After a handball in the box by Bethel, Andrew Doan buries a penalty for Pomperaug to make it 2-0 near halftime #ctbsoc pic.twitter.com/BLAPtnVQo8
— Ryan Lacey (@RyanLacey11) October 11, 2019
BETHEL — There might not be a more impressive performance in the SWC this season.
The Pomperaug boys soccer team continues to roll, and out on another offensive explosion to stay unbeaten in the league.
A three-goal blitz that took less than three minutes was part of a dazzling display by the Panthers, who beat Bethel 6-0 Friday afternoon. Pomperaug kept first place in the SWC and now sits with an 8-1-1 record. Andrew Doan and Tyler Ericson each scored twice for the visitors.
It began three minutes in with a goal from Sean Murray, and only got worse for the Wildcats. Doan converted a penalty kick midway through the period to give Pomperaug a comfortable advantage.
“We pulled it together and (Bethel) were high in the SWC, so this was a big win for us,” Doan said. “I think it sends a message to the people around the league that we are legit this year.”
Counter attack city for Panthers, O’Brien makes it 3-0 #ctbsoc pic.twitter.com/dMsXc1ySyx
— Ryan Lacey (@RyanLacey11) October 11, 2019
Bethel hoped to respond after the break, but the Panthers had other ideas. Ericson, Jack O’Brien and Doan all scored in lightning-quick fashion to break it open.
This was all done with three starters on the sideline, forcing coach Joe Mancini to adjust on the fly.
“We had to step it up because we were shorthanded,” Mancini said. “The guys who came in really stepped up; some kids had to play out of position. They got the job done.”
Since yielding two late goals in a 3-3 tie with Weston, the Panthers have outscored the opposition 20-0 in four wins. Offense hasn’t been a problem all season; Pomperaug has scored in every game and averages 4.3 per contest.
“We’ve (done well) just moving the ball and making runs off the ball,” Mancini said. “We try to keep possession as much as we can and get teams to suck in and we can play through them. The Weston game was a learning curve for us.”
It was a forgettable day at the office for Bethel (6-2-2), which suffered just its second defeat of the season.
“I think this might be exactly what the doctor ordered,” said Wildcats coach Tony Fernandes. “A little bit of humility; we’ve been winning some games and we’re on a good run but we’re the type of team that we have to play like a team and be mistake-free.”
FINE SAVE
Panthers goalie Aiden Hampton didn’t have much to do in goal for the visitors, but made a sprawling diving save to deny a sure-bound goal to keep the shutout in the second half.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Jack O’Brien, Pomperaug: Could have been any of the front group for the Panthers, who linked seamlessly with one another.
QUOTABLE
“We’ve all played together all of our lives,” said Doan, referring to the 13 seniors on the team. “Everyone stayed together, everyone worked hard and everyone keeps getting better. It’s great to see the depth on our team this year.”
“It’s one thing to lose but it’s another to be embarrassed like this,” Fernandes said. “I can’t remember losing a game like this in many years. It’s unfortunate because Pomperaug deserved to win, but for 6-0 we had a comedy of errors.”
