Mounties Drop First Game in Loss to Amherst
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Mount Greylock boys' soccer team's undefeated season is done. The Mounties quest for a Western Mass. Division 2 title is just beginning, however, thanks to a solid performance in a 2-1 home loss to a talented Division 1 team from Amherst on Saturday night.Brandon Vazquez's breakaway goal in the 60th minute provided the difference for the Hurricanes, who avenged a 2-1 loss to Greylock on their home field last season. Amherst (6-1-2) was ready for the Mounties (9-1) this time around, however, and pulled out the close win in a game where it held a slight 12-11 edge in shots.
"It was a fun game, and I really enjoyed it," Hurricanes head coach Michael Rudd said. "I hope we can do it again next year under the lights in Amherst. We actually loved our trip here. It's beautiful scenery and the hospitality has been great. We have a lot of respect for [Greylock]."
While the Mounties meant to be hospitable, they probably weren't looking to lose their first match at home since 2008. It was Greylock's generosity on a corner kick early in the game that gave the visitors a quick 1-0 lead. Despite holding a 5-1 advantage in corner kicks in the first half, the Mounties gave up a goal on the Hurricanes' only attempt less than eight minutes into the game. Erik Schleeweis jumped high above the Greylock defense and headed in the corner kick from Ian Robson to give Amherst the lead.
"Their height advantage was a big thing, but it was a pretty big error on my part," Mounties goalie Sean Houston said. "The ball was right on the six [yard] box. That's my ball, and I should have that. That was the second goal we've allowed this season and the second one scored on a corner kick, so we do have to work on our marking there."
It was a tough pill to swallow for the hosts, who carried the play for big stretches of the first half. Seniors Nathan Majumder and Alex White and sophomore Grant Raphael all had good looks at the Hurricanes' goal in the first half, but each shot was just wide of the target. Greylock then made a huge push with just seconds remaining before halftime. A long ball over the top drew Amherst keeper Curtis Barnes (four saves) far off his line, allowing a scramble for the ball to ensue with the clock running down. Majumder eventually headed the ball into the open net, but it was a few seconds after the halftime whistle had blown.
"They have a little more size and speed than us but, honestly, I thought we were going to be the counter-attacking team and have to watch them possess," Mounties head coach Blair Dils said. "But we were the ones who were possessing for most of the first half. I felt like we were the aggressive and possessing team. They came out with a little more stick to them in the second half, and I guess it was a little more even. But obviously we scored a goal and still created two or three other good chances, too.
"I felt like it should have been a draw, but we just didn't capitalize."
Greylock did manage to capitalize on one very nice goal just five and half minutes into the second half. Sophomore Eric Hirsch lofted a pass over the Amherst backline, allowing Majumder to get a good run at the ball. He beat two defenders to gain possession, settled the ball down and placed it into the right corner of the net to even the score at one goal apiece.
"That was a beautifully ball through," Dils said. "Eric is a smart player, and I wasn't sure if Nathan was going to be able to beat his man to that ball. Once he did, I pretty much thought, 'That's good, game tied.' It was a great ball through, and we deserved it because we were really pressing. I thought we were unfortunate to come out of that first half without tying."
Rudd admitted it was his strategic mistake that allowed the Mounties to net the equalizer, saying that he tried to play more a defensive game in the second half instead of having his players keep their foot on the gas.
"It was partly my tactical error," Rudd said. "I made a decision in the beginning of the second half to play a more defensive system knowing that they would come out with full effort. They're a quality side with, obviously, a terrific record. They're not used to losing, so I knew they would come out with everything they had. It was my fault. We're not really a defensive-minded team, and we're not used to it. As soon as the goal was scored, we changed back to our normal attacking system."
With both teams pressing for the game-winning goal, it created an action-packed final 20 minutes with several counter attacks and quality scoring chances by both sides. Houston was forced into several big saves, including stopping a pair of one-on-one opportunities. He hasn't always been challenged this year, not with Greylock outscoring its opponents 34-3 entering Saturday's game, but he was certainly up to the task against the Hurricanes, making a season-high nine saves, seven of which came in the second half.
"He had a lot of action, but he was up to it," Dils said. "It could have been 4-1 had it not been for a few saves he made in the second half. He's a high-level goalie and he's better when he gets more action. When he's into it, he gets better and better."
Vazquez proved to be a major threat making runs on counter-attacks. He had a level of speed and skill not often seen at the Division 2 level. He broke through the Mounties' defense for a one-on-one opportunity in the 56th minute, but Houston made a beautiful kick save with his feet to knock the ball away. Vazquez eventually broke though four minutes later, however, taking a pass from forward Adrian Haughton on the right wing and slipping through the Greylock defense again. He dribbled to his right and chipped it over Houston with a left-footed finish for the game winner.
"We just got caught," Dils said. "They had three guys up and we had three guys back. One of our backs made an over-lapping run, and they let him go. It was kind of a little cat-and-mouse, chess game there, and we got caught on that counter attack. [Vazquez] has speed and skill, and that was a very nice finish on his part. We just haven't really gone up against a player like that this year."
As the hosts pushed forward in an attempt to score the game-tying goal, Amherst kept putting the pressure on Houston with dangerous counter attacks. Houston broke up another one-on-one chance with nine minutes left in the game, but the referee ruled Mike Rock was pushed down from behind. He was awarded a penalty kick, but Houston dove to his left on the ensuing attempt to stop the shot and put a ribbon on what was an outstanding performance for the senior captain.
"I felt really good," Houston said. "I felt like I could have played the breakaway where he got the PK a little better, but I stopped the PK, so that was alright. I did much better on the crosses, punching some of them out and catching one or two. I thought our defense played great, though. We didn't have any big miscues in the back. They're always a good team who plays high-caliber teams pretty much every game of the season, so we knew we were going to have a battle on our hands."
The Mounties return to action on Monday with a home game against North Division rival Lenox at 1 p.m.