Glens Falls head coach Michael Shaver has been trying to decode his boys soccer team all season.
The Indians started off with one of the best records in the Foothills Council, winning their first five games before falling to eventual league co-champion Broadalbin-Perth.
Toward the end of the regular season, the losses became more frequent. Heading into the Section II Boys Soccer Tournament, Glens Falls was seeded third in the north division of Class A, behind South Glens Falls and Scotia.
"It's been a season of peaks and valleys," Shaver said. "I've kind of sold the postseason as a different season."
The Indians travel to Colonie High School on Saturday to take on Mohonasen, which finished 5-10-1 in the Suburban Council, at 4 p.m. in the Class A final. Despite Mohonasen's mellow league record, the team returns as the 2008 sectional champ. Mohonasen upset top-seeded Ichabod Crane in the semifinals.
Shaver hopes his squad plays its aggressive style and doesn't take Mohonasen lightly.
"They seem to get motivated for opponents, but not matchups," he said, referring to the Indians' dominant display against league-rival South High. Mohonasen is an unknown, but mainly because Shaver wants to keep it that way.
"I'm an extra superstitious person when it comes to games," he said, "so I don't do anything to prepare for the next one."
He has some information on Mohonasen's top scorers, A.J. Igoe and Joe Korzun. The Indians' points leader, Micheal Rankin-Byrne, has 12 goals and three assists.
Glens Falls scrimmaged and beat Mohonasen, 1-0, in a 40-minute game earlier this season, but Shaver said that was not a good indication of the team Mohonasen could be.
"I know they're young. I know that they beat Averill Park during the season, and they outscored them 9-1," he said. "They beat Scotia in penalty kicks. Clearly it's going to be a very competitive game."
He expects Rankin-Byrne, Sam Caruso, Matt Distler, Pete Sliva and goaltender Ben Spilman to lead the Indians with an attacking style from the start.
"If we're going to win this game, we need to get an early goal," he said. The Class A title would be Glens Falls' first since 1976. "More than anything, this has been a fun year, and that's what matters most. If the success comes with it, that would be great."
Posted in Boys on Saturday, November 7, 2009 12:25 am
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