Pomfret School boys' soccer team beats Salisbury, 3-0
Some bright playing gives Griffins two wins
POMFRET — Sept. 25 The Pomfret School boys’ varsity soccer team beat Salisbury School 3-0 by starting the game “brightly and keeping the energy going," according to coach Patrick Burke.
Scoring the Pomfret goals were: 6th minute, Nick Ferrucci (assist from Nate Watson); 42nd minute, Grant Maurer; and 47th minute, Nick Ferrucci (assist from Devin Walcott). Austin Kendig had 4 saves and Javier Alonso had five.
Nick Ferrucci got the team started as in the first minute he hit the crossbar with a strike from deep.
Nate Watson would test the keeper soon after, and in the game’s 6th minute a nice combination from Gerald Gao to Fred Coulibaly to Grant Maurer set Watson down the flank who lifted a cross to the back post for Nick to head into the net.
Up 1-0 the midfield took control as Devin Walcott, Declan Chapman, Maurer, and Caleb White set the pace for the game.
Pomfret’s play was strong, getting tested by Salisbury after 30 minutes. Goalkeeper Austin Kendig controlled his box well and made some strong plays with his feet as well as a great save off a Salisbury set piece.
Pomfret got quality first half minutes from Kaya Horvath, Jerry Da, Dylan Tran, Ethan Forbes and Anson Meerbergen, Burke said.
The second goal came on a solo effort by Maurer with a powerful shot into the back of the net.
The score was 2-0 into the second half.
In the third, looking for an early goal, a foul was called on Salisbury and Walcott put a driven ball into the box that found Ferrucci on the back post. He got the final touch on the ball before the onrushing keeper and the Griffins had a 3-0 lead.
Great play came from: Van Horvath, Anson, Tareq Altayyar, Fred, Jerry, and Ferrucci and the rest.
Goalkeeper Javier Alonso dealt with every shot or cross Salisbury brought his way including a few quick shots in succession after multiple Salisbury set pieces.
Pomfret beats St. Mark’s 2-1
POMFRET — Sept. 22 the Griffins beat St. Mark’s 2-1 with goals by Grant Maurer in the 23rd minute (assisted by Kaya Horvath); and Declan Chapman in the 58th (assisted by Nate Watson). Javier Alonso Valcarcel had seven saves.
Coach Patrick Burke said, “While not the cleanest game from Pomfret, the team showed the ability to win.
Credit is due to St. Mark’s as they worked tirelessly throughout the game and had more intensity today.”
Early in the match, with most of St. Mark’s attacks being direct, Valcarcel controlled his box well, Burke said.
“Our defense improved as the first half wore on and Eumir Rodriguez, Ryan Cho, Lawrence Viola, Gerald Gao, Ethan Forbes, and Lyle Bernard all provided strong minutes during the first half. While the middle of the field was packed today, Devin Walcott, Declan Chapman, Grant Maurer, and Caleb White worked hard throughout. In the game’s 23rd minute some nice combination play from our midfield found Kaya Horvath out wide who one touched Grant into space. Grant hit the corner of the net with a driven shot and Pomfret was up 1-0. Nate Watson, Fred Coulibaly, Cole Castro, Nick Ferrucci, Jerry Da, Van Horvath, and Dylan Tran all pitched in during the first half and while we had a few more chances to extend our lead it remained 1-0 at halftime.”
In the second Declan put Fred in behind the St. Mark’s back line a few times, Cole and Nate attacked in the channels while Grant pushed through the midfield.
Burke said the pressure paid off in the 58th minute when a ball from Gerald found Nate in space.
Nate found Declan, and Declan hit a hard driven shot that St. Mark’s keeper did not see coming.
St. Mark’s picked up their pressure in the game’s final 20 minutes and scored with four minutes remaining.
By Patrick Burke
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PMS soccer
PUTNAM — Was not a good start for the Putnam Middle School boys’ soccer team, according to Adam Heath, head coach. “We lost 7 to 1 to Ashford Middle School. The lone goal for the Wolfpack was scored by 8th grader Dillion Guilbault.”
