Blind Brook boys’ varsity soccer team wins league for first time since 2018
October 23, 2024 at 9:42 p.m.
Following the Blind Brook boys’ varsity soccer team’s huge win over Briarcliff on Wednesday, Oct. 9, they took a few days of rest before getting back to the grind. The boys were still undefeated, entering their second to last week of regular season play. The task to finish undefeated was no easy one, and it began with Valhalla on the cold Tuesday night of the 15th.
The Trojans were back to it, facing Valhalla for what was the last night game of the seniors’ soccer careers. The harsh conditions of the 7 p.m. kickoff did not help—the coldest game of the year with disrupting wind gusts. However, despite these conditions, it was captain Nico Palacios who got the night started with a penalty kick goal in the 21st minute. The Trojans went into the second half with a 1-0 lead, despite a plethora of great opportunities to capitalize. However, 45 seconds after the half it was junior So Achiwa who sent a long ball into the box and it somehow found its way past the Vikings keeper for a goal. Assisted by captain Dylan McRedmond, this Trojans goal doubled their lead. The rest of the second half was uneventful, and goalkeeper Luka Cuk stood up strong to shut out the Vikings in a 2-0 final.
Senior Noah Brookman is robbed of a goal by the Rye Neck goalkeeper in the Trojans’ last home game of the regular season on Thursday, Oct. 17.By Joseph DeCarlo
The boys couldn’t get too ahead of themselves, as it was the Rye Neck Panthers who were next, on Thursday, Oct. 17. The Blind Brook fans showed up for the last home game of the regular season, and it was Palacios again who got things started early with a header goal in the 23rd minute for a 1-0 Blind Brook lead. The intense matchup remained mostly the same, until the 59th minute when the Panthers scored on a rebound from a long ball. Twenty-one more minutes of play went by, and the game ended in a draw at one apiece.
A film day later and it was the Trojans back at it again, with the second to last game of the season. It was a Westlake rematch, this time at the home of the Wildcats. This was another quality matchup, but it was Noah Brookman, assisted by Palacios, who broke the game open four minutes into the match to give Blind Brook a 1-0 lead. The rest of the half seemed like a stalemate, with neither team scoring despite a few chances. However, it didn’t take long for the Trojans to double their lead after the half, and it was Palacios who again got it done to extend the lead to 2, assisted by junior Tyler Taerstein. The Trojans shut the Wildcats down the rest of the game and got the 2-0 shutout win.
The boys celebrated that night with dinner, and watched together as Rye Neck got the 4-2 win over Pleasantville, which secured the league victory for Blind Brook. Over five years have gone by since this has been done, and the Trojans needed just a draw or tie in their last game against Pleasantville to finish the season undefeated.
Senior Zach Taerstein competes for the ball against a Rye Neck defender in Blind Brook’s final home game of the regular season on Thursday, Oct. 17.By Joseph DeCarlo
The Trojans traveled to Pleasantville to close out the 2024 regular season on Monday, Oct. 21. While this game did not affect seeding or the playoff picture for the Trojans, they still wanted to finish the season undefeated with a win or a draw. However, after the Panthers scored two goals in the first 11 minutes, this goal began to look unlikely. However, junior Tyler Taerstein’s left-footed goal with five minutes to go in the first half gave the Trojans some hope. The second half began, and it did not go the Trojans’ way. The Panthers cashed in for two more and eliminated the Trojans’ hopes of finishing an undefeated season, beating them 4-1.
Despite this disappointing loss in the final game of the season, the Trojans still had one of their best seasons in recent history. They finished the regular season with a record of 10-1-5 and are going into the playoffs with confidence. The Trojans will skip the first round of the playoffs with a bye. Then on Tuesday, Oct. 29 they will play the winner of Yonkers vs. Alexander Hamilton High School in the second round, with the time and place unavailable as of press time.
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