Foxcroft boys defeat MCI at home

As the season whines down every game becomes crucial for a playoff spot. In an October 5 matchup of Class B North teams, the sixth-ranked MCI Huskies of Pittsfield came to play the upset minded No. 9 Ponies. Foxcroft came out on full force and met the challenge, coming out with a 6-1 win.

Foxcroft had plenty of opportunities early on but could not capitalize until the 25-minute mark when the MCI defense could not clear the ball and it ended up on the foot of sophomore Michael Wang. Wang, 18 yards out, one timed the ball to the right side of the net just out of the reach of the MCI keeper for a 1-0 lead.

The Huskies were able to gain control of the game and had their own opportunities but could not capitalize. With four minutes to go in the first half, Foxcroft had a corner from the right side of the field. As the ball sailed into the keeper area many MCI players had an opportunity to clear it out, but again the ball found a Pony player.

As the ball rolled out of the penalty box sophomore Jacob Reed took a shot 20 yards out and the ball went to the right side of the goal upper 90. This gave Foxcroft a 2-0 lead at halftime.

“This was a key goal, we dominated most of the half but could find the back of the net,” head coach Luis Ayala said. “Jacob’s goal gave us more confidence.”

Things continued to go Foxcroft’s way as the team controlled possession for most of the second half. Ten minutes in senior Rico Ayala received a pass from senior Sam Harmon-Weeks and Ayala fed a through ball splitting two MCI defenders and finding a streaking senior Shadane Hamilton down the middle of the field. Hamilton beat the keeper to his right side and gave the Ponies a 3-0 lead.

Hamilton did not finish there as he scored his second goal four minutes later.This time he received a through ball from sophomore Danny Cornett. Hamilton out ran the MCI defense and this time he beat the MCI keeper to his left for a 4-0 lead. Thirty seconds later junior Jahime Carghill got into the scoring for the Ponies when he received a ball from Cornett and dribbled into the left of the MCI keeper’s box and beat the goalie for a 5-0 lead.

The Huskies could not find an answer to Foxcroft’s attack until MCI’s Juan Ortiz found a loose ball in front of the Pony goal and was able to put it in and make it 5-1.

Foxcroft put an exclamation point to this victory when Ayala found himself surrounded by MCI defenders and quickly distribute the ball to his left where he found Harmon-Weeks. Harmon-Weeks, 20 yards out, push the ball to his right and found the goalie out of the goal. He chipped the ball up just outside the keeper’s fingertips and the ball dropped for the 6-1 victory.