by Erin Hogan
At the New Lebanon Soccer Tournament, the Berlin boys varsity squad took on Hoosic Valley in the consolation game. The game was evenly matched throughout with the ball going back and forth to both ends of the field. This was a very physical game and both teams were getting slide-tackled from behind and pushed.
Drew Webster, Justin Jewett, Aaron Gundlack and Tyler Pomakoy were working the offensive end of the field for Berlin. In the Berlin defense were Jared Nelson and John Willis keeping most shots from getting to the goal. Berlin was passing well and getting the ball upfield from Nelson to Webster to Pomakoy or Jewett for a shot. In the first half,
Juan Santana and Drew Webster got the game going. Santana crossed the ball, and, amidst elbows and knees from the other team, Webster snuck in and poked the ball into the goal to make the score 1-0. At this point the game proceeded to get more and more physical. Berlin started to control the game, taking many shots on goal, but they were high or wide. Tyler Pomakoy had a beautiful shot that looked like it would change the score but the goalie from Hoosic Valley stretched and made the save. The Mountaineers were working hard against the Hoosic Valley defense that seemed too tight to penetrate. The game was already getting intense, and it wasn’t even the second half. Both teams were getting fired up and were eager to win.
At the beginning of the second half a Hoosic Valley player punched Justin Jewett in the back of the head. The player got a red card and was sent off the field for the rest of the game. Berlin got a direct kick but didn’t score. The ball once again was getting a good view of the field, going from one end to the other. One of the players on Hoosic Valley got a yellow card at this point for getting rough with Tyler Pomakoy. Another kick was awarded, and Pomakoy drilled the ball into the wall. Pomakoy then had words with the referee and received a yellow card. After Pomakoy exited the field and Hoosic Valley took the kick, Drew Webster got the ball and tried to make a pass, but an opponent deflected it. He got his own rebound, took a shot and scored, giving the Mountaineers a 2-0 lead on the road to third place.
A second red card was given to Hoosic Valley after number 21 pushed Jeremy Bell into the ground. Bell had to be taken off the field in a stretcher and given medical attention. It seemed that after every play there was a whistle on one team or the other for unreasonable physical behavior. There were five minutes left and the score had not changed. Sakan Sadowsky decided to change that. He dribbled up the field and passed to Justin Jewett. Jewett turned and fired a rocket into the goal making the score 3-0. The game stayed rough as the time ticked down and with five seconds left Shawn Willis got to make a final save to end the game.