LAKE HUNTINGTON, NY — The Sullivan West Bulldogs boys’ soccer squad gave it their all on September 27, but the young team was dominated by the visiting Eagles of John S. Burke Catholic. They were defeated, 9-0.

Rory K. Brady, helmsman of the Burke varsity booters, said of the match, “It was exactly what high school soccer should be—a respectful game, there were no cards, and Sullivan West played hard despite the scoreboard. The scoreboard says one thing, but this was not an easy game.” 

Coach Brady noted that at Burke Catholic, one of the components of education is instilling a sense of sportsmanship, unlike what you see in “professional” sports. “How to treat others when you’re winning nine to nothing, not rubbing it in, but playing hard, which is a form of respect,” he said. “Not letting off the gas, but doing it in a respectful manner.”

No taunting, no strutting around like you’re king of the world, nary a complaint about the refs. All of which, in this sports scribbler’s opinion, is a breath of fresh air when comparing high school athletics to the realm of overpaid “pros” acting out on the fields of competition.

Goals for this soccer season?

“The state championship,” replied Coach Brady, noting that last year Burke made it to the semifinals.

He credited the performance of the keepers on both sides, as the Eagles’ Brandon Murphy posted his fourth  shutout of the season, and of the Bulldogs’ Will Nearing, he said, “He’s got a heck of a foot!”

One stat really spotlights the intensity of the match, as Murphy was faced with one shot on goal, while Nearing took on a total of 28 shots.

The Eagles (5-1 overall, 3-0 league) are captained on the field by Kieran Trapp, Wade Mattingly and Stephen Lee, and have nine returning seniors on the team.

A wrap of the all-Eagles scoring: first  frame: Kieran Trapp at 38:22, Ryan Konarski at 30:15, Widen Trapp on an assist by D. Waldman at 21:32, Konarski at 11:11, M. Covello on an assist by Waldman at 8:45, and D. Geszlesi at 6:43. 

In the second half: Waldman at 38:54, Waldman at 35:30, Wade Mattingly at 26:31.

Sullivan West’s coach, Kristina Verrico, is somewhat relegated to the sidelines with a torn Achilles tendon suffered during soccer practice.

But that didn’t stop her from attending the home game, working with her squad while on a set of crutches.

“We’re a young team, but they’ve got heart, trying hard out there,” she said of Sullivan West’s varsity booters (1-8, 1-2).

Coach Verrico commented on the difference between the Bulldogs’ level of play in the first frame, compared to the second half.

“There was a huge difference,” she said. “In the second half, they stepped up defensively, and it felt like a completely different team on the field… marking better, playing defensively better, getting some more chances up top.”