Game Summaries

9/8/09: Saratoga v. Niskayuna = Win 1-0

Saratoga recorded their first win of the new season with a 1-0 victory over visiting Niskayuna. Saratoga was awarded a penalty kick on a handball early in the 1st half, but failed to convert. Saratoga kept pressuring the Nisky goal and finally broke through in the 26th minute. From the left flank, Caz Rafalik sent a service ball into the box. Gavin Cumming crashed the 18 from the weak side and hit a looping header over the outstretched arms of Nisky keeper Ahmad Salamah. Nisky's best chance of the game came in the 2nd half when Andrew Chan hit a laser from 22 yards out that Saratoga keeper Aaron Costello parried over the crossbar. Saratoga had several chances go just wide of the posts on the afternoon. Two of their better opportunities came when Noah Cadet put a streaking Will Johns in on goal who struck a dipping ball over the Nisky keeper that rang off the crossbar and bounced back into play. Again in the 2nd half, Ahmad Salamah came up huge making a tremendous save on a Cadet strike from 20 yards out. Stats for the game were: shots: Saratoga 10, Nisky 6; saves: Saratoga 5, Nisky 7; and corners 4-4.

9/10/09: Saratoga v. Ballston Spa = Loss 2-1

Newly appointed Ballston Spa Coach Garry Preece got his first varsity victory as visiting Ballston Spa defeated Saratoga, 2-1. Saratoga came out strong and had the majority of play for the first 15 minutes of the game. Ballston Spa would turn the tables and own the remaining 25 minutes with several opportunities on the Saratoga goal coming up short. The teams went into halftime tied 0-0. Ballston Spa came out strong again, but in the 54th minute, Saratoga scored against the run of play to go up 1-0. Noah Cadet tried to catch the goalkeeper off his line from 45 yards out. The ball rang off the crossbar and fell to the feet of Tristan Frey who was crashing far post. Frey tucked the ball away neatly in the left side netting. Only 2 minutes later, Ballston Spa answered with a goal of their own. Connor Preece sent a driven ball into the box that David Deutsch took down neatly and calmly placed into the far post netting to tie the game, 1-1. Five minutes later, Preece took the ball into the box and was taken down for a penalty kick which Sean Maruscsak put away to Saratoga keeper Aaron Costello's right. Both teams fought hard for the remaining 20 minutes, but Ballston Spa held on to win, 2-1.

9/12/09: Saratoga v. Shaker = Win 4-0

Saratoga got on the scoreboard in the first half off a direct kick from midfield. Caz Rafalik drove a ball into the box that a Shaker defender misheaded backwards up and over Shaker goalkeeper Joe Scarchilli. Saratoga midfielder Chris Jayko was crashing the goal and headed the ball into the open net. The score was 1-0 Saratoga at halftime. Saratoga came out strong registering 3 goals in the 2nd half. Saratoga earned a penalty kick when a Shaker player allegedly bear-hugged a Saratoga player. Noah Cadet put the penalty away to give Saratoga the 2-0 lead. Later on in the 2nd half, Cadet would capitalize on a defensive miscue and volley a low shot on goal. The Shaker goalkeeper got to the low, hard shot, but it squirted up and over him before hitting the side post and finally settling in the back of the net. Cadet would earn himself the hat trick when he took the ball, beat one defender off the dribble and closed in on goal. With three players close on his heels, Cadet calmly placed the ball to the keeper's left to make the score 4-0.

9/15/09: Saratoga v. Guilderland = Win 1-0

In a hard fought, Suburban Council match, Saratoga edged visiting Guilderland 1-0. The teams would go into halftime knotted up 0-0 with neither team generating much offense. Early in the second half, Will Johns would slip a ball to a streaking Dylan MacVane who was making a diagonal run into the box. As a defender closed down on MacVane from behind, MacVane slipped his body between the defender and the ball and was subsequently taken down for a penalty kick. Noah Cadet converted the penalty kick opportunity to give Saratoga the 1-0 lead. Guilderland had a flurry of opportunities in Saratoga's defensive third in the final minutes of the game, but could not get any quality chances on net. Saratoga hung on for the 1-0 win. Caz Rafalik and Eli Sterngass were stellar on Saratoga's backline and Aaron Costello earned his 3rd shutout of the season. Shots favored 'Toga, 4-2, while corners favored the Dutchmen, 4-3.

