Berwick plays strongest match of season

The Berwick Academy Boys Varsity soccer team defeated EIL powerhouse Portsmouth Abbey, 1-0, spoiling the host team's parent’s weekend down in Rhode Island on Saturday. Bulldog goalie Ian Randle earned the shutout in net, making eight strong saves on the afternoon for the first varsity shutout of his career, and propelling the Bulldogs to their best win of the season. Both teams started sluggishly on the afternoon. The turf was thick and lush after a week of rain, and passing was lackluster for both sides in the early going. Portsmouth Abbey certainly carried the play for the first quarter of the game, and the Bulldogs found themselves spending most of their time defending runs from PA strikers Juan Manuel Brenes and Ben Vergara. PA earned several direct kicks from a dangerous distance, although Randle, Captain Will Grant, and Jack McCraven withstood every shot and managed to clear the box. The Bulldogs eventually got their feet under them, and slowly found some rhythm by connecting passes and making some aggressive runs. Twenty-five minutes into the frame, freshman Brendan Tribastone took a quick re-start at midfield and fed classmate Zach Trotzky heading down the left flank. Trotzky did well to get the ball to Marshall White as he drove into the opposing box. White flicked the ball neatly with the outside of his foot, chipping it over the outstretched arms of PA keeper, Drew Fonts, for the first and only goal of the game. The play continued to even out as the opening session wound down, but PA had an offensive flurry as the clock ticked towards half time. It was all the Bulldogs could do to repel the onslaught from the Ravens, but they breathed a sigh of relief as the referee signaled the end of the first half. Portsmouth Abbey continued to press the play as the second frame opened, though less than half of their 17 shots found the mark on net. Randle was busy, but had as many goal kicks as saves as his defenders were able to prevent PA from taking shots from inside 20 yards. Outside fullbacks Mark Hoyt and Nick Wurzer had very busy days, as Brenes and Vergara persisted in their offensive forays though they were frustrated repeatedly by the strong backfield play of the Bulldogs. James Ordway’s positional play in the center of the field was a factor in the late stages of the game as PA worked hard to even the score. Their efforts went in vain, though, as the final whistle blew on the best effort on the season from the visiting Bulldogs. Berwick is 4-9-2 on the season, and takes on Lexington Christian Academy on Wednesday at home.