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- Category: Past Issues
POMFRET — Oct. 2 the NECONN boys’ U14 soccer team settled for a tie 2-2 tie with Hebron AHM (Andover, Hebron & Marlborough). It was a strange game in that Hebron dominated much of the first half play but was unable to score. The NECONN defense of Sam Paul, Zach Gagnon, David Redfield, Elijah Dufour and Chris Walker was exceptional, and goalie Jonathan Hummer turned aside all shots on net.
In the second half, NECONN finally got a break just three minutes into the period. Ryan Black sent Max Paro a through ball behind the defense that Paro then crossed to the overlapping William Liscomb. Liscomb, in turn, redirected the cross into the back of the Hebron net: NECONN 1, Hebron 0. Just four minutes later, though, Hebron was awarded a penalty kick on a take-down in the box. The Hebron kick was well placed to the corner, but NECONN keeper Jonathan Hummer just deflected the ball wide to preserve the lead.
Both teams battled back and forth for the next 15 minutes before NECONN would score its second goal of the game. Robert Totten chipped a bouncing ball over the Hebron defense that Marco Suriano hustled under and then cracked a perfect volley into the top corner. Up 2-0 but with 20 minutes still left in the game, NECONN tried to keep the momentum on their side. It looked promising when a Hebron player was flagged with a red card that required the Hebron team to play a man short for the remainder of the game.
Despite this handicap, Hebron turned up the pressure and started to dominate play. Their efforts paid off when a screen shot snuck inside the NECONN near post to bring the score to 2-1, and just three minutes later Hebron would tie the game on a scramble in from of the NECONN net that Hummer had no chance on.
The remaining 10 minutes saw NECONN with chances (Travis Hayward’s perfect corner-kick almost resulted in a goal, and Jack Liggett, Evan O’Connor and Sean McGroary created a number of dangerous rushes), but the game would ultimately end in a tie.
NECONN takes its 2-1-2 record and will host Plainfield Oct. 9 on the Pomfret School campus.