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Allegany-Limestone’s Kaleb Reed (11) wheels away in celebration after scoring his team’s goal against Olean. Reed scored twice for the Gators as they defeated the Huskies 4-1 on Sept. 16. (Spencer Bates)

Allegany-Limestone boys soccer opens league play with 4-1 victory over Olean

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OLEAN — Behind a second-half offensive deluge, the Allegany-Limestone boys soccer team powered past Olean 4-1.

The red-hot start to the season for the Gators continued with its fourth win in its first five games. But what makes this game significant, other than the fact it was against a cross town rival, was that it signified the start to league play for both.

For A-L, a tally in the win column is a positive start in a competitive league like the CCAA Div. I. However, the win was far from guaranteed after the first 45 minutes. Despite maintaining consistent pressure and holding possession in Olean’s defensive third for the majority of the first half, the Gators were unable to generate a finishing touch.

With 13 minutes left in the first half, Kaleb Reeb did eventually put the Gators up by one after beating his defender with a great move on the goal line and powering a shot into the roof of the net.

His goal, however, was all that separated the reigning New York State Class C Finalists and the Huskies at the break.

The second half pressure from A-L was akin to the likes it applied in the first, the difference this time being that they had found the finishing touch they were in search of.

“It was just different guys making plays,” A-L coach Jon Luce said. “In the first half, we had about 15 opportunities, and we just didn’t have the right combination of players in the right position. We made a couple changes in the second half, we had new targets, and it’s just about making the simple play, instead of making it too complex. … Until we realize that we’re going to struggle. In that second half, they came to a realization where, ‘if I just do the little things, good things are going to happen.’”

Allegany-Limestone’s Mat Burnett (9) leaps up for a header in the Olean penalty area. (Spencer Bates)

Just 12 minutes into the second half, a dangerous A-L throw-in was left undealt with and found its way to Dylan Rhodes at the back post who tapped home. This is when the dam broke. Six minutes later, a Cooper Wilczewski header that left the Olean goalkeeper rooted to his spot, was poked home by Landon Hayes.

Olean got itself on the scoreboard with a penalty, courtesy of Ethan Woodring, on the back of an A-L handball with 16 minutes left to play. But quite literally, seconds later, the Gators restored their three-goal cushion after Reed found the back of the net immediately from the ensuing kickoff.

Luce gave his players an immense amount of credit for how they maintained pressure on the Olean goal throughout the second half, especially considering how many chances they saw in the first half that went untaken. The heads of his players never dropped and it is that determination that saw them over the finish line.

“You can get really deflated when you’re putting all that pressure on and it’s just not going your way, you can give up a cheap goal,” Luce said. “We can’t let that happen. … We’re going to face that adversity, and we had that the last couple games. … It’s still early in the season. This is the first league game, hopefully we can start building upon these wins, and start doing things the correct way.”

As for Olean, the game will go down as a tally in the loss column to start its league campaign, but it was not due to a lack of effort. While he was certainly disappointed with the defeat, coach TJ Magro applauded the heart his team showed against a quality opponent.

“They had that Husky Heart that I preach,” Magro said. “(A-L’s) a good team overall, they won this league last year. To just be able to compete this long, it showed a lot of grit.”

One player in particular that earned his flowers for his performance was the Huskies’ goalkeeper Braylon Torres. Coming up with numerous saves against the Gators, he was one of those that Magro said embodied the grit he wanted to see in all his players. His stellar performance on the night was not an anomaly either. Torres has been a pivotal piece to the Huskies roster all season, Magro just hopes the rest of his team can come together to give him a reprieve every once in a while.

“He’s doing great, and I mean, if he can keep going and improving more, it’s just going to go upward and onward for our team,” Magro said of his goalkeeper. “But it starts with the guys in front of him, the top 10 that are defending him. He keeps us in games, but we need a defense and an offense to provide him something.”

The key to that, according to Magro, is composure. Oftentimes throughout the game against A-L, he saw his players, under immense pressure, resign to simply booting the ball upfield to get a moment away from the pressure. But according to Magro, that is not a sustainable formula. Instead, cooler heads must prevail.

“A lot of times, they just kicked the ball upfield and prayed and hoped that someone would get there,” Magro said. “Guys need to know that they have time, know that they have space and can look up and have that composure. It all just comes down to practicing that first touch. Hopefully we can nail that in practice.”

Olean’s Taylor Teachman (9) looks to clear a ball away while under pressure from Allegany-Limestone’s Noah Hatch (13). (Spencer Bates)

In the end, it was an important win for A-L. Sure, it was a win over a league opponent and a crosstown rival. But all that matters is that it was exactly that: a win.

The message Luce has been delivering his team in the early goings of the season is one stressing the importance of mentality. He knows momentum is a powerful thing, and that if his squad are able to keep stacking positive results on top of one another, there may be no limit on what they can accomplish this season.

“It’s about playing with the psyche,” Luce said. “High school kids, they can get down on themselves real quickly. So, if we can compound some of these wins and put a roll together, maybe we can do something special. … Hopefully we can get that pyramid built here pretty soon and start rolling.”

Up next for Olean is a league matchup at home against Jamestown on Sept. 23 at 6 p.m.

As for Allegany-Limestone, it will hit the road for its next game, against Fredonia on Sept. 19 at 6:30 p.m.

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