TROY HIGH BATTLES BALLSTON IN EARLY ROUND
BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. >> It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.
That didn’t help Ballston Spa boys soccer coach Gary Preece’s blood pressure throughout the first half, consistently questioning his players on their home pitch Wednesday in the opening round of the Class A sectionals.
“We just came out slow and didn’t have good intensity and Troy was connecting with good passes,” Gary Preece said. “Troy is playing well, we just didn’t respond to their good play.”
The first half looked even bleaker when Troy High’s John Stinson beat Scotties goalie Ethan Shuhart for the opening goal and rewarding the Flying Horses for their tenacious play.
As the home team and the No. 6 seed hosting No. 11 Troy High, the Scotties could have been looking ahead to Friday afternoon’s quarterfinal round and a date with No. 3 Averill Park.
“I wasn’t looking ahead because I know Troy, they work hard and Coach ( Mike Murnane) keeps them well organized and they play good soccer,” Preece said. “I was still concerned about that.”
His prayers were answered after Ethan Waters scored twice in the final 10 minutes of the first half for a 2-1 lead.
In the second half the Scotties continued to right the ship as Michael Robyck and Ian De-
Filippis, playing up top for the first time in his career, scored for the 4-1 lead.
The Flying Horses would add another goal to cut the lead, 4-2, but not enough to advance.
“We ran some set plays, moved the ball around quickly and good ball movement really helped us, we had men wide open, so that really helped a lot,” Preece said.
And adding former defensive specialist DeFilippis to the top of the attack didn’t hurt either.
“Coach said he needed faster players up top and I’m one of the faster kids on the team,” Ian DeFilippis said. “I’ve played defense my whole life, 10 years on defense. It’s pretty different, I liked it.”
The junior had to adjust his movements and his focus with the move up top.
“Usually in the back I have to focus on trying to play somebody’s feet,
here it was just receiving the ball and running with it,” DeFilippis said.
The highl i ght of Wednesday’s debut was his first career goal.
“I focused on not missing the goal, just making sure that I hit it on target,” DeFilippis said.
With Wednesday’s win Ballston Spa will face another Suburban Council foe, No. 3 seeded Averill Park 1 p.m. Friday afternoon on the road.
“It’s a Suburban Council game, it’s a big, huge battle,” Preece said. “We
know a lot of their tendencies and they have some good kids. They’re strong and physical, so it should be a good game.”
BALLSTON SPA TROY HIGH 2
Goals: Troy High – John Stinson. Ballston Spa – Ethan Waters 2, Michael Robyck, Ian DeFilippis. Assists: Ballston Spa – Liam O’Connor, Michael Robyck, Devin Duttine. Goalkeeper saves: Troy High 7, Ballston Spa, Ethan Shuhart, 13 . Corner kicks: Troy High 3, Ballston Spa 7. 4,