A blistering start for the Eastchester boys soccer team continued on Sept. 27, when the Eagles notched their seventh straight win with a decisive—if uneven—victory over visiting Edgemont. While the Panthers were able to stymie Eastchester’s potent offense for much of the game, the Eagles proved too much in the end, picking up a 3-0 win over their visitors.
Eastchester dominated time of possession from the outset on Wednesday but had little to show for it until the final 17 minutes of regulation, when Simon Starr notched the game’s first goal on a play off a free kick. That spark was all Eastchester would need as, as Jack Bochenski and Manato Ogawa followed suit in the next seven minutes to put the game out of reach for good.
Eastchester head coach Darwin Gramajo praised the Panthers for their game plan, noting that their commitment to team defense, coupled with the Eagles’ inability to convert on good chances, kept this one close for the majority of the game.
“There was a lack of execution on our part, but Edgemont was solid,” said the head coach. They were playing with a bit of energy and playing very defensively, so that’s why we starting making early subs.”
Once Eastchester started rolling however, Gramajo began to see the team that has averaged more than four goals per game while surrendering less than one.
“All of our goals came in a span of about seven minutes,” he said. “And I think that showed more what we’ve been capable of all year.”
The Eagles followed Wednesday’s victory with two more on Saturday and Monday, bringing their record to a dazzling 9-0 on the year. Gramajo said that while other teams may have captured the attention of preseason pundits, the Eagles knew exactly how good they were prior to the start of the fall campaign.
“This is what we expected,” he said. “I saw this team through the summer league, working hard all offseason and I knew we had this ability.”
The Eagles have a few tough games this week, as they prepare to take on both Harrison (7-3) and Rye (7-2). The Eagles already authored a hard-fought 2-1 win over the Garnets on Sept. 23, but Rye will come into the Oct. 5 rematch between the two teams riding a three game winning streak. Harrison’s last two wins came against solid Class AAA schools.
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