The Colonie boys soccer team got a much-needed momentum boost heading into the Section II Class AA playoffs.
Matt Walsh’s overtime goal led the Garnet Raiders past Guilderland 3-2 in Monday’s Suburban Council South Division finale.
`Going into Sectionals, momentum is important and this gives us a little,` said Colonie coach Mike Trimarchi.
The sequence of events leading to Walsh’s game winner began with an injury to a Guilderland player, which forced a time out. Colonie goaltender Mike McKay had the restart, and he kicked a low line drive that skipped past several players to Paulino Curto deep in Guilderland territory.
Curto brought the ball near the penalty box and sent a crossing pass in front of the Dutchmen goal, where Walsh and two Colonie teammates were waiting. Walsh got his foot on the ball and tucked it past Guilderland goaltender Kedrick Weeden to end the game.
`We played balls across all day, and we couldn’t seem to get anyone on the line,` said Trimarchi. `It was nice to finally do it at the end.`
Guilderland (10-4-2) took a 1-0 lead less than nine minutes into the game when Kledis Capollari scored off a pass from Connor Rubin. Colonie (5-9-2) spent the rest of the first half trying generate a sustained attack, but it couldn’t against an aggressive Dutchmen midfield.
The Garnet Raiders flew out of the gate in the second half. Uyi Omorogbe scored off a lead pass from Curto less than two minutes in, and Andrew Talbot headed in a corner kick a short time later to give Colonie a 2-1 lead.
`All year, we’ve played well in spurts,` said Trimarchi. `We’ve asked them to try to play with consistency at that level, but so far they haven’t done it.`
Colonie would have had more goals in the first 10 minutes of the second half were it not for Weeden’s efforts in goal. The junior punched away three serious challenges by the Garnet Raiders between Omorogbe’s goal and Talbot’s header.
`Their goalkeeper made some great saves when we were playing at our best,` said Trimarchi.
Capollari leveled the score at 2-2 for Guilderland midway through the second half when he blasted a shot that bounced off McKay’s hands and trickled over the goal line.
`We’ve been a bit unlucky all season,` Trimarchi said of his team, which had been on a three-game losing streak prior to Monday’s contest. `When that shot trickled in, I thought here we go again. But our guys picked it up.`
Both teams had quality scoring chances through the remainder of regulation and overtime. One Guilderland overtime shot came close to going in, but the ball rolled wide of the right goal post. Less than one minute later, Walsh struck the game winner for Colonie.
The Garnet Raiders will have the No. 6 seed out of the Suburban Council for the Class AA playoffs when the match-ups are announced Tuesday afternoon. Guilderland will be the league’s No. 4 seed.