Bethel | McClelland Miscellanea

Category Archives: Bethel

September 16, 2014 · 8:26 pm

Bethel takes girls soccer opener 3-2 over Newtown

Bethel goalkeeper Sophia Corbo shut out Newtown in a very busy first half

Annie Bedore (2 goals) and Jess Keller (1 goal)

(Newtown CT) The Bethel girls soccer team opened their season with a 3-2 win over Newtown on Tuesday afternoon in South-West Conference action.

Newtown (0-1-2) fell behind 2-0 in the first half before tying the score midway through the second half. The Nighthawks looked to be heading for their third tie of the season before a dreaded “own” goal gave the visitors the lead late for good.

Sophomore Annie Bedore netted two goals for the Wildcats. Jess Keller (penalty kick) and Makenna Cerney cashed in for Newtown.

The key to the Bethel win was the amazing first-half goaltending of junior Sophia Corbo. The Nighthawks were held scoreless but believe me it wasn’t for lack of chances. Let the pictures tell the story:

Julie Shugrue in close

Makenna Cerney in close

Julia Schoeni shoots

Julia Schoeni collides with Sophia Corbo

GK Sophia Corbo robs Julia Schoeni

The Wildcats (1-0) had few chances in the first half but made the most of them. Annie Bedore was able to get in very close on both her scores. One of them came off a rebound of Alex DeLuca’s shot from the right.

Jess Keller fires a penalty kick in the second half

Newtown dominated most of the second half. Their chances weren’t as golden as in the first half but they tied the score. Senior Jess Keller drove a penalty kick to Sophia Corbo’s left for the first goal. On the second Nighthawks tally, Makenna Cerney dribbled in close and then finished off her own rebound.

Makenna’s goal made it 2-2 with plenty of the second half left. The Bethel defense began to limit Newtown’s opportunities. Most of the play was in the middle half of the field for quite a while.

A deflection off a Newtown defender gives Bethel the eventual game winner

Eventually Bethel earned a corner kick from the left. Alex DeLuca took the shot and got it into the middle in front of the net. The ball hit a Newtown defender and suddenly changed direction whizzing past Newtown GK Megan Doyle. That “own” goal ended up the game winner.

Nice setup at Treadwell Park for soccer and soccer viewing.

Both teams return to action on Thursday. Newtown visits New Fairfield while Bethel hosts Pomperaug.

I am able to add or subtract from this write-up. So if I missed something or need to add something let me know and I will do it.

(All of the pictures above and below will enlarge considerably if you click on them.)

Hannah Booth looks to shoot as the Newtown bench watches

Renata Navarro and Julia Shugrue

Lauren Bradshaw

Sofia Orrico

Alex DeLuca

Makenna Cerney gets into position to score the first Newtown goal

Annie Bedore (#2) gets a great look

Alex DeLuca (#7) shoots from the right. Annie Bedore (#2) will get a tasty rebound off the shot

chasing a loose ball

Marissa Thill

Strong first half gets Bethel past Brookfield 20-0 in Class M Thanksgiving Day game

Bethel coach Jason Gill helps raise the Thanksgiving Day trophy for the Wildcats

(Bethel CT) The Bethel Wildcats hit the visiting Brookfield Bobcats three different ways in the first half and that was enough for a 20-0 win on Thanksgiving morning at Bethel High School.

Bethel (9-2) has won nine straight after losing to Joel Barlow and Newtown and will host a Class M playoff game on Tuesday night.

Liam Clancy (22) surrounded by four Bethel Wildcats

Brookfield (9-2) could have moved past Bethel with a win. They will now be a road team in the Class M quarterfinals on Tuesday night.

The sun may have been shining at Bethel but the wind (20+ MPH) made it feel like weather in the teens. A good crowd ended up in attendance but there were very few early birds!

Bethel’s opening drive (77 yards) was so impressive because they went directly into that wind converting 3rd downs and 4th downs in the march. Nick Silva swept right and vaulted over Bobcat Ben Martone for the score at 4:30 of the first period.

Nick Silva heads for touchdown

Nick Silva vaults over Ben Martone into the end zone

The wind that Bethel had rushed against factored into Tom Lempereur’s extra-point attempt and his kick sailed wide. Bethel led 6-0.

Early in the second quarter Bethel did something they haven’t done all year, they blocked a punt. And not only did they block it, but they carried the carom in for a score.

The hero on this one was Andre Hayles. Brookfield got into a 4th down situation at their 20. When Bobcat punter Dane Borges bobbled the snap it gave Andre time to get in clean from the left side nearly catching the ball off Dane’s foot. Andre picked up the ball on the Brookfield 10 and sped into the end zone. This action was with nine minutes left in the second quarter. Tom Lempereur connected on this extra point giving Bethel at 13-0 advantage.

Andre Hayles gets the block

Bethel got the ball back with 45 seconds left until halftime after Austin Allaby nearly blocked a second Brookfield punt. Joe Pietnik scrambled to the Brookfield 40 before his brother (Jared) connected with Sloan Austermann to the Brookfield 20.

There was time for two plays as it turned out. The Wildcats used the same play twice…………throw the ball into the end zone and see what happens.

First time the ball sailed over Cal Daniels and nearly was caught by his brother Will.

The second time QB Jared Pietnik gave his pass a little more loft. This led to a jump ball situation between the Wildcats Will Daniels and the Bobcats Ben Martone. Will outjumped Ben for the ball and Bethel had its third touchdown with only 1.6 seconds left in the half.

Just miss on first pass into the end zone

Will Daniels (6) catches TD pass in front of Ben Martone (20)

Another extra point gave Bethel a 20-0 halftime advantage.

That last-second score didn’t take the wind out of Ralph DeSantis Stadium but it probably took the wind out of Brookfield’s sails.

Bobby Drysdale (9) follows Louie Rodrigues (77)

Despite the deficit Brookfield led off with an impressive drive early in the second half and ended up deep in the Red Zone. Several drops on Brad Westmark passes, however, kept the Bobcats out of the end zone.

Meanwhile, the second half Wildcats were perfectly content to take few chances. They kept the clock running with rush after rush. QB Joe Pietnik was the most frequent ball carrier.

Bethel’s Austin Allaby was injured early in the second half. He left on a stretcher but to the relief of everyone he waved to the crowd on the way out.

The weather was extremely challenging. If I wanted the sun to my back (good photography idea) I had to have the strong wind in my face. Some truly Good Samaritan gave me a hand warmer in the fourth quarter.