9/17/09: Saratoga v. Bethlehem = Loss 2-1 (2OT)

Dan Carillo finally snapped the tie, scoring with but six minutes left in the second overtime for the Bethlehem win. Kenny McDermith's pass set up the score. Carillo had assisted on Bethlehem's first goal by Mike Mulhall. Caz Rafalik scored for 'Toga, assisted by Noah Cadet. On a corner kick, Cadet played the ball to the far post. Rafalik was sitting about 12 yards out from goal and ripped a one time side volley that kareemed off both posts before settling into the side net. Shots on goal favored Bethlehem, 15-11.

9/22/09: Saratoga v. Mohonasen = Win 3-0

Saratoga earned a 3-0 victory this afternoon over visiting Mohonasen. Saratoga began with lots of positive play but were unable to convert their opportunities. Mohonasen almost went up 1-0 against the run of play if not for an outstanding play by Saratoga goalkeeper Aaron Costello. Off a corner kick, Mohonasen got a ball off on frame that Costello just got a fingertip to and parried over the crossbar. Late in the first half, Saratoga would get on the scoreboard with a low, 25-yard driven ball by Caz Rafalik that got past Mohonasen goalkeeper Brett Cannon. Saratoga would begin the 2nd half with more pressure in the Mohonasen defensive third. Saratoga would go up 2-0 early on a defensive miscue. Toga keeper Costello took a goal kick that would sail three-quarters of the field and bounce over the Mohonasen back line. Mohonasen goalkeeper Cannon came out to get the ball while the backs chased from behind. Chris Jayko beat the backs to the ball and poked it over the goalkeeper for the second tally of the afternoon. Saratoga would end their scoring in the 49th minute off a goal by Noah Cadet assisted by Pete Walsh. Mohonasen almost got back in the game after several quality strikes from Gianluca Puorto. Late in the 2nd half, Puorto rang a bending free kick off the Upper 90 that the Saratoga defense subsequently cleared. Later, Puorto struck a ball that rang off the crossbar, hit Aaron Costello in the back, and rolled out of bounds.

9/24/09: Saratoga v. Averill Park = Win 6-1

Saratoga jumped out to a 1-0 lead 2 minutes into the match and never looked back going on to win 6-1 against Averill Park. Goal scorers for Saratoga were Tristan Frey (2), Tyler Hedge (2), Chris Jayko (1) and Gavin Cumming (1). Noah Cadet and Will Johns contributed 2 assists each along with Eli Sterngass (1) and Cumming (1). Averill Park got on the scoreboard with a Jeff King goal off a corner kick.

9/26/09: Saratoga v. Burnt Hills = Win 1-0

In the 29th minute, Saratoga's Tristan Frey got hold of a loose ball at the top of the box and unleashed a strike that beat BHBL goalkeeper Matt Horan. Saratoga had several quality chances in the attacking third on the day but were unable to convert. Burnt Hills almost got back in the game when after a long diagonal ball, a BHBL attacker was 1v1 with Saratoga goalkeeper Aaron Costello. Costello came up huge making a diving save pushing the ball out of bounds for a corner kick and keeping Burnt Hills off the board. Saratoga defenders Isaac Handley-Miner, Caz Rafalik, and Eli Sterngass played very well in the back. Kevin Pfeil and Tyler DeLuca played well for Burnt Hills.

