Springfield suffers first summer soccer loss

There are several pluses to playing in a summer soccer league. It gives high school players an opportunity to hone their skills before the fall season begins.

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2017-07-08 / Sports Local roundup: Springfield suffers first summer soccer loss By TIM TAYLOR sports@eagletimes.com Springfield's Jared Pugh works the ball through the Touchline defense en route to a goal during Friday evening's game. — TIM TAYLOR Springfield's Jared Pugh works the ball through the Touchline defense en route to a goal during Friday evening's game. — TIM TAYLOR SPRINGFIELD — There are several pluses to playing in a summer soccer league. It gives high school players an opportunity to hone their skills before the fall season begins. For those moving up to the HS ranks from the junior high or middle school level, they get a chance to experience the changes in the game at the next level — speed, agility, talent level, etc. And wins and losses really don't mean anything. That was good for the Springfield Soccer Club as they tasted defeat for the first time in New Hampshire Soccer Conference action Friday evening. Despite holding its own for the first half, Springfield's inexperience finally showed up as Touchline Boys Soccer Club exploded for eight second-half goals in a 10-1 victory. Touchline, which came into Men's Division 4 play with an 0-1-2 record (it's lone loss to unbeaten Lebanon Central Supply IV) found a hot shoe in Nick Moses, a Vermont Capital Division honorable mention for Thetford Academy. He would break the ice just under seven minutes into the game. He would go on to score four of his team's next five goals to put the game away. Moses scored his second goal less than two minutes into the second half, got his third at 51:16 and his fourth one minute later. He finished off his spree at the 54-minute mark to give the more experienced Touchline squad a 6-1 cushion. Just before his final tally, incoming Cosmos freshman Jared Pugh thwarted a shutout effort as he worked the ball through the opposing defense, then fired a shot off the hand of diving Touchline keeper Anthony Stoffel (Thetford Acaedmy) into the left corner. The goal, at 53:14, was the only ball to get past Stoffel, also a Vermont Capital Division honorable mention, who had five saves on the night. Touchline, which draws players from Norwich, Hanover, Thetford and other surrounding communities, would turn to Hanover's Nico Mayo-Pushee. He would end up with a hat trick, netting his first goal at the 56-minute mark, then converting a penalty kick about three minutes later. He would add the game's final score at the 76-minute mark. Hanover's Liam Collins accounted for Touchline's other two goals. He made it 2-0 at 21:45 of the first half and 9-1 with 10 ½ minutes remaining in the game. Springfield (2-1-3) will host Windsor Soccer Club (0-4-1) Sunday at 4:30 p.m.