Bulldogs Prevail Over Thornton

In a rare Wednesday night matchup, Berwick’s JV squad made the short trip north to take on Thornton Academy’s Trojans under the lights and came away with a thrilling 8 – 7 victory. The game was physical but cleanly contested from start to finish, featured six ties and three lead changes, and displayed a level of skill not often seen in a junior varsity event.

 

Starting at the back end, Tianyu Zhou earned his first win as a goalie. He was capably protected by Aash Bhuva, Scott Watson, and Fisher Nowick, who took turns stepping up to accept the physical challenge the oversized Trojans were eager to dish out. Neal Mendez continued to develop into a potent weapon, and, along with Camden Nowick and Will Boyd (1 a) composed a formidable defensive middie unit. Willie DiModica (1 g) and Garrett Lincoln (1 g) chipped in offensively, and Liam “Natty” Martin added a goal and 3 assists. Peter Wojdak (1 g, 2 a) and Luke Osgood (3 g) put their names in the book as well.

 

The game winner came with just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs had already taken the lead twice in the last stanza, only to have the Trojans equalize within a minute. A Fisher Nowick Clear© put the ball in TJ Brown’s hands just outside the box. Brown settled the offense before passing off to a wide open Jaxson Roenick at top center. Roenick wound up and fired a seed that found nothing but the back of the net. The final two minutes were a frenzy, with Thornton pulling out all the stops, but a big-body Roenick check dislodged the ball with 17 seconds to go and the Bulldogs held on for the win.

 

Berwick plays again against Governors’ at home Friday afternoon.