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11/01/2011 12:00 AMThe postseason began a little earlier for the Haddam-Killingworth boys' soccer team than it did for most in the Shoreline Conference. The Cougars went on the road with a Shoreline Conference Tournament berth on the line, knowing a win would have them dancing, whereas a loss could have had devastating repercussions.
HK did battle with the elements, the Morgan Huskies, and the excitement of Morgan's Senior Night on Oct. 28 in a Shoreline Conference showdown. A win for the Cougars likely meant a spot in the conference tournament, but a loss meant they needed some help, a position no team likes to be in this time of year. While heavy rain and cold temperatures cooled the Huskies, HK's offense stayed warm enough to earn a 3-0 victory as the Cougars improved to 10-5-1.
"This game was weighted very heavily; we came off a loss to East Hampton, we wiped that away and we came out for a 'W' tonight," said HK Coach Brian Kelleher. "Right from the get-go at practice yesterday, we played hard, stayed focused, and we came out to win tonight. We weren't playing to tie or lose."
The two rivals squared off on the new turf at the Indian River Complex in Clinton, playing the game in the inclement weather. Temperatures at game time were in the low 40s and heavy rain persisted throughout the match. Both sides appeared to need time adjusting to the elements and get into a rhythm as there were only a combined four shots on goal in the opening 40 minutes.
However, in the 37th minute Cougars' midfielder Liam Blancaflor got behind the Morgan defense, taking a through pass from Kurt Isleib and beating Huskies' keeper Peter Natowitch for a 1-0 lead.
"I'm very happy with what the offense put up. We worked a lot on one-two with the backs and that seemed to work very well for us," Kelleher said.
Morgan struggled to find quality scoring chances against HK goalie Matt Sturman, but nearly netted a highlight-reel goal in the early goings of the second half. Huskies' junior Ethan Rode sent a near-perfect header attempt at the upper-right 90 off a corner kick, but saw the ball draw iron and bounce away without touching twine. Minutes later, Morgan had Sturman out of position as he came out in an attempt to corral a high bouncing ball just in front of the goal line. No Morgan player was there to put a solid strike on net and the HK defense cleared the ball in maintaining the lead.
"I think my captain sweeper, Austin Boulay, did a great job in the back, a phenomenal job. He is such a huge presence, very fast, very strong, and he makes good runs to the ball," said Kelleher. "And Colin O'Donnell, my stopper in the back, can take people on, he can defend, and he can distribute very well as a very versatile player."
Not capitalizing on the Sturman misplay ended up dearly costing Morgan. Following the clear, HK moved the ball quickly down field to forward Andrew Mead. Mead-who had five shots on goal in the game and four in the second half-fired a brilliant strike from the top right of the penalty the box, zipping past Natowitch near the far-side post. The goal put the Cougars up 2-0 at the 62:46 mark.
"I saw a kid on my back so I knew I had to take a one-time shot. I ripped it and it hit the back of the net and I went crazy," said Mead.
HK had a chance to extend the lead even further when a give-and-go between Mead and Blancaflor resulted in a penalty kick for Blancaflor. Blancaflor struck the shot well, but Natowitch made a diving save to keep the score at 2-0.
Yet HK would add one more tally as Jake Hinds beat Natowitch to the lower-left 90 as time expired, sealing the 3-0 win.
It was a big win for the Cougars in multiple regards. The win should have all but sealed their berth in the conference tournament, but it also marked the first time in four years HK has beaten Morgan (7-8-1). The two tied 2-2 in their first meeting this season.
"We knew if we won this game it was a better chance for us to move on," Mead said. "I'm proud of the way we played. It is definitely a big accomplishment. Ever since freshman year we haven't made states or Shorelines so we are hoping to make the most of it."
HK outshot the Huskies 8-6 in an effort that had its coach more than pleased.
"We played excellent tonight. Playing on this turf really shows our ability to put the ball on the floor, play to our good players, and play through the midfield, which is what we've been trying to get them to do," Kelleher said. "It worked really well tonight. I don't think we've beat Morgan in four years and hopefully now we are in the Shorelines depending on what happens between Portland and Old Saybrook. So it was a good night for us."