Calvert Goal Lifts Wahconah Boys at Lenox
LENOX, Mass. -- Brody Calvert scored in the 27th minute, and the Wahconah defense did the rest in a 1-0 win over Lenox on Saturday afternoon.
Calvert took a pass at the top of the 18 from Devin Lampron, took a couple of touches and deposited a shot inside the far post for the game-winner.
"I saw an opening, just got past a defender and picked a corner to finish," Calvert said. "Leading up to the goal, we moved the ball, got a couple of give-and-gos, Devin Lampron had a good assist to me.
"It was great teamwork."
Calvert converted one of the few quality chances allowed by either defense in this battle of former Berkshire North and current Moriarity Division rivals.
Noah Kelly had seven saves for Wahconah (2-1), and Shaler Larmon stopped three shots for Lenox (0-2).
But most of those shots, especially the first-half chances against Kelly, were unscreened opportunities from either the top or just outside the 18.
One of the biggest saves of the afternoon came in the opening minutes of the second half, when Lenox's Thomas Leger settled the ball about 20 yards from the goal and sent a shot into the upper 90 that Larmon was able to deny to keep it a one-goal contest.
The Millionaires' best chance to get an equalizer came in the closing minutes when Lenox earned three corner kicks in the last 90 seconds of play.
"It was nerve-wracking," Wahconah coach Kevin Boino said of the end of the game. "But I'm proud of the guys. They were willing to stick their head in, get their bodies in front of the ball. They'll do anything they can to prevent it from going in back of the net.
"Especially after the last two games that we've had. It's been a little frustrating. But we've really worked on playing with more energy, communicating more and being a little more tough. That really showed today, and I'm proud of our guys."
Although it was a beautiful day for the fans, the slightly humid weather and unusual start time, 1:30, were not popular with the players.
"No one wants to play on a Saturday," Calvert said.
Lenox coach Camilo Bermudez was not willing to make excuses for his players, but he did feel that the Millionaires were not playing up to their potential in the matinee.
"I will say my team was flat," Bermudez said. "Be it fatigue. Be it because it was hot. It was a Saturday.
"But at the end of the day, we lost. Wahconah played a good game. They held it in the back. We didn't move the ball well, we didn't play well, and they took their opportunities. They were ready for the moment."
Boino said it was an important moment for his team in the young season.
"It was a very big win," the first-year coach said. "I think we needed it. I'm proud of our guys today. They really worked hard. We're dealing with a couple of injuries that we weren't expecting, but I'm proud of the guys, the way they fought through and handled all the pressure toward the end of this game.
"It was really pleasing to see."