Cougars win two key games

CHESTERTOWN | Rising to the challenge Sept. 24, the North Warren boys soccer team defeated Bolton-Warrensburg, reigning Adirondack League champions. Two days later, the North Warren Cougars beat Granville 6-0. They achieved these feats despite one of their key players, junior midfielder George Hilton, being sidelined due to a previous injury. Cougars' assistant coach Chris Lail reported that the game against B-W was "hard fought" by both teams in "difficult weather conditions" — heavy rain and a muddy field. Lail and head soccer coach Jim Conway said the Cougars' defense played strong throughout the two games, particularly for holding Bolton-Warrensburg scoreless for 79 minutes. These defenders include senior Connor Clench-Matteo, junior Patrick Viele, Sawyer and Hudson Gadjo — sophomore and eighth-grader respectively — and senior goaltender Will Lindsley, who tallied nine saves for the game while his B-W counterparts, Maris Martin and Jacob French, had four. Although B-W's offense was contained for well more than an hour, they didn't quit: Bolton-Warrensburg junior halfback Maleki Grierson scored a goal with less than a minute left in the game off a corner kick — his first-ever varsity goal. Junior Connor Hill scored a goal early in this Sept. 24 game, and senior Coleman Swartz subsequently scored two more. Hill's shot was unassisted and 40 yards long. Over the game, B-W had 5 corner kicks, while North Warren had zero. Lail said his midfielders — Swartz, Hill, and Hudson Gadjo — controlled the ball well, a key factor in the win. Conway said that his team would have fared better in recent weeks' games if Hilton had been able to play. He said that Hilton's absence made a "huge impact" on his team's ability to control the ball and spread out their offensive attack. Swartz, a forward, had been moved back to midfield during Hilton's absence. "I'm really proud of my players for pulling off this win," Conway said. NORTH WARREN 6, GRANVILLE 0 Against Granville, the Cougars combined aggressive offense and a relentless defense to achieve their 6-0 victory. About 24 minutes into the game, Swartz drove through defenders anf scored unassisted. Six minutes later, Swartz passed the ball through to junior Hayden Palmatier, who ripped a shot over the goaltender's head - achieving his first-ever varsity goal. Then, with 24 seconds left in the first half, Swartz made a cross-pass to senior Nick Heckman, who scored. Five minutes into the second half, Heckman scored again, off a through-pass from Hill. Then, with 13 minutes left in the game, Swartz stole the ball from a Granville midfielder, dribbled it through several opponents, and scored. With 48 seconds left in the game, Swartz took a cross-pass from Heckman and slammed a shot into the goal. "Coleman drove our offense — he was involved in five of the six goals," coach Conway said. "He's really come alive in these last two games, making a big impact on our performance." Conway also praised his half-dozen defenders and their work containing Granville. "Connor Hill was magnificent in the midfield," he added. After an Oct. 1 game against Fort Ann when Hilton returns for competition, next up for the Cougars is an away game Friday, Oct. 3 versus Saratoga Catholic. On Monday, Oct. 6, there is a matchup with Hadley-Luzerne on the Eagles' field, followed by an away game versus Corinth on Wednesday, Oct. 8. All four of these games start at 4:30 p.m. "We have a lot of competitive games for the rest of the season," Conway added, noting his players have gained skills and made substantial improvements over the past month. "We're making progress overall," he said. "From here on out, we'll only be getting stronger — and we'll be 'clicking' when we get into Sectionals."

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Cougars win two key games

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