Soccer Teams Split

The Berlin boys soccer team battled highly regarded Plainville but came up on the short end of a 2-1 tally at Scalise Field Tuesday night.

The Redcoats had several chances early including a breakaway 1-on-1 with the goalie by Armand Cano but could only manage a single goal and was tied 1-1 at halftime.

Kyle Lavoie scored the Berlin goal with an assist from Alex Bednarek.

Bednarek was stellar in his marking of All-State, All-Region and All-American Plainville star Daquan King, who is bound for Villanova on a full scholarship.

"He never got a good look or a good shot all night," Berlin coach Dave Francalangia said of Bednarek. "I mean that kid is amazing and Alex didn't give him anything. That shows you what a good player Alex is because he usually is in the midfield and up front for us. Tonight I asked him to do something he's not used to doing but he just took to it and was really great."

It was a physical game from the get-go but there were several questionable calls and they all seemed to go in Plainville’s way. With nine minutes left a foul was called on a Berlin player 20 yards from the Redcoats’ goal. Berlin formed a wall but King struck and absolute laser over the wall and into the back of the net without the goalie moving.

A Berlin player was clearly taken down in the box with five minutes to go which would have resulted in a penalty kick but there was no call by the refs.

Despite the lack of the call, Francalangia refused to blame the officials.

"We had our chances," he said. "If we could have put one or two more away in the first half it would have been a different game. I thought we had so many more quality opportunities. They just shot from 20 or 30 yards out. I'll take that all day. I'll go in and play goal if that's what they are going to do. There was no danger at all.

"Hey, they are a good team. They are well coached and they play hard and physical. I am very pleased with the way the boys played. We wanted to attack the flanks and we did that well. D.J. Caron was great in the midfield. He was dishing balls to Connor Hilbie and helped us create a lot of opportunities. It was a great atmosphere tonight and we have to learn from it."

Francalangia is happy with his team at the halfway point of the season. The Redcoats play most of the second half of the season at home and at 4-3-1 are in good shape to make the state tournament.

"We are inexperienced, we started four sophomores and a freshman today," he said. "We have parents from kids who graduated coming back to the games and saying how impressed they are in how hard and well the young kids are playing. These guys have grown up playing on this field so any time we can play at home we think we have an advantage."

The boys host a tough Conard team Thursday at Scalise Field in an afternoon game.

GIRLS SOCCER

Berlin 4, Plainville 2 (OT): The Redcoats improved to 6-1-1 with the win over rival Plainville in the first game of the doubleheader.

Shannon Murphy had two goals; Olivia Hale and Autumn Edelson had one each for the winners.

Berlin travels to Northwest Catholic in West Hartford Friday.