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Varsity Boys Soccer Kicks off Season

By RICCI & JULIE SICILIANO, 12/20/19, 2:30PM CST

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The Stratford Boys Varsity Soccer Team kicked off its season with two scrimmage games on December 13 and December 16. 

In the first game against Kingwood Park, the Spartans lost 4 - 2 in a spirited home match that saw action moving up and down the field the entire game as the momentum and ball possession shifted between the teams.  Kingwood Park struck first 9 minutes in with a quick move off the right side.  But Stratford was able to counter with a goal 9 minutes later with Nathan Purvis scoring off a rebound from a save from the Kingwood Park goalie.  This was the best penetration of the half by Stratford as the team had multiple players positioned to clean up after the first shot.  At 34 minutes, Kingwood Park put pressure on the Stratford defense with a long throw-in from the right side that was headed in for their second goal.  Kingwood Park scored again with a shot from the center of the field just outside the penalty box that found its way into the upper left corner of the goal.  Kingwood Park almost scored again just before the half ended on a break-away attempt, but it was thwarted by a great one on one save by goalie Nick Hay. 

Play was balanced between the teams for the first 20 minutes of the second half with neither team able to pull out an advantage.   Kingwood Park was then able to make a breakaway run but Nick Hay was able to grab the ball stopping a shot from the top of the penalty box. Three minutes later Kingwood Park scored their fourth goal with a shot to the left side off a right-side centering pass.  Stratford demonstrated their high level of intensity with three attempted shots over the next 5 minutes but could not find the connection for a goal.  However, Thommaso Maule then found some magic with a great individual effort with a run on the left side slipping it past the opposing goalie making the score 4 -2.  Stratford kept up that intensity with Francies Galdino making a counter run on the right side but the Kingwood Park goalie made the stop on the shot.  A few minutes later Will Emerson saw a header go wide left.  And with 5 minutes left, Nathan Siciliano made a long feeder pass from the backline, but the shot attempt by Tommaso Maule went wide.  The game ended with Stratford taking its first defeat 4 – 2.

For the second game on December 16, Stratford traveled to Langham Creek on a cold night following a thirty-degree drop in temperatures through the afternoon. Despite the low temperatures, Stratford had a great contingent of fans in the away stadium.  The second scrimmage had a different complexion than the first that did not see either team putting much pressure on the opposition goals.  Stratford had the wind direction advantage in the first half but was not able to capitalize.  Stratford’s shots in particular, seemed to find a Langham Creek defender in the right position for the ball to bounce off target.  But midway through the half Langham Creek managed to sneak in the only score of the game as a free-kick from the center of the field was flicked off a foot into the upper left corner of the goal.  Langham Creek managed to get the balance of the ball possession through the end of the half maintaining pressure on the Stratford defense.

In the second half, Stratford was now playing into the wind and it seemed to have a big impact on ball possession.  Langham Creek was able to continue that momentum they found at the end of the first half to keep the Stratford defense under pressure.  Stratford’s offensive runs met with stiff resistance from the Langham Creek defenders.  Despite the pressure, Stratford was up to the task of defending with Langham Creek unable to score.   The game ended with Stratford taking its second scrimmage loss 1 – 0.