Any of three teams could emerge as the Southern Tier Athletic Conference West boys soccer champion when the regular season finishes Friday.
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EFA Finishes Regular Season With Victory Over Waverly!!
Posted by Derek Hamilton at Oct 25, 2009 5:00PM PDT
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The Elmira Free Academy boys soccer team completed thier 4th consecutive regular season with a winning record after knocking over the Waverly Wolverines 4-1.
Senior co-captain Ross Holden scored a goal and notched three assists in route to the easy win. However, EFA found themselves behind early as it was Waverly that took the 1-0 lead early in the match.
Senior Denzel Harris scored twice in the season finale, while freshman Alex Varkatzas scored his 7th goal to tie Denzel Harris for the team high on the season.
EFA finishes the season 8-6-2 and will enter the New York State, Section IV, Class A tournament as the #1 seed.
EFA Scoring: Holden (1-3), Harris (2-0), Varkatzas (1-0)
Waverly Scoring: Tubbs (1-0)
Shots-Corners: EFA (23-3), Waverly (5-0)
Saves: EFA (Ford - 4), Waverly (McMahon - 16)
EFA Boys Too Much for Elmira Notre Dame
Posted by Derek Hamilton at Oct 17, 2009 5:00PM PDT
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The Elmira Free Academy boys cruised by a very impressive, but very young Elmira Notre Dame team on Saturday afternoon on the Devils' home field turf.
Notre Dame proved to be a well-coached, well-organized, but youthful side that most definately held thier own for most of the match. EFA seemed to come out a little bit over-confident and perhaps a bit fatigued after playing 100 minutes in cold, wet, sloppy conditions in Horseheads the night before. It would take EFA over 39 minutes to tally thier first goal and it came off the foot of junior midfielder Kail Burfield. Burfield followed up freshman Alex Varkatzas' shot that ND goalkeeper Sean Smentanka couldn't parry away to saftey. Burfield found himself in the right position at the right time to hammer home the rebound and record his first goal of the 2009 season.
The second half seemed to stay consistant with the first half of sloppy play for EFA. However, again, EFA would find a way to take advantage of a couple scoring opportunities later in half. Senior midfielder Charlie Anderson intercepted a pass from a Notre Dame defender and played Burfield into the corner. Kail controlled the ball and sent in a left-footed cross that Senior forward Denzel Harris finished from inside the six-yard box for his 5th goal of the season. The goal provided EFA with a 2-0 lead. Minutes later, Senior midfielder Ross Holden took a wide pass from Anderson and chipped the goalkeeper from 30-yards out to notch his 6th goal of the season and cap the scoring for EFA.
Junior goalkeeper Luke Ford recorded his 6th shutout of the season in the winning effort.
Overall, Notre Dame most definately had the better run of play at times, but EFA's tenacity seemed to wear the young Crusaders down over the course of the match. Coach Adams has a very talented team on his hands and we're sure to see them continually improve over the next couple years.
EFA Scoring: Burfield (1-1), Harris (1-0), Holden (1-0), Anderson (0-1)
Shots/Corners: EFA (13-6), END (4-4)
Saves: EFA (Ford - 4), END (Smentanka - 10)
Records: EFA (7-6-2), END (6-7-1)
EFA Draws With Horseheads, Finishes Tied For Second in STAC West
Posted by Derek Hamilton at Oct 16, 2009 5:00PM PDT
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The EFA Boys Varsity Soccer Team ended thier STAC schedule with a 1-1 draw with Horseheads after a well-played, physical overtime battle. Only 14 of the 20 overtime minutes were called because of darkness at Horseheads' varsity soccer field. A draw wouldn't be enough for either team to take over the STAC West standings and both perennial powers watched Corning District claim thier first ever STAC West championship with a 2-1 victory over Union-Endicott.
On a cold, wet senior night, Horseheads senior Shawn Dominikoski would open the scoring by finishing a header off a beautiful cross from fellow senior Matt Bankaitis. Bankaitis' speed proved dangerous all day as his consistantly streaked down the right side of the pitch and played dangerous balls into the box. However, Domo's goal would be the only Horseheads goal of the match.
