Minutemen shut down Cosmos, 2-0

Boys soccer game at North Clarendon.
http://rutlandherald.com/article/20130904/SPORTS02/709049866

Rutland Herald Mill River’s Pat Mumford (10) begins celebrating after scoring a first-half goal during Tuesday’s game against Springfield in North Clarendon. Mumford hit a shot which eluded Cosmos goalie Jon Hildreth (on ground) and defenseman Tanner Aberle (5). Photo: Albert J. Marro / Staff PhotoPublished September 4, 2013 in the Rutland Herald Minutemen shut down Cosmos, 2-0 By TOM HALEY STAFF WRITER NORTH CLARENDON — The Mill River boys soccer team unveiled new uniforms that arrived just by game time on Tuesday. They were a good look for the Minutemen, but not nearly as impressive as the players inside of the uniforms as Mill River flashed plenty of skill and speed and parlayed that with grit and teamwork in a 2-0 season-opening win over Springfield. “We’re more like a team this year. We all play defense together,” said senior captain Nick Miele, who was a cornerstone of that defense. The Minutemen scored the first one 9:14 before halftime when Pat Mumford knocked in a shot from point-blank range. Cosmo keeper Jon Hildreth gave it a great effort but the shot eluded his dive. “We knew we had to play hard and we wanted to jump out early,” Miele said. “We knew it was going to be emotional.” Much of the emotion came from the fact that captains Miele and Dustin Stone carried the jersey of the late Sam Pelkey onto the field during pregame introductions. Pelkey was a Mill River soccer player. “A lot of these guys were here when that happened two years ago,” Miele said. The second goal was far more artistic and it came with 18:56 remaining in the game. Midfield player Ian Dansereau did some nice work to avoid defenders before getting the ball to Patrick Fiske who blasted it into the far corner, giving Hildreth no chance. “That was a beautiful shot,” Springfield coach Paul Kendall said. But Mill River coach Ian Akin was just as enamored of the assist. “Great pass, buddy,” Akin shouted to Dansereau after the play. The Minutemen pressed the attack from the beginning. The ball never crossed the Cosmos’ offensive half of the field the first three minutes and that set the tone for the day as the Minutemen outshot Springfield 16-4. Mumford was a catalyst for the offense in the early going. He had a nice run at the goal and on another occasion deftly passed the ball to freshman Eli Akin who was able to unload a shot on goal. Arthur Conover created another chance for the Minutemen and another time, Cole Bankert made a run before sliding a pass to Fiske, only to have the play deterred by a nice sliding save by Hildreth. Bankert was a tough matchup for the Cosmos with his runs down the flanks or toward the goal. The Minutemen might have cushioned the lead in the opening half were it not for a couple of nice plays by Springfield defender Tanner Aberle. Kendall credited Aberle with an outstanding game. The Cosmos had few chances as Minutemen goalkeeper Quinn Kimball had a quiet day. When the Cosmos did have the beginnings of an offensive thrust, they were denied by some stellar defense by Miele, Dustin Stone or Ben Upton. Upton was a high-energy midfielder whose presence was felt on defense and in the transition to offense. Dean Bactad was the biggest offensive force for Springfield with several shots. His best chance came on a breakaway but Miele broke it up with an outstanding play as he turned the ball outside. The Cosmos did not quit and Colin Churchill and Peter Kendall got off shots late in the game. Coach Akin liked the way his team responded after scoring as they attacked with gusto over the ensuing minutes. “We have been working on that,” Akin said. “In years past, we would get caught off guard by the other team after we scored.” “They wanted it more than we did, unfortunately,” coach Kendall said. “They took us out of our game. We played some kick-and-boot. “Their second goal was a beautiful shot and it was catch-up from there. “We have got some work ahead of us.”