9/29/09: Saratoga v. Shenendehowa = Tie 1-1

Saratoga and Shenedehowa battled for 100 minutes to a 1-1 draw this afternoon in Saratoga Springs. Saratoga got off to a dream start with sophomore Morgan Smith hitting a 30 yard shot from the left side that caught Shenendehowa goalkeeper John Mabee off his line only 15 seconds into the match. Only 2 minutes later, Saratoga's Chris Jayko would split two Shen defenders and close in on goal. With the Shen defenders closing down from behind and Mabee coming off his line, Jayko pushed the ball just wide right. 2 minutes later, Saratoga would earn a free kick 20 yards out. Noah Cadet hit a screamer that Mabee made a good save on to keep Saratoga off the board. The rest of the match would go back and forth with both sides having good ball movement and possession. With 12 minutes remaining in the match, Shenendehowa would earn a corner kick. Shen senior TJ Izykowski would win the header and sophomore Michael Jenkins would poke it in from the weak side for the equalizer. Both teams played tough through the overtime periods to earn the draw. Shots for the match were pretty even with Shen 7, Saratoga 6 and corners were listed at 4-4.

10/01/09: Saratoga v. Columbia = Win 4-0

Saratoga defeated Columbia this afternoon 4-0 registering two goals in each half. Saratoga got on the board quickly with a tap in goal from Will Johns on a ball that was drawn across the goalmouth from Chris Jayko. Later on in the half, Coleman Akey would receive a pass from Will Johns in the middle of the box. Akey was unmarked and had time to neatly place the ball to the keeper's left for the 2-0 lead. In the second half, Coleman Akey worked the ball deep in the box and laid off a nice ball to a crashing Tristan Frey who put it away for the 3-0 lead. Frey ended the scoring for Saratoga on the day scoring off an assist from Will Johns. Saratoga goalkeeper Aaron Costello earned his 6th shutout of the season. Columbia forward Jake Persons was a threat all day. His size and pace earned him numerous runs towards the Saratoga 18 but was unable to convert. Shots were 15-8 Saratoga advantage, as well as corners were, 5-1.

10/06/09: Saratoga v. Colonie = Win 2-1

Saratoga earned a 2-1 victory today over visiting Colonie. Neither team was able to generate much offense in the first half. Midway through the half, Colonie should have taken the lead when a Saratoga miskick from deep in the corner fell to the feet of Tommy Green 25 yards from goal. With the keeper retreating to the goalmouth, Greene hit a hard shot that clipped off the far post and out for a goal kick. Colonie would go up 1-0 with :45 left in the half when an alert Tommy Osipitan intercepted a Saratoga backpass. Osipitan's size, speed, and strength was too much for the Saratoga backline and he banged it home for the 1-0 lead. The second half would continue to be back and forth until Will Johns got to a Noah Cadet through ball that he put away for the 1-1 tie. Saratoga would earn the "W" with 8 minutes remaining when Saratoga defender Tom Rodems found Tristan Frey out wide right. Frey would calmly beat two defenders inside the box before sending home the left footed shot to the far post. Colonie had another golden opportunity in the 2nd half when Osipitan would again break past the Saratoga backs before trying to chip Costello from 40 yards out. Saratoga had a slight edge in shots (8-6) and corners (3-2).

10/08/09: Saratoga v. Niskayuna = Win 1-0

Saratoga scored with 52 seconds left in the second overtime to defeat Niskayuna, 1 – 0. Caz Rafalik hit a low driven freekick from 35 yards that bounced off of a Niskayuna defender to the feet of Will Johns who tucked away the ball to the far side netting. Both teams played a great match with Niskayuna edging Saratoga in shots on goal 5 to 4. Niskayuna’s Anthony Czech made three saves for Niskayuna while Aaron Costello picked up 5 saves for Saratoga.

10/13/09: Saratoga v. Ballston Spa = Loss 6-1

A shocker, two good teams, but a one-sided game developed in a big Ballston Spa win, 6-1 over Saratoga. Ballston notched five first-half goals, putting the game away early. The first goal came off a header from Kevin Marin, which RJ Vandy touched nicely into the back of the net. Moments later, Jon Marra found the net with a strong volley. Ballston Spa's third goal was generated by the tandem of Alec Johnson and Connor Preece, when Preece knocked in a well placed corner kick from Johnson. The Ballston Spa attack continued with several quality scoring chances, ultimately resulting in a Chris Nolan goal, when Nolan popped a rebound from a shot by Preece. An own goal made it 5-0 at the half. The second half opened with Saratoga's lone goal of the day, when Chris Jayko broke through the Ballston Spa defense and drove the ball into net. Ballston Spa immediately responded with their sixth goal of the day, when Alec Johnson played a header in front of the goal to Preece, who placed a strong volley into the top of the net.

