally.
Winnisquam’s 1-0 victory pushed its win streak to three games, while Stevens’ home defeat marked its third loss in four games.
For coach Jason Stone, the Cardinals’ narrow loss was especially frustrating. He felt that his team created enough chances to win the game, but the same issues that have plagued Stevens of late — ball control and the team’s lack of a true out-and-out striker — were once again evident.
“It’s a lot of bad touches, bad first touches,” Stone said. “And then we’re just scrambling and trying to play defense again. We’ve been focused on that; we know that we’re doing it. We know we’re giving the ball back too many times and eventually, something bad’s going to happen.”
The matinee affair between the Cardinals and Winnisquam pitted one of the stoutest defenses in Division III against one of its most prolific attacks.
Stevens has conceded six goals in 10 games this season. It’s one of the lowest marks in all of D-III, trailing only Hopkinton and St. Thomas Aquinas — each team has conceded five goals this fall.
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Conversely, the Bears has scored 26 goals in nine games.
With the diverging tactical approaches between both teams apparent early, neither Stevens nor Winnisquam tried to chase a goal early, ultimately playing to a scoreless stalemate in the first half.
Winnisquam coach Tom Osmer said he told his team to be opportunistic when attacking in the final 40 minutes after playing a more conservative opening half.
“We were making sure to be safe first and look for the winner second,” Osmer said. “We didn’t come here to tie 0-0, we came to try and win the game. But as the time goes on and that ability to claw back, if you can see the goal, gets less and less, you’re more willing to take the draw.”
Osmer said he was concerned about the Cardinals, who were probing for much of the first half, playing a direct ball over the top and breaking his defensive line.
But as both teams chased a goal in the final 10 minutes of play, the attacking moment Winnisquam had been waiting for finally presented itself when Goodwin stole the ball near midfield.
“I hate those (goals) because we just gave the ball to them,” Stone said. “We were pretty good. We’re just young, and we make some simple mistakes and it costs us.”
Now in the back half of the season, Stone said he felt like Stevens needed that win amid a difficult stretch of games.
Both squads are playing three matches this week, with Stevens (5-3-2) hosting Prospect Mountain (8-1) on Friday, while Winnisquam (7-1-1) travels to face White Mountains (4-4-1) on Thursday. Stevens and Winnisquam will then meet in a return match on Saturday at 11 a.m. at Winnisquam.
“The margins were just that close between the two teams today,” Osmer said. “So hopefully Saturday it’s a similar type of game. Because when two teams have parity, that’s what makes sports far more interesting.
Alex Cervantes can be reached at acervantes@vnews.com or 603-727-7302.