Less than 10 minutes later, EFA senior captain Ross Holden found some space along the right sideline and played a fantastic cross on the ground that proved too far away from the goalkeeper to claim. Senior Charlie Anderson one-timed the pass and found the side net at the far post to equilize for the Blue Devils. The game would go into the half tied at 1-1 and no goals would be scored for the next 54 minutes of play.
EFA had the best opportunity in overtime off a corner kick. Holden played a deep ball into the box that found freshman Alex Varkatzas at the far post. Varkatzas headed the ball down, but it struck the post and rebounded to saftey.
EFA and Horseheads both finish the STAC schedule with a respectable 6-6-2 record. EFA plays HOME tomorrow (Saturday), vs. Elmira Notre Dame, at 10:00 am.
EFA Scoring: Anderson (1-0), Holden (0-1)
Horseheads Scoring: Dominikoski (1-0), Bankaitis (0-1)
Shots/Corners: EFA (8-2), HHDS (6-7)
Saves: EFA (Ford - 6), HHDS (Boor - 8)
STAC West Boys Soccer Title Comes Down to Final Day
Posted by Derek Hamilton at Oct 15, 2009 5:00PM PDT
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Corning enters the day in first place with a 7-6 record (14 points) following Wednesday night's 5-2 victory over Elmira Free Academy. But just a single point separates the Hawks from EFA and Horseheads, who are each 6-6-1 (13 points) heading into their meeting with each other Friday afternoon.
The EFA-Horseheads winner will take over first place, but Corning can wrestle the title out of that team's hands if it wins Friday night at Union-Endicott.
"It's exciting," Horseheads coach Curt Grottenthaler said. "This is what it should be in the STAC West. The coaches and players put in all this time and effort and work and this is the way it should be at the end of the season."
Elmira Free Academy has won the last two division championships and was in the driver's seat for a third straight before losing to Corning. Instead, the Blue Devils will have to beat Horseheads and hope to get help from a Union-Endicott team that lost at Corning, 4-1, on Sept. 19. U-E won its two games against Horseheads and split two games with EFA.
EFA and Horseheads played to a 1-1 tie in their first meeting this season. The potential stakes for Friday's game add to an already intense rivalry.
"I think the rivalry speaks for itself," EFA coach Derek Hamilton said. "An Academy-Horseheads game is always hotly contested. We've been fortunate enough to come out on the winning end more often than not the last couple of years and I'm sure it will be another battle Friday.
"Horseheads will be well-prepared, as will we."
Nick Lian scored the equalizer for EFA with three minutes left in regulation to give the Blue Devils a tie with Horseheads on Sept. 18 on Elmira Free Academy's artificial turf field. Grottenthaler said he's expecting another close game on his team's home field.
"Academy has two or three quality players who control the ball well," Grottenthaler said. "They were able to have more energy at the end of the game than we were. ... I expect the game we play Friday is going to be a one-goal game. I expect it's going to be a pretty intense game and go right down to the last minute."
Corning is seeking its first STAC West title in boys soccer and facing a program that has had a great deal of success.
"U-E is always tough, at their place especially," Corning coach Chad Freelove said. "They've obviously been playing much better soccer in the second half of the season. It's going to be a matchup of two very strong teams at this time. I wouldn't be surprised if it came down to a one-goal difference either way."
Thin EFA Squad Drops Match, STAC West Lead to Corning District
Posted by Derek Hamilton at Oct 14, 2009 5:00PM PDT
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Corning 5, EFA 2 - Star-Gazette Staff Report - www.stargazette.com
Anthony Pavlick's hat trick helped Corning take over first place in the STAC West with a victory over Elmira Free Academy.
Corning jumped out to a 3-1 halftime lead.
"We were down two starters -- one with injury and one suspension," EFA coach Derek Hamilton said. "We couldn't pull together in the opening 40 (minutes). ... We made some tactical changes in the second half and I thought we played much better."
EFA goals-assists: Ross Holden 1-0, Charlie Anderson 1-0, Alex Varkatzas 0-1.