10/15/09: Saratoga v. Shaker = Loss 1-0

Saratoga has had a tough week, and we don't mean the weather. Shaker's Brandon Risler scored the lone goal of the game from a PK in the 48th minute. Shaker's Alex Stopera beat his man one-on-one within the penalty area and was taken down for the resulting PK. Saratoga's Aaron Costello and Shaker's Joe Scarchilli were exceptional in net for this match. Both keepers made point blank saves to keep their teams in the game. Shaker put the pressure on in the 1st half while Saratoga pressured in the 2nd half. Shaker was able to hold on at the end after a flurry of shots from a hard-pressed 'Toga team.

10/20/09: Saratoga v. Burnt Hills= Win 2-1 (OT)

Saratoga earned a 2-1 victory over visiting Burnt Hills this afternoon in overtime on Saratoga's Senior Day. Saratoga had the better of play for about 60 minutes. In the 20th minute, Noah Cadet drilled home a left footed shot far post off a ball checked backed by Dylan MacVane for the 1-0 lead. Burnt Hills' defense played strong the entire match and the Spartans began to pressure and take over the game with 20 minutes remaining. In the 63rd minute, Burnt Hills would earn a penalty kick which was converted by Greg Rabideau. Play would even out for about 10 minutes and then Burnt Hills really turned it on. The Spartans pressured and pressured, but were unable to get any good shots off on goal. In the 3rd minute of overtime, Saratoga's combination play proved too much for Burnt Hills' defense as Morgan Smith played a ball in from midfield to striker Will Johns' feet. Johns checked the ball back to Cadet who one-timed a through ball to Tristan Frey who calmly slipped the ball past the keeper for the game winning goal. Both keepers (Aaron Costello for Saratoga and Matt Horan for Burnt Hills) had exceptional matches intercepting numerous crosses into the box. Saratoga held the edge both in shots (9-4) and corners (6-1). Burnt Hills played tough all match and is certainly well prepared for a sectional title run.

10/22/09: Saratoga v. Shenendehowa = Loss 1-0 (OT)

In a game with numerous questionable calls from the officials, the Blue Streaks lost a 1-0 overtime thriller to NYS #5 Shenendehowa. Saratoga had 5 quality chances on net while limiting Shen to only 2 great opportunties on the night. In the first overtime, Shen's David Clemens pulled a Saratoga defender backwards to get to the ball where he then put it away for the game winner. Despite the loss, Saratoga earned the respect of the Shen team, coach, and fans with their excellent play. The Shen coaches acknowledged the last goal was in fact a foul and didn't want to win the match in that fashion. Saratoga hopes to keep up their inspired play during Sectionals.

10/29/09: Saratoga v. Lasalle = Win 3-0 (Sectional 1st Round Match)

Saratoga moved into the sectional quarterfinals with a win over visiting LaSalle today, 3-0. Saratoga got on the board early when a ball sent into the box by right back Chris Jayko sailed over the head of the LaSalle goalkeeper. Morgan Smith was there on the far post for the easy tap in only 3 minutes into the match. In the 33rd minute, Tristan Frey took a LaSalle goal kick right back up the middle and slotted it away for the Saratoga 2-0 lead. After putting on lots of pressure, Saratoga was able to break through for the 3-0 lead on a goal by Noah Cadet. Jayko once again played a ball to the feet of Cadet who took the ball across the field 22 yards from goal and let one fly that got past the keeper. Pete Walsh was tenacious in the midfield and Aaron Costello earned his 8th shutout of the season. LaSalle played tough the entire match and had several promising possessions throughout the match. The Cadets lost Billy Hoffman early in the 2nd half after he inadvertantly took a cleat to the mouth while on the ground. Shots on the day were 14-0 and corner kicks 5-1 both in favor of Saratoga.

