North Warren boys take third in Adk. League

CHESTERTOWN | In a breakout performance, the North Warren Boys Soccer team defeated Fort Ann Oct. 17 to take third place in the Adirondack League playoffs by defeating the Cardinals 5-0. The team's high-powered offense and steely defense worked together in this matchup, coach Jim Conway said. "Our boys played really great — some of the best soccer I've seen from our team," he said. "They were really in the groove." Senior Nick Heckman scored three goals, likely his first varsity "hat trick." His first goal, unassisted, occurred about 10 minutes into the game. His second was scored off an assist by junior Hayden Palmatier about 10 minutes later when he kicked the ball with his left foot and it flew into the back right corner just out of reach of the Fort Ann goalie. In the second half, Heckman kicked a cross-pass in front of the goal, and senior striker Coleman Swartz kicked it into the net. Midway through the second half, Heckman scored his third goal off a through pass from sophomore Sawyer Gadjo. Later, Connor Hill chipped a pass over the head of Fort Ann defenders to Swartz, who kicked the ball over the goaltender's head, and it rolled into the goal. Swartz is the top individual scorer in the league with 22 goals, and Heckman is second in the league with 18 goals, Conway said. Conway also praised his back-line defenders for the shutout, and the team's goaltender, senior Will Lindsley. "Our defense was brilliant, and Will made some really great saves," he said. The Cougars' defense includes senior Connor Clench-Matteo, juniors Patrick Viele and Logan Coyle, eighth grader Hudson Gadjo, and freshman Gregory Hayes. Lake George 1, North Warren 0 In a defensive battle, Lake George defeated North Warren Oct. 15 in an Adirondack League Championship semifinal. At about 14 minutes into the game, Lakers sophomore forward Eli Brown sank the sole goal of the game off a pass by senior midfielder Thomas Kohls that he kicked through North Warren defenders. For the remainder of the game, both teams found it difficult to score. Lakers coach Quincy Devlin praised the Cougars' defense. "North Warren is strong defensively — We had good possession over the game, but we had a hard time getting clear chances to score," he said. "Their goalie, Will Lindsley, was good coming out of the net and collecting shots." League high-scorer Coleman Swartz was a recurring threat, but the Lakers' midfield and defense managed to contain attempts. Devlin credited defenders Simon Ludlow, a sophomore, and senior Colton Shepard for curtailing Swartz's scoring opportunities. "They did a good job of keeping him quiet," he said, adding that late in the game, Lakers goalie Will Farrell made some key saves to preserve the shutout. Devin also praised three of his midfielders, senior Peter Barrett, junior Owen Rajeski, and Kohls for their work keeping the ball moving forward. Farrell recorded six saves while North Warren took six shots on goal, and Lindsley tallied 13 saves as Lake George took 14 shots at the net. Cougars Coach Conway complimented the Lakers. "They have a really, really strong defense, he said. "We made one mistake, and they capitalized on it…But we held our own, taking third place in the league." Conway said his athletes were looking forward to Sectional competition and are ready for the challenges ahead. They are really playing at an impressive level," he said.

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North Warren boys take third in Adk. League

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