Somers Gets Even with Greeley after Last Years Loss in Sectionals

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After losing to Horace Greeley last year as heavy favorites in the sectionals, Somers hosted the Quakers on Tuesday April 29 for what was still just another game on the schedule. “Yeah, sure,” Bret Kennedy joked sarcastically, and there was a lot more laughing by the time the day was over.

Somers dominated with a 20-6 victory that had their coach staying in the moment nonetheless. “I’m just happy for our guys,” Jordan Hirsch assured.

It began as a game, though. After Miguel Iglesias put a spin move on his defender on the left for a 1-0 lead, and Luke Kaplow made a big save on Cam Violante’s subsequent rush, Jake Gashi tied the score at 10:26.

In response, Matt Mayfield won in the circle, and Somers took their turn. Dylan Jimenez followed from the top, passed to Ryan Brush on right and his low ball skipped past Kaplow for a 2-1 game.

At 9:36, Greeley did win the face off. However, the Quakers quickly turned the ball over and did so two more times in their following possessions. So it was left to Kaplow to try to save his team and his catcher save on Violante seemed a pretty good formula at 6:45.

Not quite, the Somers response really foretold what would happen the rest of the way. Greeley tried to move the ball up the field, and the middies swarmed. Giving chase to the sideline, Iglesias swung his stick, the ball came loose and giving the Tuskers the ball had Bret Kennedy revealing the driving force. “We stayed locked in the whole time, making sure when they got the ball, we didn’t give them anything,” he said.

Greeley, on the other hand, couldn't match up the denial, and Iglesias put on his offensive hat to make the point. He swung from behind the net, took the body shots and willed the ball past Kaplow.

A 3-1 game, Kaplow would briefly regain the upper hand when he got a deflection on a short hop by Jimenez. Unfortunately, the goalie couldn’t play the long game. Violante came from behind and unleashed for a three goal lead.

At 4:54, the draw to Mayfield put Kaplow in the firing line again, and his reprieve was another short term plan. Facing Tristan Iglesias right in front of him, the goalie got a piece and gave possession to his team. Not for long, Mason Kelly got his stick on the Greeley advance, and Somers was back on the case.

On the perimeter, the boys took their time, and Miguel Iglesias cued up on the left for more. He whipped a sidearm winner, and the goal coming after the turnover still had Kennedy assigning credit elsewhere. “A big part of this is the face off guy,” said the middie, "Matt Mayfield kept the ball on the offensive end for most of the game.”

Time out for Greeley at 3:28, the interruption did not pause the onslaught. Mayfield won the draw, passed back to Miguel Iglesias, and he fired overhead for the fourth of his seven goals.

Only 11 seconds elapsing, Mayfield’s next win had Somers off target this time, so the Tuskers fell back on the game plan. “We try to be aggressive in our ride game,” said Hirsch, and possession was back in hard.

Tristen Iglesias on the trigger, he fired from the left, and the younger brother wasn’t done with a 7-1 lead. Of course, the lead extension began with another Quaker turnover.

Somers missing wide with a shot gave the visitors the ball, and rather than being ridden in the ground, the Greeley long stick tried to go first class. His long pass going out of bounds gave Somers the ball and the elephants took the local back to the offensive zone.

Setting up, the offense made no apology for a little serendipity. Violante’s pass from behind was a short hop that scooted to the younger Iglesias, and he had easy pickins for an 8-1 lead.

51 seconds remaining , the Tuskers exhibited a little mercy for the rest of the first but got right back on their horses. Three goals by Tristan Iglesias and one each by Mason Kelly, Ryan Brush and Violante opened a 14-2 lead.

The rest of the way made moot, Tristan Wachtel couldn’t help rejoice by bringing the past full circle. “It was pretty big to get them back from last year,” he concluded.