Coming off an intense win against a competitive Elizabeth team, the Scotch Plains-Fanwood boys soccer team reasserted their county dominance with a 5-1 victory against the Union Farmers on Tuesday, Sept. 16, at Shimme Wexler Field. With goals coming from sophomores Taso Pavlou and Aavik Akarte, junior Jack Tse and a pair from senior Bradley Pearce, the Raiders were able to jump out to an early lead and run away with the contest in the second half.
“We had to stay consistent after coming off a big win, and make sure the level [of play] didn’t drop,” Pearce told The Fanscotian.
With the win, SPF is now 3-0-1, improving to 2-0 in the UCC-Watchung division. Despite injury to leading goal scorer senior Jayvon Young in a prior contest, the Raiders were capable of producing scoring opportunities. The likes of Tse, Aavik Akarte and senior Aarav Akarte filled the void created by Young’s injury.
“Someone needs to step up,” head coach Alex Passucci said. “We have a few guys that could play in that role, and we’re just going to keep working.”
SPF got the scoring started within the first minute, as a foul drawn by Aavik Akarte led to a free kick on the edge of the box for senior Darren Edelman. Edelman played it strongly on the ground, connecting with Pavlou for his third goal of the season.
“We started off strong and we got an early goal, and then another one,” Passucci said. “That helped us and gave us confidence.”
Set piece goals were a common theme throughout the 80-minute affair, as both goals Pearce netted came off of sophomore Logan Moser’s kicks, tallying the number of set piece goals for the day to three.
“There are some games that are won on set pieces, and we have a couple guys that do a good job with them, so we’ll continue to work on them,” Passucci said.
Center midfielders Edelman and junior Braden Steer handled the ball with ease, dishing it out while looking upwards to attack the net. Edelman, who notched two assists against Union, and Steer created chances the whole game, while connecting with both Jack Tse and Aavik Akarte up front who were eager to pounce on any chance they were given near the box.
Matched with a strong defensive core, the Raiders were able to fight against attacks by Union forwards. Led by Pearce and fellow senior Ryan Watt, the duo maintained a powerful grasp over crosses and through balls by opposing attackers, making a relatively easy day for senior goalies Shawn Guzman and Nikos Zoganos. Working with junior Colin Kochanowicz and freshman Cain Lambert on the wings, the center back pair built opportunities to put the ball on goal.
In addition, both Pearce and Watt made their presence known through their talking. Pearce, the lone captain following the injury to Young, believes that although it is his responsibility to lead, many of his teammates have taken it upon themselves to act as leaders.
“We have a lot of people talking with plenty of confidence on the team,” Pearce said. “I know I have a good, supportive team around me, despite being the only captain on the field.”
The Raiders will look to stay undefeated when they travel to face the Cranford Cougars this coming Thursday.
“[We have to] just work hard in practice, stay positive, recover and just keep moving forward, because we understand these are some of the most important games we have,” Pearce said.