11/02/09: Saratoga v. Ballston Spa = Win 2-1 (OT) (Sectional Quarterfinal Match)

11/05/09: Saratoga v. Bethlehem = Win 2-1 (Sectional Semifinal Match)

Saratoga advanced into the Class "AA" sectional finals for the first time since 2006, and will face Shen Tuesday night at 5:00 PM at Colonie. Bethlehem got off to a dominant start having the better of posession for the opening 20-25 minutes. Saratoga did a great job of not allowing Bethlehem to get that final ball into scoring positions. Against the run of play, Saratoga put two goals away in a span of 5 minutes. On the first goal in the 27th minute, Saratoga drove a ball into the box. Striker Chris Jayko got a foot on the ball that then rolled out to the top of the box where Pete Walsh was there to put it away far post. Minutes later, Tristan Frey carried the ball down the line, cut it back, and played Noah Cadet in the middle of the field. Cadet took a few dribbles to his right and let one fly that hit the right post and went in. The Blue Streaks went to the half, up 2-0. The second half was like a mirror image of the first half, with Saratoga now having the better of play to start with some good scoring chances, and Bethlehem scoring against the run of play to make the game 2-1. Mike Mulhull was able to get in behind the Saratoga defense and played a beautiful ball across the goalmouth that Kenny McDirmith was first to, and he made sure he put it away. With 22 minutes remaining in the match, Bethlehem would lose an important part of their team when Stephen Russo would kock heads with Caz Rafalik trying to win a headball near the Saratoga goal. Despite losing a key piece of their midfield, Bethlehem turned up the pressure trying to get the tying goal. Even in the final minute, a ground service into the box looked dangerous until a deflection wide by Tom Rodems saved Saratoga. Saratoga was able to weather the pressure, along with the several corner kicks in the dying minutes, to keep Bethlehem off the board and win the match 2-1. Mike Mulhull, Danny Carillo, Stephen Russo, Sam Reider and Max Kornstein were all dangerous for Bethlehem and had good matches. Strong play for Saratoga came from Will Johns (who often had a marking assignment on Carillo), Caz Rafalik, Eli Sterngass, and Pete Walsh. Again, the Bethlehem faithful showed why CRS still feels they are the best fans in Section 2. Yes, they had their band at Colonie, despite the rain, and when Bethlehem was rallying, they started humming the theme from "Raiders of the Lost Ark" showing the fun and inventiveness these kids have. They were in full voice and added an enjoyable atmosphere to the match. Shots were 5-5, Dan Maddock had one save for Bethlehem and Aaron Costello had 3 for Spa. Corners were 7-1, Bethlehem.

11/10/09: Saratoga v. Shenendehowa = Loss 2-0 (Sectional Final Match)

Shenendehowa is once again King of Class AA boys soccer. This is Shen's first title since the 2005 season. Shen defeated a game Saratoga team 2-0 in tonight's Class AA final. The first twenty minutes of the game were basically played between the eighteens. Shenendehowa keeper came up with a big save at the twenty minute mark of the first half. He made a great save off a head ball that came from a corner kick. That save just might have changed the course of the game as just three minutes later Shen put the first score on the board. At the 16:20 minute mark a Shen corner somehow landed in the penalty box untouched bounced directly to Ryan Connors who then placed the ball into the back of the net. It was a goal that Saratoga never totally seemed to recover from.. In the game of soccer who knows what would have happened had Saratoga gotten that first goal just 3 minutes earlier. 'Toga had one more great chance with two minutes left in the half when a Saratoga forward split two defenders and got in on goal only to lift the ball up and over the crossbar. The half ended 1-0 Shen. At halftime Coach Campisi challenged his team to go out and work harder then they have ever worked before and challenged them to change the game within the first ten minutes of the second half. Well they did. At the 30:14 mark in the second half David Clemens hit a direct kick from about 40 yards from goal that again somehow landed on about the six yard line of the penalty box. Ryan Yurchak jumped on the ball and put that in the back of the net for a 2-0 lead.

The rest of the half seemed to be Shen trying to possess the ball and make Saratoga chase the ball. Saratoga worked hard got some opportunities but never seriously challenged the goal the rest of the game. To Saratoga's credit they worked hard the whole game and that work rate never wavered. The story of the game was that Shen had a couple of opportunities that they finished and the couple that Saratoga got they did not. Sounds like soccer.

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