Varsity girls win 9-0: Dave Leach’s team plays tight D, shows range of scoring options in soccer season opener.

The way I see it, there are two kinds of people, and a good part of what defines them is the way in which they look at life.

There are those that find themselves stuck in the past, constantly fretting about what might have been, or becoming depressed over the passing of time.

On the other hand, we have the eternal optimist. The person who can appreciate what has been, but always keeps an eye on the future.

Count me among the latter.

Yeah, seeing the last of summer does kinda suck. And make no mistake, I’d rather undergo a full body-waxing than deal with the six months of crap weather that are looming.

Rather than focusing on the joys of shoveling snow, however, I’m directing my attention toward our local Columbus Day festivities, followed by Thanks-giving and Christmas with my family.

And in that same spirit of looking ahead, why don’t we take a quick gander at the upcoming school sports scene, along with some early results…

Girls JV and Varsity Soccer

This year’s JV squad boasts a solid group of athletes and will benefit from the coaching of Robert Fountain.

They did, however, take the field on Thursday, September 8 a bit shorthanded against Poland as three members of the team were unavailable.

The Tornadoes scored the only goal of the first half as Old Forge struggled a bit to find their offensive flow.

Poland struck again early in the second period, establishing a 2-0 lead.

That sequence led to a renewed effort by the Eskimos, though, who subsequently turned up the heat for the remainder of the contest.

During that surge, Alexcia LaFountain set up Allyson Brosemer for Old Forge’s only goal.

Yet, while they were saddled with a loss, the girls can certainly draw some inspiration from the rally.

They can also look forward to the return of Shelby Egnaczyk in net.

Samantha Notley did an outstanding job in Egnaczyk’s place with seven saves, but the team will be better served when she’s making plays on the pitch.

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The Varsity squad, as has been the case for the past several years, enters the season with high expectations and will have long-time coach David Leach to lean on.

They certainly didn’t disappoint in their season-opener against Rome Catholic on Wednesday, September 7, running away with a 9-0 shellacking of their opponents.

Sarah Branch opened the scoring outburst then, soon after, drove her second goal through.

Apparently everyone wanted in on the action as the Eskimos outshot their foes by a jaw-dropping 36-2.

Daria Orekhov ultimately led the team in scoring, earning the elusive hat-trick, while Lauren Holt matched Branch’s pair of goals.

Maddie Phaneuf and Katie Connell rounded out the scoring with one goal each.

Assists came from Orekhov (2), Phaneuf (2), and Caitlyn Bailey (1).

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Jessica Menges was rarely tested as Old Forge’s defense prevented Rome Catholic from getting anywhere near the box.

Obviously, while this contest puts a “W” in the column, the girls will face much stiffer challenges along the way.

We’ll soon find out if they can repeat this effort consistently and continue to work toward a slot in the postseason.

Boys JV and Varsity Soccer

Travis Kiefer takes over as coach for the JV squad this year, and his enthusiastic style should keep the guys fired up and working hard.

They certainly would have their hands full in the opener as they took on the league’s presumed top dogs with Hamilton rolling into town on Friday, September 9.

Old Forge drew first blood on a fine assist from Hunter Lawrence which found John Gaffney ready, willing, and able to take full advantage.

Up 1-0, the Eskimos then found themselves scrambling as Hamilton buckled down and went to work, tying the game on a direct kick and taking a 2-1 lead on a penalty kick.

In the second half, the partisan crowd saw a reinvigorated Eskimo team.

Despite several scoring chances, however, Old Forge just couldn’t find the back of the net.

That is, until Lawrence once again set up a teammate for the game-tying score.

This time it would be Connor Glasser who would benefit from the nifty assist, driving the ball home.

Throughout the remainder of regulation and two overtime periods, the locals had their opportunities but weren’t able to convert, having to settle for a draw in the end.

Still, Hamilton boasts an elite program in our league, and their success starts well before the guys hit the varsity level.

Going toe to toe with this opponent provides confidence and certainly bodes well for the future.

As is always the case, goalkeeping is crucial and Will Johnson more than held his own with six saves.

Of course, Johnson and several other student-athletes will also be participating on Ron Smith’s cross country team which will truly test their stamina.

More on that sport in the coming weeks.

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It was a fired up Varsity squad that took the field on Tuesday, September 6 with coach John “Louie” Ehrensbeck looking on.

This time, however, they wouldn’t have the same home field advantage their JV counterparts enjoyed, as they opened on the road in Hamilton.

Hamilton wound up in Division II this year while Old Forge remained in Division III, meaning that this would be a non-league contest.

It will certainly be advantageous to have Hamilton out of our division, as they are going to be a handful for anyone who faces them.

Not having our games against them count in the league standings undoubtedly helps the Eskimos post-season aspirations.

To be fair, though, the game was actually more competitive than the final score of 3-0 might suggest.

There were several scoring opportunities that went by the wayside as well as a missed penalty kick.

Another bright spot was the play of Trevor Rice in goal, who logged fourteen saves against a team well-known for its offensive prowess.

His outing should bring added confidence to the entire team.

Well, that’s about it for now.

Hope everyone made it through Tuesday’s storm in one piece, and thank you to all the candidates, voters and poll workers who took took part in this week’s primaries.

Until next week… stay well and consider leaving the snow shovel in the shed when you dig out the rake. Maybe Mother Nature knows how to take a hint!