Columbus Day Tournament returning this weekend with parade, pep rally, and plenty of soccer action
According to the weather man, we can expect the coming weekend to provide mild temperatures and sunny skies.
Considering the rather gloomy recent goings-on in the world of local high school soccer, the opportunity to come together as a community for the annual Columbus Day Tournament will be a welcome diversion.
No matter their respective team records, everyone looks forward to getting behind the boys and girls at the Allen Stripp Soccer Complex where student athletes past and present will strut their stuff. The celebration kicks off on Friday, October 7 with a parade, featuring floats created by the seventh through twelfth grade classes, each hoping to capture top honors.
That evening, starting at 7 p.m., the Varsity teams will be introduced at a bonfire in the North Street parking lot. Immediately following will be the always-entertaining alumni game.
This year’s tourney includes a boy’s field of Old Forge, Bolton Landing, Northwood, and Johnsburg. The girl’s tourney will include Old Forge, Bolton Landing, Northwood, and Indian Lake/ Long Lake.
Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for students, with refreshments available at the George Hiltebrant Pavilion. So don’t miss out on the fun… head on over to North Street, watch some highly competitive soccer, and share in the tradition with friends and family!
Boys JV and Varsity Soccer If it weren’t for bad luck, the JV boys would have no luck at all, as the saying goes. A recent spate of misfortune began on Thursday, September 22 as they traveled to Owen D. Young. ODY didn’t field a varsity team this year, meaning that the Eskimos would face an opponent with several upperclassmen on board. What followed was a 6-1 defeat, with Old Forge’s only goal coming from Cy Barkauskas off a nice assist from Tyler McGough.
One day later, on Friday, September 23, they hit the road to take on Poland. This time, it was Dane Daiker assisting on a goal from John Gaffney for the team’s lone score. It wouldn’t be enough, though, as Poland eked out a hard-fought 2-1 win. An opportunity for revenge presented itself only three days later, on Monday, September 26 as Poland showed up for the rematch. This time around, Old Forge was held scoreless and suffered a 1-0 loss. And, as if all of that wasn’t bad enough, their next two scheduled games (@ Hamilton and at home vs Herkimer) were cancelled due to thunder. Jeepers, you know things are going south when you can’t even take the field without a warning shot from Mother Nature! As for the Varsity squad, things started out on a high note last week but more than a few sour notes soon followed. Needing to win out if they were to have a realistic chance at the league title, all the guys did was to travel to Westmoreland on Monday, September 26 and shock the State-ranked, undefeated hosts 3-2. With that mountain having been traversed, they then faced Remsen on Wednesday, September 28.
Call this contest the absolute turning point in what had become a tremendous run of soccer for the boys. The first half of action against the Rams included goals by Trevor Godemann, Sam Waterbury, and Kevin Kress, leading to a seemingly insurmountable 3-1 lead. In what had become a very physical game, the Eskimos were doing as much giving as taking. It ultimately did them in, though, when a fourth yellow card was issued, setting up Remsen with a man advantage. They struck soon thereafter drawing to within a goal. Still, it seemed that Old Forge would escape until, with a mere 2:30 to go in regulation, the Rams scored again to knot things up. With momentum now clearly on their side, the visitors were playing with a renewed vigor. And while the Eskimos managed to earn a second overtime, their foes drove a stake into their hearts just as the second OT began. The loss was devastating. So much so that the crestfallen Eskimos then dropped their next game at Poland on Friday, September 20. Despite the setbacks, however, the team stands at 4-3-1 in league play and can finish the season with a solid record. Not to mention that the postseason represents a new beginning. If these guys perform at a level they’re capable of, they can make plenty of noise when it really counts.
Girls JV and Varsity Soccer The girls’ schedules were nowhere near as busy as the boys, as each squad would see action only once. The JV’s lone contest took place on Wednesday, September 28 at Adirondack, a team they had defeated earlier in the season. This time around, Morgan Payne was the hero as she logged the only goal of the game on a direct kick.
The 1-0 victory also featured outstanding play defensively and several impressive stops for goalkeeper Shelby Egnaczyk, who recorded her third shutout of the season. The Varsity squad dropped a heartbreaker in falling to Westmoreland 2-1, a contest that took two tries to complete. The teams initially faced off on Tuesday, September 27 but had to be postponed due to weather.
Three days later, the girls piled on the bus once more in order to wrap up the final fifteen minutes of regulation. As one might imagine, there was no scoring in that relatively miniscule time span, saddling Old Forge with the loss. Here’s hoping that the hardnosed, never-say-die Eskimos catch a break or two over the course of the upcoming tourney.
Boys and Girls Cross Country There was a CSC League meet held on Wednesday, September 26 that included host team Clinton as well as Ilion, Canastota, and Mount Markham. The girls placed well, although they were one runner shy of having the requisite five needed to compete as a team. Maddie Phaneuf registered the highest placement for Old Forge, crossing the finish line in second place. She was followed by Andrea Frey, Lauren Holt, and Jessica Hannah.
The boys had a complete team but were somewhat out of their element against the much larger schools, finishing last. Tyler McGough was the first across for Old Forge, with Tecwyn Williams, Connor Glass, John Gaffney, Griffin Kleps, Adam Winslow, and Will Johnson placing in that order. Until next week…
