Boys’ soccer bows to Medway in sectional semis
By Jay TurnerFresh off an impressive 1-0 win over No. 4 Hingham in the south sectional quarterfinals, the 12th seeded Canton High boys’ soccer team traveled to Duxbury on Friday in hopes of playing spoiler to the top-seeded Mustangs of Medway.
Junior Eric Wong (Mike Barucci photo)
By game’s end, Medway had done enough to pull out a 2-0 win and advance to the sectional finals, ending Canton’s season in the process. However, the Bulldogs did not go down quietly, and when taken as a whole, their performance over four postseason games was indeed something to be proud of.
Head coach Danny Erickson characterized it as a “remarkable” run and thought the entire 2012 campaign was “amazing,” particularly in light of all the talent that was lost to graduation the year before. Erickson was especially pleased with how his team played down the stretch, as the boys followed up a 5-5 start with a 7-2-2 finish, highlighted by a six-game winning streak that included three straight tournament victories.
Their most recent win — against Hingham last Tuesday — saw the Bulldogs bounce back from a rough first half and outplay the Harbormen after halftime. Damian Kozak scored the game’s lone goal, calmly finishing a rebound off a Bart O’Brien shot. Goalkeeper Art McNally was solid in net, while the back four of Sam Larson, Jimmy Kelly, Brian McCabe, and Kyle Hanscom were “exceptional,” according to Erickson.
The win set up Friday’s showdown with Medway and marked the seventh consecutive season that the Bulldogs have advanced to the sectional semis — “an unprecedented achievement in Eastern Massachusetts soccer,” said Erickson.
Unfortunately for Canton fans, the Mustangs looked sharp out of the gate and took an early 1-0 lead that held until late in the second half, when they scored again to put the game out of reach.
In between Medway’s two goals, the Bulldogs held their own and even controlled possession for a long stretch in the second half. They had multiple chances to tie the game, but they were unable to convert while Medway picked up an insurance tally with just minutes remaining.
Despite the loss, Erickson was happy with his team’s performance, noting that they “played with pride” and matched the Mustangs for a good portion of the contest.
If anything, he was disappointed that the season had to end and he will certainly miss the squad’s 10 graduating seniors. All 10 of them contributed to the team’s success and a few had career seasons, most notably Matt Lennon and Michael Denehy, who led the team with 28 points and leaves the program as the second all-time leading scorer.
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=17426
Posted by Jay Turner
on Nov 15 2012. Filed under High School, Sports.
Both comments and pings are currently closed.
