Captain has his moment for Fitch

Garcia-Patel scores game-winner as boys’ soccer team wins first ECC title in history

Colchester — His coach, Jay Wolfradt, knew that Fitch High School senior captain Keshav Garcia-Patel could only play limited time in Friday's Eastern Connecticut Conference Division II game against Bacon Academy, having suffered all season with a sore hamstring.

Wolfradt withheld Garcia-Patel until the second half.

And then he watched as Garcia-Patel, who has started for the Falcons since his freshman year, authored perhaps the biggest moment in program history, scoring the game's only goal in a 1-0 victory over Bacon that clinched Fitch's first-ever ECC title. Garcia-Patel scored 12 minutes into the second half.

"He's a guy that doesn't have a lot of endurance at all," Wolfradt said of Garcia-Patel. "That's the moment we picked . ... I was getting ready to pull him, too."

The goal, Garcia-Patel's first of the season, came off a corner kick from the right side by Sebastian Duffy. The ball was deflected by Seamus Greaves and Garcia-Patel "just ran through it," according to Wolfradt.

Fitch is 10-3 overall, 7-0 in Division II with one game remaining.

“(The win) means a lot. They’re ecstatic out there. I’m happy for them, I’m happy for us, I’m happy for everyone. But I’m happy for that group.”

JAY WOLFRADT, FITCH COACH

"He's a a great role model," Wolfradt said of Garcia-Patel. "He's the guy that knows he can't do as much as he wants to. He gives the talk; when I have to give the bad talk, he'll be on the bench giving the good stuff.

"It means a lot. They're ecstatic out there. I'm happy for them, I'm happy for us, I'm happy for everyone. But I'm happy for that group."

Fitch's only losses this season have come to Division I opponents Norwich Free Academy (4-2) and Stonington twice (3-2 and 3-0).

The Falcons swept defending divisional co-champion Ledyard twice, winning the second meeting 3-1 on Oct. 8 to take charge of Division II, then had to wait for a week for another league matchup, clinching at least a tie for the title with a 7-0 victory over New London on Tuesday.

Wolfradt credited the defense and goalie Ramiro Zavala for Friday's shutout.

"(Bacon) played really well," Wolfradt said. "It was windy, cold, a great environment for soccer. A sloppy field. You didn't know what was going to happen."