Hawks Fall Victim to a Late Comeback by The Knights

by Darren Squillace

The Hendricken Soccer team took their 2-1-1 record back on the road this past Friday afternoon against the Central Knights, in a game played at Mount Pleasant High School. After a great performance Wednesday night to comeback from three goals down to tie Central Falls, the Hawks were looking to keep their momentum going and to pull out a victory over the top team in the state. This would be easier said than done, however, as the Knights came in to the contest with an undefeated record of 6-0. A wrench was also thrown into the game plan as well, as starting goalkeeper Alex Amado was forced out of the lineup due to illness, leaving junior Tom Faltus to man the net.

The game kicked off at Conley Stadium with the Knights wasting no time. They netted a goal courtesy of Jhon Bastidas within the opening minutes. The Hawks were determined, however, not to fall behind in this one as junior Nick Williams would soon net the equalizer to tie the game at one goal apiece. Later in the first half, a foul inside the box gave our guys a penalty kick and a chance to take the lead. Things became interesting at this point, as it appeared that junior Christian Kirby had netted the Hawks’ second goal; however, freshman midfielder Chuckwma Onyewma came into the penalty box early and was called offside, forcing the Hawks to take another kick to try to take the lead. This time, it would be senior Brennan Martin who would attempt the kick, sending the ball into the bottom left corner for the 2-1 lead. Solid ball control and passing would help keep possessions away from the Knights, as the score remained 2-1 for the rest of the half.

The Hawks opened the second half refusing to settle for just a one-goal lead. They took the offensive, which lead to a nifty one-touch goal knocked in by senior Luis Lawrence. The Knights were starting to realize that their backs were against the wall and played more aggressively in hopes of maintaining their undefeated record. This led to a Central goal from Esrli Giron, who would come to be a big factor later in the game. The Hawks at that point found themselves in search of what they hoped would be the insurance goal, and they would get it as Chuckwma Onyewma would redeem himself by receiving a perfectly-placed lead pass, beating the keeper one-on-one, and striking it into the open goal for the 4-2 lead.

Entering the final ten minutes of the game, it seemed all but certain that the Knights were going to be handed their first defeat of the year. The Hawks took a more defensive approach and because of this, Central began to dominate ball possession. Opportunities followed, as two quick goals by Esrli Giron gave him a hat trick and shocked the Hawks. Time would run out on a chance to retake the lead, and it might have actually been beneficial. As time expired and the ref blew his whistle, only the post would deny Central of completing a comeback.

The Hawks would end up settling for a tie, but it obviously isn't what Coach Johnston and the team had in mind. The team travels next to South Kingstown to face the 4-2 Rebels on Monday, September 29th, at 6 P.M. They'll look to get themselves back into the win column and onto the path to the playoffs.