By HUNTER O. LYLE
ALLEGANY, NY – Taking to the turf two days after their initial postseason inauguration, the Gators had an arsenal coming into town.
Compared to their first round matchup, Olmstead who had notched 11 goals all seasons, Medina’s tool box ran deep. Routinely finding the back of the net over five times on a nightly bases, the Mustang’s three-headed hydra of Aidan Papaj (33 goals, 13 assists), Aleks Seefeldt (16 goals, 16 assists) and Izzy Anderson (10 goals, 15 assists) collectively scored 59 goals on their way to the Class B quarterfinals. However, the Gators were the second seed for a reason.
Leading with their defensive foot first, the Allegany-Limestone boy’s soccer team snuffed out Medina’s spark, shutting out the Mustangs for a 2-0 victory as they punched their ticket to the next round.
“Going through the year, we’ve made our mistakes and we really hammered that in with a really strong coming in against us. We watched them on film, tape on each one of them, what each one of their tendencies were,” said Allegany-Limestone head coach Jon Luce, “and it was one of those times where the message was received and completed. Tonight, we executed great on defense.”
From the jump, A-L formed a bubble, one that kept Medina in front of them and gave room for their goalkeeper to suss out shots. Redirecting the Mustangs to the outside and using long balls to keep them in retreat, the Gators’ poise and patience immediately scrambled their visitors. With them out of position and wrestling for control, as well as a sustained possession, A-L broke through.
Collecting a throw-in from the right side, Colin Coleman, A-L’s leading scorer, sniped a shot into the back of the net from the top of the box, landing on his back as he watched the shot go in.
While their offense began to simmer from there, continuously coming just one touch or pass shy of a shot, their defense was still rock solid. Throwing swarms of Gators at each ball handler, and with Donovan Booker scooping up any shots that came his way, A-L rendered Medina’s offense obsolete and stunted.
As the first half wound down, having seen the physicality ramp up and produce several direct kicks as well as yellow cards, the Gators saw another window. Lining up for a free kick at the start of the final minute, Coleman came up big once again, lofting a shot high over the Mustangs’ keeper to give A-L a 2-0 lead at the break.
“He’s a talented player. When he gets the chance to score, more often than not he’s going to put it in the back of the net,” said Luce. “He’s been playing soccer for a long time, he understands the game, he knows when to take advantage of the opponents deficiencies and he saw quick openings tonight, which we’re grateful for.”
To start the second, the Gators pushed down on the gas, having their offense apply as much pressure as their defense as they continuously sought ways down the pitch. Sending numerous shots down range, including one that rang off the post in the 48th minute, A-L kept Medina on their heels on defense and empty on offense.
“We knew we couldn’t let up. A 2-0 lead is one of the worst leads to have in soccer. The next goal is going to be the momentum-getter and if they would have got it, they would have brought everyone against us,” said Luce. “So we defended that well, said we still wanted to attack offensivley and I thought our offense did a great job tonight of winning balls, of turning and distributing better than we have in the past. Front to back, it was a great team win.”
With the clock on their side, the Gators anchored themselves on defense, eager to slam the door shut on any comeback from the prolific offense still standing in front of them. Absorbing brute physicality, outmaneuvering matchups and dispatching drives, A-L’s shutout became a reality. As the final buzzer sounded, the sidelines rushed the field, one they had successfully defended once again.
Chasing down a return trip to the Section VI Class B championship, the Gators will next face Alden on Tuesday at 6 p.m. With a head full of steam, Luce’s main goal is to use it accordingly, balancing confidence with preparation.
“This is a very young team. You look at our starting lineup, we go from eighth graders to senior,” said Luce. “They get excited easily so when things go well they get really high, and when things are not going well, it’s our job (as coaches) to keep them level headed so that we don’t lose our momentum and our focus.”
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