Things did not bounce the way of the Woodstock Academy boys’ soccer team last week on their home fields in their first two outings.
Fortunately, things went much better Sept. 21.
The Centaurs ended Bacon Academy’s four-game win streak with a 2-0 win over the Bobcats on the Bentley Athletic Complex turf field.
It made up for a pair of frustrating outcomes for the Centaurs earlier in the week.
The Centaurs had to settle for a 2-2 tie with Lyman Memorial Sept. 17 and lost to Ledyard, 2-1, despite having the better of the play on the field.
Against the Bobcats, the Centaurs were patient, getting their first goal of the match just a minute before halftime.
Sean Rearden scored on a free kick 39 minutes into the contest.
It was a lead Woodstock Academy had to nurse for quite a while.
The Centaurs (2-3-1, 2-1 Eastern Connecticut Conference Division II) did not get any breathing room until just nine minutes were left in the match and Ethan Holcomb scored off an assist from Eric Phongsa.
It was Holcomb’s team-leading fourth goal of the season.
“The win spoke volumes about the character of the team getting a win (Friday) against a good back team,” said coach Paul Rearden. “We worked really hard keeping our shape and we had to. Bacon played the ball round well. If the boys had gone chasing, Bacon had the ability to cut through.”
The Centaurs were pretty happy about the outcome against the Bobcats, not so much with the Colonels Sept. 19.
With 15 minutes, 42 seconds left in regulation, a loose ball was seemingly corralled between Woodstock Academy keeper Jack Lotter and his defense.
Unfortunately, no one took control of the ball and it popped loose.
Ledyard’s Elliot Smith was in the right place for the Colonels.
He took the loose ball, saw an empty net and calmly volleyed it home to give Ledyard the win.
“Every goal we conceded this season has been our own doing,” Paul Rearden said after the loss. The Centaurs almost sent the game into overtime.
In the final seconds, a cross found its way to Chase Anderson who fought his way into the box and he was able to get his head on it first and then his foot.
Unfortunately for the Centaurs, Ledyard keeper Ken Turner stands 6-foot-3 and was able to elevate beyond that and make the save.
“Their keeper did well,” Paul Rearden said.
The Colonels (5-1, 3-0 ECC Division II) took the 1-0 lead just 5:56 into the match when freshman Daimon Pollard dribbled the ball from the half to about 25-yards out and, unchallenged, launched a ball into the opposite corner of the net.
The Centaurs had a couple of great chances to tie the match.
A Cole Hackett header off a Sean Rearden corner from point-blank range ended up in Turner’s arms.
A Matt LaBounty breakaway went for naught when Turner forced him to his left and he only got off a weak shot as he tumbled to the turf.
The Centaurs did tie the game 11:13 into the second half when Holcomb made a nice cross to Huck Gelhaus who found the net.
Another situation made it difficult to swallow a tie against Lyman Memorial.
The Centaurs had a man advantage for the last 20 minutes of the second half and the 20 minutes of overtime.
That’s what made a 2-2 double-overtime draw with the Bulldogs all the more frustrating for Paul Rearden and his team.
The Centaurs scored just 2:23 into the match on a goal by Phongsa. But Lyman (4-0-1) countered that with two goals within three minutes of each other late in the half.
Drew Archer tallied with 8:10 left and Brandon Sirois put the Bulldogs ahead, 2-1, with 5:14 left when he redirected a free kick by Josh Perry.
The Centaurs got the man advantage when Aaron Johnson was dragged down from behind on a breakaway with 20:26 left in regulation. Unfortunately, the Centaurs missed the free kick.
They were able to tie the game with 14:33 to play when Sean Rearden volleyed a corner into Hackett who elevated over the defense and headed the ball into the net. “We get the service into Cole and he will do that every time,” Paul Rearden said.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director
The Woodstock Academy

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