Nottingham edges Trenton on penalty kick

HAMILTON >> When it comes to cool names among Colonial Valley Conference athletes, Nottingham High’s boys soccer team has two of the best in Fredjy Miracle and Wild Jeff Fileus.

The duo combined to set up the game’s lone goal Monday as the Northstars took a 1-0 victory over visiting Trenton High.

The goal was scored by Miracle on a penalty kick, which resulted when it was ruled that Fileus was pushed from behind in the box on a breakaway. Miracle calmly sent it into the lower right corner and neither team would find the back of the net again.

“I made the run, and Fredjy gave me the pass,” Fileus said. “I kicked it and I didn’t get the ball right. The kid had two hands on my back so it had to be a PK because he pushed me.”

Trenton coach Joe Fink didn’t see it exactly the same way.

“You don’t want to make excuses but that was a very questionable PK and I think that took the wind out of our sails,” Fink said. “But the thing is, we gotta finish. We’re not finishing, plain and simple.”

Fink and Northstars coach Mike Braender both felt Trenton (0-3-1) both had the better of the play in the first half, as Trenton had the territorial edge and outshot the Stars, 6-3. The PK was called with 1:34 remaining and did seem to take a little pep out of Trenton’s step.

The Tornadoes put together a few things early in the second half, but were unable to get much after that. Actually, there weren’t many great scoring opportunities for either side.

“I thought we played well,” said Fink, whose interview came under the watchful scrutiny of 1-year-old Ben, his first grandson. “I thought we played a better first half than the second half. Second half I don’t feel like we showed up like we should have.”

Especially in the box, where Trenton seems to just be missing on opportunities. The result has been one goal in the first four games.

“We’ve got a lot of new faces, that’s part of it,” Fink said. “You’ve got some language barriers, you’re trying to put the right people in the right spot. It’s not easy.”

It hasn’t been easy for Nottingham against the Tornadoes in recent years, as it was the Northstars (2-1) first win over their Hamilton Avenue rival in four years.

“It’s always nice to beat Trenton,” Fileus said. “I only beat them my freshman year. Last year we had a pretty good game but we came away with a draw. This year we did what we had to do to win the game. We came together as a family. We could have scored more goals, but we stayed tight, we played hard from the first whistle to the last whistle.

“They’re a pretty tough team. They’re one of the top five toughest teams I’ve ever played.”

Trenton (0-3-1) 00—0 Nottingham (2-1) 1 0 — 1

G: Miracle. Shots: T-14. N-9. Saves: T-Carr 5. N-Luckie 7.