A three-goal first half against third-seeded East Hartford powered the Greenwich boys soccer team into the quarterfinal round of the CIAC Class LL Tournament.
The 14th-seeded Cardinals eliminated host East Hartford, registering a 4-2 victory in a Round of 16 game. Up next for Greenwich is road matchup against No. 11 Hamden in Friday’s quarterfinals, at a time yet to be determined.
“We had our best game all season,” GHS coach Kurt Putnam said. “East Hartford is a technically sound team, but we played physical and won a lot of first and second balls.”
Greenwich took a 1-0 lead on an own goal, following a free kick from senior Davi Pedreiro. Senior Francisco Liguori made it 2-0, tallying off another Cardinals free kick in the first half.
Late in the opening half, Pedreiro set junior Ryan Smith up for a header and Smith finished, putting GHS ahead, 3-0.
Leading 3-1 with 20 minutes remaining in the second half, senior Josh Frumin notched a goal following a Liguori free kick, giving the Cards a three-goal advantage.
Senior Padraig Colligan was strong again in goal, making seven saves for the victors. Lucas Toro, a senior helped pace Greenwich’s effective defensive effort.
“Everyone played well, they worked really hard for each other,” Putnam said. “We didn’t receive any cards today and played a very disciplined game. Our team left it all out there on the field.”
