Little settled: Rochester, Stoney Creek battle to draw
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
ROCHESTER HILLS — Recording a tie in sports against a rival is not often a welcomed commodity. In fact, it has often been considered much like kissing your sister or even as worse as a defeat, as there are no bragging rights earned at the conclusion of the contest.
Yet after Rochester and Rochester Stoney Creek battled to a draw Thursday on the soccer pitch at Rochester, it was almost a sigh of relief from both coaching staffs.
Both teams have been bit hard by the injury bug in the season’s first month, plus Stoney Creek has faced some player discipline in recent games.
Still the two teams found the heart and drive to battle to a 1-1 tie in an OAA Red Division boys soccer match.
“We still have three guys out, so we’ll take this tie,” said Stoney Creek coach Adam Bican. “Both teams, I thought, played with a lot of heart and desire, a way a rivalry game should be played. I know both teams are really banged up right now, so we’ll take the point (in the standings).”
Junior Matt Hawes, a converted goalkeeper who replaced four-year starter Chris Stewart in goal, made eight saves for Rochester (1-1-3, 1-1-2), stopping a breakaway in each half.
With four minutes left, Hawes came off his line to stymie Frederico Kuluckyj on a breakaway, which saved the tie for the Falcons.
“Matt has come on strong. He’s really improved and he’s made some great saves for us this season,” said Rochester coach Chris Purgatori, a former all-state goalkeeper at Rochester. “We’re already missing a couple of key kids this season, both of our freshmen are out for the year, so we’re a little thin (on depth). He’s kept the other teams from scoring late in a couple of games.”
Stoney Creek (3-4-3, 0-2-1) scored first 10 minutes into the contest, when Scott Alampi’s cross into the penalty box skipped off a Rochester defender and into the goal.
The lead stood until the 65th minute. That’s when Michael Boyer finished off a cross from Neal Harris, beating Stoney Creek goalkeeper Griffin Wright to the short side. Wright finished with four saves for the Cougars.
“I think we’re still playing all right. We just don’t have the depth,” said Purgatori. “But we’ve only lost one game and that was 3-2. We’ve been in every game this season.
“Stoney Creek is a good team, everyone in our league is tough,” added Purgatori. “Most games in the league are going to be close.”
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Category: High School, High School (M-Z), Prep Wraps, Rochester, Rochester Stoney Creek
