by Steve Bradley
The boys Panther soccer team played the Granville Golden Horde last Thursday. The game took place under the lights on the HFCS field after officials moved the scheduled afternoon game due to rain. It was Senior Night, and it couldn’t have worked out better for the seniors.
The Panthers almost scored a goal in the opening seconds of the game, but only part of the ball crossed the line inside the goal, and the referee waved it off. In the long run, it wouldn’t matter.
With just under 29 minutes left in the first half, Cole Webster scored, starting a scoring run for which Granville had no answer. Sixty seconds later, Noah Chani scored. With the clock at 25:40, Dylan Malo put one in. At just over 21 minutes, Chani again hit net with a header. The Horde goalie was rattled, and it showed.
The barrage wasn’t over yet. By the end of the first half, the Panthers put five goals in the books. By the end of the game, the Panthers scored nine goals. Every senior player scored but one, and his teammates did everything they could to give him all possible opportunity to do so.
Justin Gaines scored two goals; Noah Chani scored three goals and had one assist. Cole Webster had one goal and two assists. Alex Kraus had one goal and one assist. Panther Josh Webster had four saves, and Granville goalie Jonathan Morrow had 11 saves.
HF 0 Stillwater 3
Saturday morning had the Panthers playing a rare morning game. The game was held at Delurey Field in Hoosick, and the opponent was 16 – 0 Stillwater. Using Stillwater’s high scoring Ian Cepiel foot, the Warriors jumped out to a two goal first half lead. The Panthers never got on track, and although they had chances, were never able to score. After the break, they tacked on another goal to bring their total to three. Stillwater’s Ian Cepiel came into the game with 50 goals this season, needing two goals to tie and three goals to break the Section II single season individual scoring record. He accomplished both by scoring all three goals for the Warriors.
The Panthers ended the regular season with a 9-4-1 league, 9-6-1 overall record.
HF 5 Corinth 0
The sectionals began for the Panthers on Wednesday as the #7 seed. The Panthers faced #10 Corinth on Delurey Field. The Panthers proved to be too much for the Warriors, outscoring them 5 – 0. Tyler Gaines got the Panthers on the board less than 10 minutes in when he caught the Corinth goalie leaning the wrong way. Noah Chani scored next by tracking down a missed shot and driving it home with just over 17 minutes left. Chani struck again at the 33 minute mark, giving the Panthers a three goal lead at the half.
Minutes after the break, Panther Justin Gaines made good on his opportunity and put the team up 4 – 0. With 16 minutes left in the game, Chani completed his hat trick.
The 5 – 0 victory sends the Panthers to the next round of postseason sectional play. On Friday, October 24, the Panthers face #2 Schalmont at 3 pm at Schalmont High School. If they win, they will be in the semifinals on Wednesday, October 29, at Queensbury High at 3 pm. Win that and they will be in the final held at Colonie High on November 1 at noon.