Greylock Gives Hoosac a Game to Forget
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. -- Two teams headed in two very different directions met at John T. Allen Field on Friday afternoon.An undefeated Mount Greylock boys' team on top of its game met up with an out-of-sync Hoosac Valley squad still searching for its first win of the 2011 season. The game got out of control early as the Hurricanes found themselves down 3-0 just five minutes and 10 seconds into the match. The Mounties would score three more times before the half was through on their way to a 10-0 victory at home.
Greylock junior Nathan Majumder played a big role in his team's fast start, scoring or assisting in four out of the Mounties' first five goals. He netted a hat trick in the first 20 minutes of the game and later notched his second assist of the contest on a corner kick Tom Dils flicked in to give Greylock (3-0) a 7-0 lead just three minutes into the second half. Dils finished the game with two goals and two assists, while fellow senior Jesse Foehl added a pair of goals to go along with one assist. Junior Alex White also made an impact for the Mounties, registering a goal and two assists in the first half alone.
After battling to a pair of one-goal victories over Cathedral and Monument Mountain in its first two games, Dils said he and his Greylock teammates began to see the field open up a little more against Hoosac.
"I wouldn't say we played better today [than in the first two games], but it was just a more consisent effort," Dils said. "Last game against Monument we didn't come out strong enough. We let them kind of get comfortable with the game. They were very organized, so it was tough putting the ball into the net.
"We knew if we came out hard against Hoosac, worked hard in the first 10 minutes and got a goal, it was going to be easier to have it our way."
The Mounties ended up getting three goals in the first 10 minutes and five in the first 20, taking firm control of the game by outshooting the Hurricanes (0-3) 14-2 in the first half. It was a disappointing outing for a Hoosac team that put up a better effort in a pair of North Division losses to Pittsfield and Lenox last week.
"Ultimately, we just didn't show up today in any way, shape or form," Hurricanes head coach Nate Girard said. "From the bus ride down to arriving on the field, we didn't communicate and talk with each other. We blamed everybody instead of playing together. I think it's an intimidation factor. Greylock is a talented team, if not the most talented team in the county, and I caught [our players] on a couple of occasions just standing in awe."
There were two goals in particular, both of which were scored by Foehl and assisted by Dils, where Dils gathered a loose ball in the middle of the field, split a pair of defenders and found a wide-open Foehl for a clear shot on net. It's these defensive breakdowns that has Girard concerned about his team's lack of communication.
"It's our biggest issue right now," Girard said. "I don't know why they just don't want to talk to each other. They chat on the bench, the bus, everywhere but on the field. It's so frustration because it's the simplest thing. These guys have the skills and the ability. They just need to talk more and improve their mentality.
"The only positive thing I can really say about today is that I got a lot of time for guys I don't typically get a lot of time for, and a couple of them opened my eyes going forward."
Greylock head coach Blair Dils took a few positives' from Friday's win, particularly his team's quick start and the continuity of the offense.
"That was one thing we talked about was trying to jump on them right away," Dils said. "We felt like if we could just bring some of the energy level that we had in the second half from [the Monument game on] Tuesday night that we could get that going and get some seperation between us and them.
"We had a little more room to operate today. Just the fact that we spread it around a little bit. I know Nathan got three goals, but we were able to spread it around and get different guys involved. Everyone on this team can contribute and put the ball in the back of the net given the oppportunity."
The Mounties next host Wahconah at 7 p.m. on Monday night, while Hoosac plays at St. Joe's at 4 p.m. on Tuesday.