KINDERHOOK – The Ichabod Crane boys soccer team continued to roll towards a fourth consecutive undefeated regular season earning a pair of wins at the annual Maple Hill Columbus Day Tournament. On Saturday, October 12, the Riders earned a hard fought 2-0 over previously unbeaten Hoosick Falls and on Monday, October 14, the Riders captured the tournament title, defeating host Maple Hill 5-0.
The Riders started the game by dominating both possession and chances, but the Wildcats nearly struck for a shocking goal nine minutes into the contest when a cross to the far post was headed back across the face of the goal causing ICC keeper Pierce Reilly to make a diving, scrawling save. Just a minute later the Riders took back command as Diego Lezama’s shot was deflected by the keeper to Heriberto Gomez who swept in and put the ball to the back of the net.
Keeping the pressure up, Seth Scarano trapped a high ball just outside the box, after collecting it the defender poked it away, but right onto the charging right foot of Alex Niemann, who’s shot ricochet off a defender and in for a 2-0 Rider lead. In less than two minutes, the Riders were again attacking a deflated Maple Hill side and a Isaac Lester cross was headed into the side netting by Scarano.
Back from illness and controlling the team from the stopper position, Derrick Fenoff closed out the scoring in the first half with a beautiful free kick with fourteen minutes left to play. Just to the left of the goal and thirty yards out Fenoff bent a shot around the wall that hopped just before the goal and tucked into the near post.
The second half saw plenty more opportunities for the Riders with a number of players getting quality chances, though they were denied either by goal keeping, defenders or even the post, except for one instance. With thirteen minutes left to play Scarano chipped a perfectly placed ball into the box, with a group of players around and a charging keeper, Tyler Suchoski, got onto the end of the ball and guided it up over the crowd and past the goal line.
With players shifting around and subs moving in and out of the game the Riders kept swarming the home side, allowing the Wildcats not even a single shot on goal in the second half and limiting Maple Hill to stringing together at most two passes at a time. Despite the lack of the scoring the second half was one of the more dominating forty minutes of play put together this season by the defending state champs.
Fenoff, Niemann and Scarano played strong games in the middle of the field, while Jimmy Hollister and Anthony Dechance were strong on defense.