The Catskill Chronicle

Senior recognition: Dean Olcott, Coach J.J. Gass, Kyle Holiman.

Story and photos by Ted Waddell

Family School’s Casey Wong drives to the goal.

ELDRED – Hat’s off to Evan Heselciel!

In Wednesday afternoon’s battle of the booters at the Brookwood Camps between the Falcons of the Family School Foundation school and the home team Eldred Yellow Jackets, the Family’s Heselciel picked up a hat trick by scoring three goals during the match, as the Falcons defeated Eldred 4-0.

In order to recognize players who normally don’t get a lot of minutes for their overall contributions to the team, James Williamson, coach of the Falcons, sent his bench out onto the field for the first 20 minutes of the opening frame.

The match remained scoreless until the second half, when the Family School scored four unanswered goals: Evan Heselciel off an assist from Ignacio Abascala (26:14), Blake Jouchiam on an assist by Heselciel (21:02), Hesselciel assisted by Jouchiam (4:24) and Heselciel all by his lonesome (2:27).

Two booters get a foot on the ball.

Between the Falcons second and third goals, they scored a couple of rapid-fire goals, but both were negated by offside’s calls.

With the victory over Eldred (0-12-1 overall, 0-5 division), the Family School (12-3 overall, 5-0 division) wrapped up the OCIAA Section 9 Class D Division 6 title, in a match that had the Falcon’s coaching staff remark on their opponents improved level of play over the previous two games (Family won 8-2 and 7-1).

The game was noted for it’s level of sportsmanship on both sides, and in particular Eldred’s sophomore goalie Travis Steimle who’s field generalship keep his team mates in the match, with battle cries of  “Keep your heads up!” and “Don’t give up!”

Eldred’s 10th grade goalie Travis Steimle.

J.J. Gass, coach of Eldred’s boy’s varsity soccer squad, summed up the game, “Today it was 4-0, but it was a lot closer that it looked on the scoreboard.”

The Yellow Jackets of 2009-10 are made up of two seniors, three juniors, 13 sophomores and one freshman.

After the game, Williamson said that in the first half he told his team to be patient, and if they were then victory would come their way.

And for the Family School, their coach’s advice proved that patience can be both a virtue and a win. “I told them to be patient and it would come, and it did,” said Williamson.

Family School’s Aaron Zack goes head to head with two Yellow Jackets.

Stats: Shots on goal (FFS 18, ECS 11); keeper saves (FFS 3, ECS 11); corner kicks (FFS 3, ECS 4).

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