Second time’s a charm
Woonsocket battles back from 2-goal deficit to win
For the second time in as many games, the unbeaten WHS boys’ soccer team came back from down two goals to win.
WOONSOCKET — It’s likely not a sustainable way to win games throughout the season, but Woonsocket first-year boys soccer coach Joe Gomes will take all the wins he can get while the Novans acclimate to his style of soccer.
For the second consecutive game, the veteran Villa Novans founds themselves trailing a Division III opponent by two goals. And, for the second time in as many games, Woonsocket extricated itself from a difficult position to remain undefeated.
Improving Blackstone Valley Prep led by a pair of goals early in the second half thanks to two goals from Pawtucket native Patrick Pires, but Woonsocket took advantage of the tiring Pride to storm back. Senior Matt Vieira, sophomore Kyle Sirypannho and junior Adelso Sicaju scored
in a 15-minute stretch late in the second half to lift the Novans to a 4-3 victory at Barry Field Friday.
“I’m trying to get this kids to work together because we have a good core of five or six seniors from last year,” Gomes said. “Last year there was a lot of selfishness, so we’re trying to get these guys to the playoffs. The last couple of games, the first 10 to 15 minutes we tend to take the other team lightly and play half a sleep. We have to change that because that can’t happen every game.”
Blackstone Valley Prep (1-1 Division III) was coming off the biggest victory in the program’s three-year history Thursday afternoon when the Pride secured a 4-2 victory over Toll Gate. Piresscored a pair of goals in the victory, but the effort the squad showed to finish off the victory over the Titans wasn’t apparent over the final 20 minutes of the second half.
After Sebastien Corso took advantage of a Villa Novan mistake to score in the 51st minute, the Villa Novans completely dominated the contest. Senior goalie Jovany Alvarez made seven saves, but he could do little to stop the Woonsocket onslaught.
“We just talked about the last 10 to 15 minutes, we just lost it because we were tired or just the momentum switched,” BVP coach Ed Laskowski said. “I know we can do it because we did it [Thursday] when we held a lead in our second game on our new field. I think this is a great learning experience. Not that we wanted this to happen, but this will wake us up and show us we have a long way to go.”
Woonsocket (3-0 Division III) is averaging 5.67 goals a contest thanks to eight goals from senior forward Hezekiah Adeyeye. Adeyeye had a pair of assists Friday, but he was held off the scoreboard for the first time this season.
Adeyeye’s long throw in led directly to the game’s opening goal in the 10th minute when freshman defender Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan beat a couple of Pride defenders to the ball to score. Woonsocket continued to be dangerous from set pieces, but the visitors went into halftime with a lead thanks to a pair of goals from the talented Pires.
In the 37th minute, sophomore Jonathan Martinez played a ball into the feet of Pires, who ripped a shot past Woonsocket senior goalie Juan Ceron. Moments before halftime, an Alvarez punt found its way to the right foot of Pires, who simply rolled a shot under the onrushing Ceron to put BVP up 2-1. Ceron made eight saves.
“We need to get guys to believe that we’re a good team,” Laskowski said. “We’ve never made the playoffs, so that’s our clear goal. The way that we’re possessing the ball and the way that we’re coming together as a unit is important. I really want to make a point that we need to come together as a team, especially after a tough loss like this.”
Ceron saved a Pires penalty kick in the 49th minute, but two minutes later the Pride stretched their lead out to two when Corso took advantage of a turnover to fire a shot over Ceron.
Woonsocket scored its second set-piece goal to cut its deficit in half in the 63rd minute when Vieira headed in an Adeyeye corner kick. Sirypannho tied the game with 10 minute left and Vieira found Sicaju for the game-winning goal with just two minutes left in the contest.
While BVP travels to East Providence Monday to take on Providence Country Day, the Villa Novans head to Warwick Wednesday to play Pilgrim.
“Teams are starting to recognize Hezekiah and today they put three or four guys around hims, so it was tough,” Gomes said. “We’re going to have to change things up a little bit to create chances. I give [BVP] credit for one of those goals because the shot from outside the 18 – there’s nothing you can do about it. The other two goals came because we didn’t clear simply balls that were bouncing.” BVP 21 -3
Woonsocket 13 -4
First half – W, Tarik Robinson- O’Hagan (Hezekiah Adeyeye), 10:00; BVP, Patrick Pires (Jonathan Martinez), 37:00; BVP, Pires (unassisted), 40:00. Second half – BVP, Sbeastien Corso (unassisted), 51:00; W, Matt Vieira (Adeyeye), 63:00; Kyle Sirypannho (Harrison Blais), 70:00; W, Adelso Sicaju (Vieira), 78:00.
Saves – BVP, Jovany Alvarez (7 saves); W, Juan Ceron (8 saves).