Strong Start Propels Lenox Boys Past Hoosac Valley
CHESHIRE, Mass. -- Lenox senior Matteo Phillps Friday scored two goals in the first six minutes to propel the Millionaires to a 4-0 win over Hoosac Valley.
Cameron Abdalla added a goal midway through the first half to send Lenox to the break with a 3-0 lead.
“With the [Berkshire] South games, you always want to get ahead early,” Lenox coach Camilo Bermudez said. “The last time we had a game with these guys, it was 1-0 and a close game.
“Today we got those two quick goals, and Hoosac got themselves back in the game, but at that point it was 2-0. And then they gave up the third, and that’s a hard thing to come back from.”
Andre Collins did the hard work on the game-winner, dribbling among four Hoosac Valley defenders at the top of the 18 before finding Phillips to his left. Phillips took a touch and then buried a low liner into the far side of the goal to make it 1-0.
Moments later, Sam Schnopp set up Phillips for a booming shot from 30 yards out.
The goal that got Bermudez most excited came in the 22nd minute.
Jack Ballinger sent a cross from deep on the right wing for Cameron Abdalla, who volleyed the ball into the net for the three-goal advantage.
“I think what you want is, you want the goals to be well-worked, practiced goals, and that’s what it was,” Bermudez said. “It was a one-two on the side, an early cross, and outside mid forward making a run and getting on it.
“We haven’t scored many goals like that, believe it or not. It’s nice to get one that looks good.”
After that goal and the mid-half mask break, Hoosac Valley started to get some possession time in Lenox’s end of the field. The Hurricanes did not generate a shot on goal until the second half, but it was a more competitive contest after Hoosac’s early struggles.
“I think we were a bit jumpy to start, which is something we’ve been trying to work on,” Hoosac Valley coach Patrick Mahoney said. “I think the last hour of that match was better.
“We had a couple of guys missing, a couple of big players, so we had some seventh-graders playing for half an hour. They were working hard.”
The final goal came from Collins from the middle of the 18 on a shot that deflected off the fingertips of Hoosac keeper Lucas Waterman and the post before crossing the line.
Waterman finished with nine saves for the Hurricanes, who were outshot by a margin of 13-1.
“We did adjust pretty well and settle in,” Mahoney said. “Because Lenox is a good team. It’s always tough. We were pretty undermanned, but I thought we did well, considering.”
Hoosac Valley dropped to 2-8 on the season. Lenox has two games left in the regular season, hosting Mount Everett on Saturday for Senior Night before going to Wahconah on Sunday.