Second half surge propels boys’ soccer past NA
By Jay Turner
Senior Michael Denehy was outstanding vs. North Attleboro last Friday.
Despite losing 11 seniors from arguably the most gifted class in program history, the Canton High boys’ varsity soccer team kicked off its Davenport Division title defense with an impressive 2-0 victory over North Attleboro last Friday at Memorial Field.
In addition to giving the young team some much-needed early season confidence, last week’s win also extended two remarkable streaks for the program — a 39-game unbeaten streak against Hockomock opponents and a 48-game home unbeaten streak that dates back to 2007.
“This was a great win for us to start off the year,” said veteran head coach Danny Erickson, who has guided the Bulldogs to six consecutive appearances in the south sectional semifinals. “From a coaching perspective, I don’t know if we’ll have a bigger game this year. We graduated a boatload of guys, and there wasn’t certainty as to our capabilities as a team.”
There was likely even less certainty after Friday’s “lackluster” first half, but the Bulldogs “more than made up for it with a very well-played second half,” according to Erickson.
The resurgence was led by senior Michael Denehy, who broke the scoreless tie by knocking in a rebound off an Eric Wong shot. Later in the half, Denehy came up big again when he “exploded into the box and slid an exceptional ball towards the goal” that was deflected into the net by an NA defender.
Other top performers for Canton included junior Sam Larson, who anchored the backfield, and the midfield trio of Damian Kozak, Liam Collins, and Matt Lennon, who dominated play throughout the final 40 minutes. First-year goalie Art McNally also played well for the Bulldogs, earning his first career shutout.
This week, the team will face a whole new set of challenges as it takes on three tough opponents: at Attleboro on Monday, home versus Kelly-Rex champion Franklin on Wednesday, and at Milford, the Davenport’s new member, tomorrow afternoon starting at 3:30.
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=16148
Posted by Jay Turner
on Sep 13 2012. Filed under High School, Sports.
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