⚽ Cougars Tie Once Again for Their First Point in the PVAC ⚽ Boys Varsity Soccer Game: September 17, 2024 Final score: Berman 1, Saint Anselm’s 1
Going out onto the field on a dark and cloudy day wasn’t easy for the cougars or Saint Anslems. It didn’t help that Anselm’s bus came ten minutes late, pushing the starting time of the game. Neither team came out with energy. “It felt like a sluggish game [where] whoever had the tiniest bit of energy controlled the game,” said Ariel Hasan ’25. Saint Anselm’s, having just a little bit more in the tank, controlled most of the first half, keeping it on their side and forcing goalie Gilad Skromne ’28 to make many nice saves to keep the game in reach. With about ten minutes left in the first half, Anselm’s had the ball inside and took a shot, but Eitan Janus ’25 and Daniel Winters ’25 jumped up to block the goal. The ball hit Janus in the bottom of the elbow and the ref called a handball, resulting in a penalty kick. Skromney dove the right way and did all he could but the ball was just out of reach. Coming out of the gate, however, Berman turned the energy up as Hasan got the ball on a fastbreak and shot it. Out of nowhere, a defender came sliding in and sent the ball up to the moon. Just as it looked like it was going out of bounds, the ball stayed in and went right into the goal, shocking both teams. The rest of the game was a fierce battle with both sides creating chances but neither being able to finish, so the game ended in a 1-1 stalemate.
Written by Eitan Janus ’25
