By HUNTER O. LYLE
ALLEGANY, NY – For the past week, Owen Buzzard has been nearly unstoppable.
After helping lead the Allegany-Limestone boy’s soccer team to a Chautauqua Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division I title as the team’s second leading scorer, Buzzard has been the tip of the spear as they cut through the Class B1 bracket.
“I’ve been having a lot of help from people feeding me the ball,” said Buzzard, who kicked off the Gators’ postseason run with a pair of goals in the 4-1 win over No. 15 Olmstead. “It’s just a lot of fun, winning and scoring.”
With his team sitting one game away from a third consecutive Section VI championship appearance, Buzzard once again rose to the occasion. Headlining the scoring column with two more goals, he propelled the Gators to another shutout playoff win, beating Alden 3-0.
“It’s great. I love my team,” said Buzzard on a chance to earn a championship. “I hope we win the whole thing.”
Across the pitch, however, the Bulldogs had weapons of their own. Coming into the postseason as the second seed, one spot ahead of A-L, Alden’s record stood nearly unblemished at 16-0-2, a resume made possible by outsourcing their opponents by over three goals and seeing 21 players find the back of the net throughout their campaign.
Off the jump, the Bulldogs’ chemistry was on full display. Coupled with their natural speed, Alden’s crisp passes and fluid motion set themselves up with numerous sustained possessions. Playing wide, they constantly flipped the field before swinging the ball back and forth as they plodded a path inside. From their pressure came shots, however, with the help of veteran goaltender Donovan Booker as well as sharp decisions and cutoffs, the Gators’ defense held strong to keep the scoreboard empty.
“We did our homework. We watched a lot of film on them and actually saw them in person a couple of times this year so we anticipated them making a run in the playoffs,” said Allegany-Limestone head coach Jon Luce. “We just watched and saw who they ran through. They have a lot of talented players and we were able to talk about what we wanted to do defensively. It seemed to work tonight.”
Meanwhile, the Gators were slowly making strides on their own attack. Despite finding themselves on the losing end of the 50/50 fight, long outlets and quick dashes paved the way to routes inside the box, albeit, producing marginally less shots on goal. However, they ultimately made the most of their opportunities.
In the 23rd minute, Hunter Cassidy collected a cross from the left side, swiftly settling it and launching a shot towards the net. While his attempt rang off the far post, Buzzard rose up for the rebound, punching in the first goal of the night with a header into nylon.
Energized by the go-ahead score, A-L picked up the pace, trading streaks down the field with the Bulldogs, albeit, still unable to match their shot volume. But while their offense began searching in earnest for ways to double-down, Booker and the defense kept them even keel.
Despite the constant pressure put in place by Alden’s long drives and a flurry of targets on the net, Booker denied everything. Protecting the goal with relentless effort, as well as a few acrobatic saves, Booker continued to blank the Bulldogs.
“It’s just the growth of the last few years. He was with a really talented group a couple years ago, and made a run to the state finals. He kind of had that leadership in front of him,” said Luce. “Now it’s his turn to be that leader of the team in front of him. He’s had to adjust to how he plays, step into a leadership role, make a lot of big saves. Defensively, we’re comfortable with giving up those shots knowing he’s going to make a save on those.”
Finally, in the final few minutes of the half, the Gators found another window. Seeing a lofty clear cross midfield, Buzzard once again used his head. Rising above several defenders, he bounced the ball forward, giving himself a one-on-one fastbreak with only the goalie to beat. Taking it in close, he punched in his second goal of the night, going right to beat the Bulldogs’ keeper and give A-L a 2-0 lead entering into the break.
“(Buzzard’s) doing a great job. Our offense is coming together kind of at the right time when we need them. Goals come very few in the playoffs and we seem to find the net and make the most of our opportunities,” said Luce. “It starts in the middle with our possession and we find those forwards to have those opportunities. In these last several games he’s able to hone that in and put it on frame.”
Alden failed to back off in the second half. Consistently leaning on their tight passes to prolong drives, the Bulldogs sent a volley of strikes toward Booker, albeit, from a distance and without serious opportunities. But their best defense proved to be a persistent offense, as their lopsided time of possession kept A-L without a shot for well over ten minutes.
Their embargo, however, only lasted so long. Finally flipping the field and taking control, it was A-L’s turn to attack and in the next five minutes, they took five chances on the goal. And as the defense began to wear, the Gators seized on their next opportunity.
Finding contact and a collision just outside the box, A-L earned a direct kick. Taking the shot, Collin Coleman drilled a shot on goal, one that bounced off the tenders gloves and into the back of the net. Scoring his fourth of the playoffs and 16th of the season, Coleman sealed the night, subsequently advancing the Gators to their third straight chance at a championship.
On Saturday, the Gators will take to the road for the first time of the playoffs. They will head to West Seneca Central School for a meeting with the top-seeded Lafayette International, looking to avenge their Sectional championship loss from a year ago and earn their second blue patch in three years.
“It’s always good to be there. We always try to play as long as we can. We train in the 80s and 90s out so we can play when it’s 40 or 50 (degrees) out ,” said Luce. “That’s kind of been our mantra for the past 20-something years. If we work hard, stay consistent, work together, and stay as a team, we can go far. It’s just one more step in the process.”
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