Pitched Battle

Eldred Prevails Against Feisty Tri-Valley In A Riveting Division V See-Sawing Encounter; Yellow Jackets Sweep Bears In Season Series

Eldred 2, Tri-Valley 1

By RICHARD A. ROSS

rross@sportsinsightsny.com

Riveting to say the least! Eldred and Tri-Valley go at it in their rematch. Eldred handily won the first game but this one was a down-to-the-wire thriller. (Clockwise) Eldred's Brian Hazen had four goals and an assist in the first clash with T-V. This time out he scored the game's first goal about four minutes into the second half. Tri-Valley's Tyler Greffrath goes airborne to head this shot. T-V tied the game up on a misplay by Eldred and an alert play by Anthony Beale to save a ball Eldred's Matt Watts watched rolling towards the sideline. Eldred's senior keeper Travis Steimle extends himself airborne and sideways to deflect a potential T-V goal. Steimle had 11 saves including a game-ending leap that sent a Beale shot into and over the crossbar.

ELDRED, NY—Getting better from one game to the next is the agenda in all sports, but in a game like soccer, predicated on split second decision making and refined skills, a team must marshal the will and the stamina to build on what it has done to date.

In the rigorously competitive world of Division V boys soccer inhabited by daunting teams like S.S. Seward, Fallsburg, Tuxedo, now back down in Class C, Chester and Tri-Valley, each league game is critical as teams vie for the chance to play in sectionals down the road.

Tri-Valley keeper Mike Devault leaps and saves as Eldred swarms for the attack.

The refinement of skills was clearly manifested as Eldred and Tri-Valley hooked up for a rematch of their September 9 game played in Grahamsville. In that set-to, Eldred, a team loaded with nine seniors and blessed with one of the region’s finest keeper in senior Travis Steimle, stampeded the Bears 6-2 as senior Brian Hazen scored four goals and had one assist.

This time out, the now visiting Bears were determined to show their improving weaponry, staunch defense and resolve to work for a season split with the Yellow Jackets. All of this without their most explosive player Josue Ramos who picked up a red card at the end of the Bears’ last game.

Being competitive is about closing ranks and stepping up and the Bears were about to do just that.

Hazen arrived just before kickoff. Needless to say the absence of the West Point hopeful was a major concern to Eldred Coach J.J. Gass. T-V Coach Jason Closs hoped nothing had gone awry for the feisty Hazen but knew his team might have a better chance in his absence.

The point was moot. Hazen arrived and with every touch and shot, he represented a lethal threat.

Eldred held sway in the first half as they outshot Tri-Valley 15-7 but the teams neutralized each other until 36:30 of the second half when Hazen picked up a ball from teammate Matt Watts and drove it by T-V keeper Mike Devault.

Eldred’s defenders had done a fine job of repulsing Tri-Valley’s attack which centered around the talented Anthony Beale whose speed often resulted in valiant runs deep into Eldred’s half of the filed.

After missing on some great attempts during the game, Eldred's Peter Vorstadt screams with joy after giving his team the go-ahead goal that he played off a T-V miss-kick,

By contrast, Eldred’s onslaught featured a bevy of players pushing up and making things happen. As Gass would later note, “Our defense pushed up very well. When the ball got to the halfline they were pushing it right back in. I didn’t care if it was a pass or a one-timer. If you keep the pressure on them eventually something is going to happen and things can break your way,” he noted.

Things haven’t exactly gone Eldred’s way thus far. After losing to dominant Seward, the Yellow Jackets had to play a back-to-back game with Chester, a match they lost due to diminished stamina and play far below their capabilities.

Again…part of the learning curve. Watching Eldred play following an emotional pre-game encouraging diatribe by Steimle to his team,  it was clear that the “Jackets came to play. “Being an emotional leader is a big part of my game. I love getting people fired up. That’s my biggest thing because if they’re not fired up, I’m not fired up,” said the dynamic keeper.

Tri-Valley which to date had only one win, a victory over Chapel Field under its belt, fought like demons.

Keeping Eldred scoreless for the first 40 minutes was impressive and while they didn’t have that many shots on goal, they most certainly had their chances.

After Hazen’s goal had given Eldred the 1-0 lead, the hungry Yellow Jackets looked to get another one in. Credit Tri-Valley’s defense though which stiffened . Ever-vigilant for the opportunity to tie the game, the Bears got their chance on a momentary mental lapse by Eldred’s Matt Watts who watched a ball roll slowly towards the sideline waiting for it to go out instead of turning it back up the field. An alert Beale beat him to it and crossed it beautifully to Tyler Greffrath for the game-tying goal.

Eldred was momentarily stung, but you could sense the fury and fervor in the hive. Back on the attack they went, bringing the ball into T-V’s heartland time and time again. As had happened all day, rocketing shots by Craig Burns, Peter Vorstadt, Hazen and others pelted Devault but to no avail.

Until……..

With 6:25 remaining, Vorstadt picked up a miss-kick by a T-V defender and  scored from the left wing. He  turned ,raised his arms in jubilation and was met by Adrian Krzystofowicz for a midair chest bump. The 2-1 lead was a product of resiliency and perseverance; two qualities that will be needed in the battles to come.

“It’s a big testament to our team,” Steimle would note after the win. “We haven’t had a lot of aggression in games. Today we definitely proved ourselves and Friday against Fallsburg, we have a lot more to prove.

Evining the kind of speed he is known for in track, Eldred senior soccer veteran Craig Burns motors up the field. Defending with no fear is T-V's Hunter Kennedy who come this winter will be tossing people around in wrestling.

But Steimle had to answer the bell in the final seconds as he leaped to get a finger on a Beale laser that hit he feisty goalkeeper knocked into the crossbar to save the day. Eldred celebrated but Tri-Valley had nothing to hang their heads about.

Closs noted, “We were definitely in a defensive pressure the first half. We had a number of opportunities with shots on goal, good quality opportunities. In the second half we got a little more of a push with guys coming in like Hunter Kennedy. We tied it up and then we had one mis-kick on defense. I’m hope that we’re very close to being competitive in every game we play. I think we’re on the right track.

Eldred improved to 2-3 (2-2 OCIAA) while Tri-Valley fell to 1-3 (0-2 OCIAA). Steimle recorded 11 saves while Devault had 16. Eldred out-shot T-V 27-15.

Gass was pleased with the result, but looks for his team to continue to improve. For one thing he asserted that his team didn’t pursue the attack deep enough by kicking it from too far out. “When  there’s ten yards of green in front of you I don’t know why we’re shooting from so far out,” he observed.

Asked about his team’s response to the game-tying goal he noted, “That’s the benefit of having seven senior  starters because when something like that happens they have no problem coming right back and keeping their cool. Mistakes will happen.  Not every one will result in a goal, though that one did.  Their defense was playing pretty solid and I didn’t know if we’d get another one in.

But the guys responded. Having that senior leadership helps out and keeps the younger guys a lot more calm.”

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