by Phillip Zema
Ethan Bartlett’s goal 22 minutes into the first half was enough to propel the New Lebanon boys varsity soccer team over Berlin on Wednesday.
In the opening minutes, playing on their home turf, the Mountaineers looked likely to strike first. Despite controlling the ball, Berlin could not get a solid shot on goal, however. New Lebanon’s defense would not break under the pressure, and keeper Bryan Potter made several stops. New Lebanon returned the offensive pressure but was repelled by Berlin’s defense and keeper Phil Bruns. It continued to be a defensive stalemate until Ethan Bartlett connected off a corner kick by Kyle McHugh and tallied what turned out to be the game winner.
The defensive chess match continued into the second half. Several times, New Lebanon’s defense was able to tactically trap Berlin’s strikers offsides. Center fullbacks Ben Burgess and Mike Gavrity fended off a number of Mountaineer counter attacks. The Berlin strikers could not seem to get a solid shot on net. Berlin, with equal ferocity, fought back and refused to surrender another goal. Scrappy play by Seth Hawk, Aaron Gundlach and Mike Gerkman helped keep Berlin close. Phil Bruns made several crucial stops as well.
As the defenses continued to stifle attacks, New Lebanon’s Shane McHugh and Berlin’s Tyler Pomakoy battled for dominance in the midfield. Each made a number of solid passes and open field tackles none of which materialized into goals. In the 60th minute, Tucker Connelly’s shot went just a few feet wide from tying the match.
In the closing minutes, Berlin was awarded several free kicks just outside the New Lebanon penalty area. The first free kick was caught by Potter. The second, which occurred with only seconds remaining, was almost the equalizer. Pomakoy lobbed a pass to a Berlin striker; the ball was kicked towards the goal where a number of Mountaineers and Tigers scrapped for the ball. Amid the melee, Potter fell on the ball, suppressing Berlin’s final scoring opportunity. The final whistle blew a few seconds later, and New Lebanon took home a 1-0 victory.
Berlin fell to 0-2 in the CHVL, while New Lebanon goes to 2-0 in the CHVL (2-1 overall).