Lee Boys End Hoosac Valley's Tournament Hopes

CHESHIRE, Mass. -- The Hoosac Valley boys soccer team fell one goal away from a win and clinching a spot in the Western Mass Tournament on Wednesday afternoon in a 2-2 tie against Lee.

 

The Wildcats came out and put a goal in early, two minutes into the game after Nick Pow was found wide open at the top of the 18; from there Hoosac, knowing it needed a win, came back fighting.

 

Seven minutes after Lee opened up the scoring; David Haley sent a ball into the box. Out of a scramble of Lee and Hoosac players, Dante Sandifer was able to get a foot on the ball and tie the game 1-1.

 

 “It’s unfortunate that we let down that first goal,” Hoosac coach Camilo Bermudez said. “But I thought it was going to be one of those games where we wouldn’t be able to come back and then we got those two goals.”

 

The Haley-Sandifer combo was good for one more in the first half; in the final 10 minutes they went up the field with each other again. Haley sent the ball to Sandifer, who put one away to give Hoosac the 2-1 lead going into the second half.

 

The second half began much like the first. Lee’s Pow put another one in two minutes in to tie it up 2-2.

 

“The second half was a game of moments,” Bermudez said. “We actually had a break away in the first play, if that ball went in, it would have been a totally different game.”

 

After Lee’s second half goal, Hoosac continued to put on the pressure. The Canes had a lot of opportunities, but were unable to finish on them.

 

“We had that free kick and then we ran that secret play that we missed,” Bermudez said. “We couldn’t have lined it up more.”

 

Unfortunately for Hoosac, postseason play is now out the question with the tie.

 

The Hurricanes have two regular season games left. They travel to Pittsfield Monday evening for a 6 p.m. start. Lee will play their final regular season game Friday at Lenox.