I will try to do a better run down next time. I was not here for the first game due to a trip, so I only got small information from my Asst. Coach
The team is 0-1 on the season and sits in third place in the QVJC Small Division.
The team’s next game is against Baldwin MS at 3:30 p.m. Sept. 30 at Rawson Field.
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Tally 1st Point
Woodstock Academy freshman Mila Ganias, left, tallied her first varsity point for the Centaurs in a 3-1 loss last week to E. Lyme. Photo by Marc Allard.
Academy soccer team splits the week
Woodstock Academy had pressured the Killingly goal throughout the 10-minute overtime period but nothing had found its way to the back of the net.
But freshman Juliet Allard changed all that will 1 minute, 50 seconds left to play as she swept in from the right-hand side.
She took a pass from junior teammate Grace Gelhaus and launched it to the upper left-hand corner, eluding the leap of Killingly keeper Aryn Nisbet and giving the Centaurs a 3-2 win last week.
The week, unfortunately for Woodstock Academy girls’ soccer team, didn’t end on as high a note. It saw its record fall to 2-4-1 overall and 1-1 in Div. I of the ECC with a 3-1 loss to E. Lyme.
“I knew we had to get that goal, we needed this win and I just saw my chance and struck it as hard as I could,” Allard said of her game-winning goal versus Killingly.
It was Allard’s fourth goal of the season. The other three came all at once, a hat trick in the 5-0 win over Fitch on Sept. 13.
The goal came at a good time. The Centaurs had lost their last two matches to Plainfield and Cumberland (R.I.).
“I think for the confidence of a young team, it will help. I think we’ve said every halftime that we’re close with this team; we’re just a little younger. We have to settle down and play with a little more confidence, control the ball and not chase it against bigger kids and we, finally, got a win,” said coach Dennis Snelling.
It was also the Centaurs third overtime contest in the first six matches of the season.
The Centaurs went up on Killingly 17 minutes into the match when Gelhaus got loose and launched a ball from about 25 yards out that also soared over Nisbet’s head and found the net.
Going high was the best way to attack the Killingly keeper who made 15 saves as the Centaurs outshot Killingly, 23-10.
Killingly tied the match with just over six minutes left in the first half when it was awarded a direct kick from just outside the box. Emma Carpenter converted it to give Killingly the momentum going into the half.
Killingly then went up on the Centaurs when Makala Dube attacked the Centaurs net from the right and took a page from the Woodstock Academy book, going high into the left corner to elude the outstretched hands and body of Centaurs sophomore keeper Rebecca Nazer (5 saves).
Killingly held on to the lead for 15 minutes until Gelhaus worked some more magic, sending it some 40 yards in the air into the back of the net for her fifth goal of the season.
Snelling said with the shorter goalies, “if you have someone who can hit one from 35-40 yards away and put it just under the bar, it’s almost impossible to save. It’s almost impossible for a taller goalie to get to if she hits it right.”
Gelhaus got her sixth goal of the season later in the week against E. Lyme, scoring just 15 minutes into the match.
Freshman Mila Ganias assisted on the goal which held up through halftime. But the Vikings scored three times in the second half to record the win.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
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Richard L. Dzurenka Jr.
GRISWOLD — Richard L. Dzurenka Jr., 55, of Nowakowski Rd, died Sept. 21, 2021, at home. Born in 1966 in Harrison Township, Mich., he was the son of the late Richard L. and Irene Rita (Bridschge) Dzurenka Sr.
Mr. Dzurenka worked as a self-employed landscaper.
He enjoyed fishing, go-cart racing and NASCAR.
But, above all Richard will be remembered as an “easy going” kind of guy.
He leaves his children, Andrew Dzurenka (Tabitha) of Putnam and Laura Dzurenka of Plainfield; his brothers, Charlie Dzurenka of Windsor and Robert Dzurenka of Putnam; a grandson, Anthony Dzurenka of Putnam; and dear friends Alfred, Rolanda, and Alffy, all of Putnam.
The Funeral was private. Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.
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