Strong First Half Not Enough For Boys Soccer

Despite a strong play in the first half of play, Windsor boys soccer suffered a 3-1 loss to visiting Wethersfield in a CCC North game Wednesday afternoon.

The match-up was one of teams still in transition after replacing most of their starters from a year ago. The Warriors were working in eight first-year starters in their fourth game of the season. The Eagles (4-0-0) now have had four games to get six new starters into the flow. At this point, Wethersfield’s adjustments are a little more advanced.

The Warriors (1-2-1, 0-2-1 in CCC North play) held a 1-0 lead at halftime but the Eagles (3-0-0 in the division), who were division runners-up in 2010, changed their attacking strategy in the second half and it paid off. They scored three goals.

“I thought we deserved better today,” said Pete Lepak, in his seventh year as Windsor coach. “But I’m not saying they weren’t the better team. The momentum killer was the goal they scored where our kids were frustrated. One of our players was [injured] and our kids were asking [the officials] to stop the game.”

With play continued Wethersfield pounced on some disorganization within the Warriors’ defense to score the equalizing goal. That goal, the eighth of the season for Matt Barry, came a little more than two minutes into the second half.

“That really changed things,” Lepak said. “Things were looking good for us. But this team is more emotional that other squads I’ve had.”

Despite Wethersfield’s frequent control of the ball – and quite a bit of action for Warriors’ sophomore goaltender Andrew Tasillo – Windsor struck on a counter-attack. Sophomore midfielder Justin Nguyen lined-up a free kick on the left wing and sent the ball toward the far post to senior captain Matt Marcelino, who slipped inside the defense. Marcelino headed the ball in from inside the 6-yard box with almost 29 minutes left in the first half.

The Eagles maintained more possession for the balance of the half, but few of their shots were high quality, except for one attack featured two headers, which bouned off the Windsor crossbar.

“Our players were making short, cute passes in the first half, but we weren’t effective,” Wethersfield coach Rob Jachym said. “At halftime, I said to play the ball more directly. I wanted us to put the ball behind the defense and we took advantage of that in the second half and scored on those opportunities.”

After the Barry goal made it 1-1, Kenan Hodzic scored from Justin Caporiccio about 11 minutes later. Thirteen minutes later, Wethersfield added an insurance goal on a Caporiccio penalty kick.

Lepak is pleased with Windsor’s progress in a rebuilding year, following a 5-9-3 season in 2010 (the Warriors’ second CIAC tournament appearance in 10 years). Lepak is using nine 10th-graders in the starting lineup.

“Our program is getting better each year,” Lepak said. “We’re a very talented team, but we haven’t clicked yet. We’re trying to do the right things for next year, setting ourselves up for a year in advance. We’ve come through all year against the good teams.”

On Monday, Windsor tied Glastonbury 1-1. Glastonbury won the CCC North last year before being eliminated in the Class LL quarterfinals.