CLAREMONT- The No. 4 ranked Division-II John Stark Generals entered Friday’s game as the heavy favorites. Apparently nobody told the pesky Cardinals, as it took nearly 80 minutes of hard clean soccer to decide the outcome.
“What an improved team we played tonight,” John Stark’s coach Eddie Marceau said about Stevens, “… and that goalkeeper, just wow.”
That goalkeeper was Stevens’ Cooper Moote, who put on a show with acrobatic saves all night. With the Cardinals playing inspired soccer, the match was even for the first half. Austin Jones, Reeve Wilkinson, Tyler Bonneau, Brady Moote and at times midfielders George Prach, Gabe Miller, Brennan Huntoon and Josh Thurber all took turns playing hard defensive soccer that brought at times eight red shirts into the box to support Cooper Moote.
“What an incredible effort we had tonight,” said a beaming Stevens coach Jason Stone after the game. “Words cannot describe how impressed I am at this moment with what I just saw from my team tonight.”
Words that can describe the Cardinals effort were, hard, aggressive, determined and unrelenting as the young Cardinals took a 0-0 score into the break.
Ian Fitzpatrick and Dylan Chambers were aggressive in the attacking positions for the second half but Stevens was content to keep the quickness of John Stark in check by playing simple soccer and clearing the zone.
The Cardinals almost took the lead as Fitzpatrick fed Caleb Royce, but the Generals keeper smothered the shot. As John Stark began to push players forward, it was Moote’s one-handed, leaping save that kept the score clean.
“It was a dogfight out there and my team was so good and did everything they could to win tonight,” said Moote after the game.
That dogfight continued deep into the half as the play opened up and produced open looks for the visitors, but once again it was Moote who made a diving save to keep the score 0-0.
“We battled every loose ball tonight and just didn’t give them any space all night,” said Stone after the game.
The save of the year belonged to Moote as a sure-goal was grabbed in midair with his body extended as the ball stuck to his gloves and he held the rock as he hit the ground. “What a save,” said Marceau after the game.
With under 2 minutes in regulation, a perfect cross from deep in the corner found the head of Generals’ Tony Leary who was marked but the redirect slipped between Moote and the near post to give John Stark the lead with only a few ticks left in the game for the winner.
“That was our best game of the year… period,” said Stone after the field had emptied.
Legendary soccer icon Ray Bernard made his way across the field to tell the young Cardinals how impressed he was with the game.
John Stark improved to 9-3 with the win while Stevens stands at 3-7. The Cardinals are off until Wednesday when they will head to Fall Mountain and battle for the prestigious Bernard Cup.
As your daily newspaper, we are committed to providing you with important local news coverage for Sullivan County and the surrounding areas.