Soccer
Win, loss, draw: Boys' soccer presses on
By Uwe Seeler
MAN IN THE MIDDLE. York playmaker Joe Corsello (10) takes charge at midfield in last week's win over Lake Region at York. In support are Matt Prewitt (4), Ryan Clausen (12) and Justin Gallant.
Photo by Lev Yashin
YORK - The York High School boys' soccer team continued to play closer to their potential over the past week, but move into the final third of their season still yet to show consistency in their results, losing at Yarmouth 2-0, manhandling Lakes Region 5-1 at York, then drawing at Cape over the weekend 1-1.
Hosting Greely tonight, Wednesday, Oct. 4, the Wildcats will be looking to start off a strong run into the playoffs.
York traveled to Yarmouth last Tuesday, Sept. 26, and despite playing well for long stretches of time, came away shut out by the Clippers once again. Yarmouth scored at the 21-minute mark of the first half to go up 1-0, but York fought back and nearly tied at the buzzer when it appeared that Joe Corsello had headed in for the equalizer, but the goal was called off as being after time had expired.
York continued to press in the second half, but with time running down and York pushing up on defense, the Clippers scored against the run of play when Dan Gerges ran in clean and chipped for a skillful goal over York keeper Dan Graziano who had charged out off his line to stop the breakaway. Final score: Yarmouth 2-0.
York returned home on Thursday, Sept. 28, to host Lakes Region, scoring four goals in the second half en route to a 5-1 victory. Keeper Graziano came up with two big saves in the first half to keep the visitors off the board, and striker Phil Alibrandi scored with just over five minutes left in the half on a left-footed shot from just outside the box to give York the 1-0 lead.
York got rolling in the second half when Ryan Clausen poked the ball through the keeper's legs after a scramble out front to make it 2-0. Alex Ciccolini-Foley followed with a touch shot past the diving keeper to up the lead to 3-0.
Confusion on a substitution let the Lakers get back a cheap one as they were able to get the ball at midfield and run in for a strike to make it 3-1. But Ciccolini-Foley responded with another York goal at 6:37, running onto the ball off a long pass from Alibrandi and touching the ball for the 4-1 lead.
Corsello finished the scoring with a left-footed blast that beat the keeper low after a feed from Hamid Bdine, who showed some fine Brazilian footwork in heavy traffic to set up the goal. Final score: York 5, Lake Region 1.
The Wildcats finished the week with a Saturday trip to Cape Elizabeth on Sept. 30, where a disputed goal cost York the win and allowed the hosts to get the draw. York went up at 24 minutes on another run into the clear by Ciccolini-Foley, this one off the feed from Clausen.
But the Capers evened the score just before the half when Graziano came out to play a ball in the air and the ball came loose when he hit the ground, allowing Cape to knock it in from close range. It appeared that Graziano had control of the ball but had it kicked loose by Cape. The arguments by York failed to sway the officials, however, and the score stood at 1-1.
The second half was back and forth, with Ciccolini-Foley nearly scoring on a long-distance run in clear from midfield but the Cape keeper challenged well and made the stop.
York appeared to have won a penalty in the box in overtime when Corsello was taken down hard, but the officials, again frustrating the Wildcats, ruled play on and the game ended with a disappointing draw for York.
The Wildcats sit at 6-3-1 ahead of tonight's game at home against Greely.