Corning g-a: Anthony Pavlick 3-0, Nick Jakobson 1-2, Julian LaDelia 1-0.
Goalie saves: Luke Ford (EFA) 3; Jonathan Howitt (C) 2.
Shots-corners: EFA 5-3; Corning 10-3.
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Corning tops EFA, takes control of STAC West
Corning Leader
Thu Oct 15, 2009, 12:01 AM EDT
Corning, N.Y. -
A hat trick from Corning midfielder Anthony Pavlick pushed the Hawks to a 5-2 win over Elmira Free Academy Wednesday at Memorial Stadium and firmly placed the team into the STAC West driver’s seat.
With the victory, Corning (7-6) can claim the STAC West title with a win over Union-Endicott Friday. EFA and Horseheads, both at 6-6-1 on the season, will face each other on Friday.
“If we win – we win it outright,” Corning head coach Chad Freelove said after the game. “Friday is going to be the decider for the STAC West.”
Corning, which was celebrating Senior Night Wednesday, wasted little time getting on the scoreboard against the Blue Devils as Julian LaDelia one-timed a perfect cross from Sam Schirmer just two minutes into the contest.
EFA responded quickly, netting its second shot on goal – a direct kick from Ross Holden from 27 yards away, with 32:20 remaining in the opening half.
Three minutes later, Pavlick netted a rebound off a Schirmer shot, allowing the Hawks to regain the lead. Ten minutes later, Pavlick was on the scoring end of a long pass from Nicholas Jakobson, as Corning took a 3-1 lead into halftime.
“We worked hard all week on attacking from the outside because we knew that their center defense was strong,” Freelove said. “The guys came out and they executed so well tonight. Our first three goals, we were attacking from the outside and scoring from the inside.”
Despite Corning controlling possession for much of the contest, EFA pulled within one of the lead with 26:15 left in the second half when Charlie Anderson headed in a pass from Alex Varkatzas.
“I was a little worried before that set play that something was going to bounce the wrong way,” Freelove said. “But the kids responded. They responded with a new level of effort.”
The combination of Jakobson and Pavlick struck again with 26:15 remaining. Pavlick was in position in front of the goal when EFA keeper Luke Ford couldn’t pull down a Jakobson shot, giving Pavlick his easiest goal of the game and allowing him to double his goal output for the season at six.
“I just had a good game,” Pavlick said. “Senior Night pumped me up.”
“As a JV player, Anthony scored 20 or 25 goals. He came up on varsity last year and only had a single goal,” Freelove said. “We moved him to midfield because we wanted the ball on his feet more and he came up with three big ones tonight that’s for sure.”
It was a big assist for Jakobson, also, as the senior set the all-time season assist mark with nine. It also pushed his career assist record to 16.
Jakobson ended the game’s scoring by bending a direct kick from 20 yards out, around two blockers, off the near post and into the back of the net.
For the game, Corning goal keeper Jonathan Howitt stopped five shots, while Ford finished with six saves.
Freelove lauded his defense for its fine effort. Caleb Noel, Jeffrey Kahlmeyer, Andrew Ortiz and Jesse Martinez helped keep the pressure off Howitt.
“Defensively, we marked Denzel (Harris) and he didn’t have a goal,” Freelove said. “We said we wanted to make somebody else beat us.
“Our midfield controlled play. The ball was at our feet for probably 75 percent of the game and when the ball is at your feet, the other team can’t score. That’s what we’ve been priding ourselves on all fall.”
Corning will play U-E at 7 p.m., while EFA visits Horseheads for a 4:30 p.m. contest.
EFA Scoring: Ross Holden 1-0, Charlie Anderson 1-0, Alex Varkatzas 0-1.
Corning Scoring: Julian LeDelia 1-0, Anthony Pavlick 3-0, Nicholas Jakobson 1-2, Sam Schirmer 0-2.
Shots on goal: EFA 11, Corning 20. Corner kicks: EFA 3, Corning 4. Saves: EFA - Luke Ford 6, Corning - Jonathan Howitt 5.
