Drury's Second-Half Woes Continue Against PHS
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Drury boys' soccer team hung tough with Pittsfield in the first half, but its constant pressure eventually wore the Blue Devils down, resulting in three second-half goals and a 5-1 road win for the Generals on Thursday.Drury (0-5-1) trailed only 2-1 at the break but continued a recent trend of fading away in the second half. Over their past four games, all of which were losses, the Blue Devils have been outscored 14-2 after halftime.
"We played tough in the first half," Drury head coach Greg Caproni said. "We worked really well together on the defensive side of the ball. I believe in the second half we just couldn't keep up. Pittsfield is a tough team, and it is tough keeping up with a team when they outshoot you 22-3."
The Generals (1-4-1) pressured the hosts throughout the first half, outshooting the Blue Devils 12-2 and earning a 4-1 edge in corner kicks. Junior Cesar Miranda gave the visitors a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute with a long shot from the midfield. Christian Sutherland then increased Pittsfield's lead eight minutes later, scoring off of an indirect kick from Miranda.
Drury senior Kodey Bryce came through with his first goal of the season in the 34th minute, however, heading in a corner kick sent in by sophomore Sully Boland. Caproni also said Bryce played a stellar game on the defensive end, but the Generals' persistent pressure eventually broke down the Devils' defense in the second half. Junior Claudio Velez scored one minute after halftime ended before late goals by Miranda and junior Mathias Romer put the game on ice.
Drury returns to action on Saturday with a 9:30 a.m. home game against St. Joe's. Pittsfield next hosts Hoosac Valley at 4 p.m. on Monday.