Ewing and Hamilton play entertaining draw

HAMILTON >> It didn’t feel quite like a win for Ewing but it came close. And it almost felt like a loss for Hamilton West.

Actually, it was neither, as the two played to an entertaining 1-1 tie in a Colonial Valley Conference Valley Division boys soccer battle Tuesday.

After scoring with 9:06 remaining, Hamilton appeared poised to notch its first victory before Jake Thogode scored with 2:41 remaining to tie it in regulation. Neither team could tally in two overtimes as both records went to 0-1-1.

Thogode’s goal came off a long pass from Jahmario Morris, as he received the ball in the box and had keeper Giuseppe Scordato at his mercy.

“Nothing he could have done,” Hamilton coach Chris Morales said.

“We were trying to play up in the last five minutes to get a goal,” Thogode said. “And I just felt like I needed to be the one to put it in.”

First-year Ewing coach Dave Angebranndt, grandson of the late, legendary Lawrence coach Lou Angebranndt, felt the goal was a product of repetition.

“That’s exactly what we practiced the last five days,” he said. “It was just working the ball from the back to the front, passing the ball around. Shifting the defense left to right and you were able to find the hole across the middle on a great through ball and a great finish by Jake.”

And while Morales wouldn’t blame his standout keeper, Scordato did not let himself off the hook.

“You’re taught to make sure you extend your leg and I didn’t get there fast enough,” the senior said. “I could have gotten to it, but. . .”

Had he gotten there, it would have been the save of the game. And that’s saying something, considering the way Blue Devils’ keeper Will Bolmer played. The junior made 10 saves, with several of them robbing the Hornets blind.

In the first half, he stoned Matt Paterno and Keith Johnson on lunging or diving saves, and he extended full out in the second half to stymie the same two players.

“He was on fire, making saves left and right,” Thogode said.

“Will stepped up today,” Angebranndt said. “That’s what you ask for from a keeper. He came in and wasn’t gonna let a ball go by him. I’m really proud of him.”

Hamilton managed to beat Bolmer in the 71st minute when Johnson sent a ball in front to Emil Lewandowski, who converted.

From there, Ewing began to push up and it finally paid off. The Devils nearly won it in the first OT but shots from Anthony Cruz and Charlie DeBlasio went just over the net.

Ewing (0-1-1) 0 1 0 0 — 1 Hamilton (0-1-1) 0 1 0 0 — 1

G: E-Thogode. H-Lewandowski. A: E-Morris. H-Johnson. Shots: E-11. H-14. Saves: E-Bolmer 10. H-Scordato 6.