By SPENCER BATES
ST. BONAVENTURE — In its early-season battle to remain fighting for the top spots of the Buffalo and District Soccer League (BDSL) table, Olean 1854 FC managed to withstand the methodical, grinding playstyle of Queenston, with the sides settling for a draw.
Through the first 10 minutes of the affair, Olean 1854 and Queenston went back-and-forth, each looking for the weak spot to exploit in the other.
And it was the home side that found the breakthrough first, scoring the opening goal 13 minutes in via a method it has found itself having success with so far this season: set pieces. Scoring from three set pieces in their previous fixture, a 4-3 win over Polonia Legacy, the Roughnecks executed from a dead ball scenario once again against Queenston. From deep in the left corner, an inswinging cross courtesy of Chance LaCroix found the head of Carl Holmes in a dangerous area, who headed home for the relatively early advantage.
“We’ve been really good on set pieces,” Olean 1854 FC captain Ryan Arvin said. “We scored on another set piece today, we scored on three set pieces on Wednesday night … and we had two really good free kicks outside the box that we put over. And, for me, if you can get (a free kick) on target in this league and follow it up, anything can happen.”
However, the spirit of Queenston was far from broken after falling behind. Unwavering in its process, the visitors started to ramp up its offense once again, a difficult force to repel for a long duration as Arvin noted, but a challenge in which he was proud of his experienced back line of overcoming.
“There’s the experience factor, and you start to figure out tendencies,” Arvin said. “I think, for the most part, if you can keep the game in front of you at this level, you can usually deal with it. They got in behind us maybe once or twice in the first half and they scored. So, the only thing I said in the second half was just don’t let them get behind us. And I thought we did a good job with that, and when they did (get in behind us), Jarrett (Lecceadone) was there to deal with it.”
And a clear sign that Queenston was gaining momentum was a 25-yard free kick in their favor that sailed just wide of the right goalpost, forcing a cautionary dive out of Olean’s goalkeeper, Lecceadone. Although, the home side would not be as lucky for much longer as they eventually conceded in the 32nd minute after an incisive pass slipped through the Olean back line, requiring just a guiding touch in order to find the back of the net.
The Queenston machine continued to roll through the early moments of the second half, pinning the hosts back and only allowing for an occasional counter attack. But thanks to the resilient and experienced Olean back line thwarting one attack after another, the points were split on the day.
Cattaraugus County FC’s Alex Linderman (23) puts the pressure on a Los Chupacabras midfielder. (Spencer Bates)
AS FOR Cattaraugus County FC, it had a much harder time finding a foothold against Los Chupacabras, having to operate on the backfoot for the majority of the contest after conceding in the ninth minute.
Catt. County did manage to conjure up some breaks out from their defense, but the moments were ultimately fleeting as, according to one of Cattaraugus County FC’s captain’s Cole Lapi, a tight-knit bond has yet to fully develop within the team. This, he said, has led to numerous chances falling apart far too early.
“You can tell when you play a team like (Los Chupacabras), they’ve played together,” Lapi said. “Their touch is so much quicker, so much cleaner in the middle, they know where they’re going with it. So, when we do make those chances happen, obviously we want to finish them all, but we’re still getting the hang of it.”
And on the back of such sustained pressure on Catt. County’s defensive third, the visitors doubled up their advantage through Austin Sauer who muscled his way onto a through ball, splitting the defense and rippling the net.
Los Chupacabras did take their foot off the pedal in the second half, allowing for Catt. Co. to find a relative foothold. But two shots on target in the second half was not enough and the fixture was officially put to bed as they conceded a third goal with just six minutes of regulation remaining.
—
Olean 1854 FC will look to make it three games unbeaten on June 8 at home against the Borussia Bees. Meanwhile, Cattaraugus County FC will seek its first win of the season, also at home on June 8, against Celtic United.
