CHESHIRE, Mass. – The Hoosac Valley boys soccer team Wednesday beat Commerce, 9-1, as the Hurricanes collected their 16th goal in just two games to start the season.
Finishing has not been a problem for coach Patrick Mahoney’s team.
But what makes him happy is all the things that he sees happening before the final touch.
“What I’ve been impressed by are the patterns of play they’ve been engaging with,” Mahoney said. “If you can get in behind quickly, sure, go for it. But when they can’t, they’ve done really well to create with some other type of pattern or something else – get it wide, swing it, cross it, that kind of thing.
“I’ve been impressed with their creativity in the attacking third. It’s actually been fun to watch when they’ve been doing their thing.”
The Hurricanes (2-0) did a lot of that against an admittedly overmanned Commerce squad that dressed just 10 players on Wednesday.
Dylan Rohlfs and Ian Godfrey, who each had a hat trick in the Hurricanes opener, scored four and three goals, respectively, on Wednesday.
Drew Norcross and Ian Godfrey accounted for the other two goals, and Wesley Emerson made four saves while allowing just a penalty kick goal in the Hoosac Valley net.
It took a while for the Hoosac Valley offense to get going, but Rohlfs converted after taking a pass from Godfrey in the 17th minute.
Rohlfs then scored on a breakaway three minutes later to make it 2-0, and Norcross chipped in a goal from the top of the box over a couple of defenders and Commerce keeper Daviel Roman (nine saves in 40 minutes) to make it a three-goal margin.
In the last two minutes of the half, Rohlfs completed his hat trick, and Godfrey converted a cross from the right wing from Cason Bernier to make it 5-0 at half-time.
It was 6-0 early in the second after Richardson scored from 20 yards out.
Commerce got on the board in the 49th minute, but Hoosac Valley ran off three more to end it.
Rohlfs, who scored 21 goals a year ago, and Godfrey, who scored 11, are familiar names to see on the scoresheet for the Hurricanes. In fact, Hoosac Valley, which was dominated by underclassmen a year ago in a 10-7-2 campaign, brings back experience all over the field this fall.
Not all that experience came in the high school program.
“Nine or 10 of them played club all the last year,” Mahoney said. “They’re really kind of enthralled with the game, and they’ve brought that into this season. I’ve been impressed and surprised just by how much so many of them have grown.
“And what did we start, six freshmen in the first 11 last year? They’re all back.”
So is keeper Wesley Emerson, now a senior and one of the elder statesmen on the squad. He was not tested too much on Wednesday, but the Hurricanes know he can be counted on when called upon.
“Wes is a monster,” Mahoney said. “I said the same thing about [Lucas] Waterman two years ago. But we’ve gotten very lucky.
“Sometimes, you shoot on Wes in training, and it gets a little bit frustrating because I’m supposed to be pretty good at this sport – or I used to be – and it can be a little tough to score on him.”
Hoosac Valley continues its season on Friday when it travels to play Westfield Tech. The rematch at Commerce is scheduled for Oct. 4.
“Give credit to Commerce,” Mahoney said. “When you think about playing down [a player] for that long … after an hour and 40 minute bus ride? I was also impressed with them. And through the 80th minute, they were all running.”
