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10/20/2013 12:00 AMWhat began a rough season start has proven to be a strong stretch and another SCC Hammonasset Division title for Hand boys' soccer.
The Tigers began the week with a 1-1 draw as hosts to Shelton on Oct. 15 before clinching their second straight SCC Hammonasset Division title (4
th
overall) with a 1-0 decision at Guilford on Oct. 19 to climb to a 9-3-2 record (perfect 6-0 in the division).
"It's nice winning the division again; that is the first goal," said Head Coach Stan Latkowski. "The second is the SCC and third the state title, the same three goals every year. It was a good win for us. We hadn't won a tough game like that yet this year, in which we weren't totally on and just had to find a way to win, and the boys did that; a good character game win for us."
This is also the second consecutive year the Tigers have won the crown with a flawless 6-0 record against the rest of the division. Hand began the year 0-2 after a pair of rough road losses to Xavier and reigning conference title-holder Fairfield Prep before a 9-1-2 run that included a season sweep against main divisional competitor, Guilford, the only other squad besides the Tigers to win the division since the SCC split into divisions back in 2004.
Versus Guilford, the Tigers were outshot, 11-10, yet Cole McArdle notched the game-winner with 19:25 to play as he stole a ball from about 40 yards out, beat a defender, and shot it in at the lower left hand corner of the net.
"This game was tough, and Guilford defended with nine men all the time; very hard to break down," Latkowski said. "Guilford played hard and frustrated us at times, even though we had the better of the play in the first half. [Goalkeeper] Nick Nelson played with a lot of confidence in his best game of the year. We seized control in the second half in creating several chances. We were trying to push our outside backs into the attack the second half. We started to do that and finally got one."
Going against the Gaels earlier in the week, Hand was down 1-0 after missing two good opportunities and making a miscue in the backfield. Yet it tied the game with 23 minutes left when Gianluca Perrotti set up Brian Jackson for the finish and the equalizer, as the Tigers won the shot battle, 15-7.