Fall 2019 Boys Soccer

The season started on a positive note with a solid 4-0 non-conference win over Rye Country Day. From there the schedule got very challenging for the Hornets as they had seven away games in their next nine games. It started well with a gutty and hard-fought 3-2 win at the always-tough Riverdale campus. The next six games proved to be a major wake-up call as the team went 1-4-1 with league losses Dalton, Poly, Fieldston and Trinity and a nail-biting win over Horace Mann and a disappointing tie to Collegiate. The Hornets only scored three goals in that six game stretch and only one goal in the four losses.

A last season schedule addition saw Hackley earn a 7-1 win  vs. non-conference foe Trevor Day School. In some ways it was a turning point of sorts as the team played highly competitive and close games the rest of the season against the league’s best, while taking care of business against the bottom of the table.

The Hornet were on the short end of a 3-2 loss to Riverdale and played Dalton tight in another one-goal loss (1-0). Down the home stretch, the boys won three of their last five games with wins over Collegiate (4-0), Trinity (2-1) and Horace Mann (3-0). A 1-0 loss to eventual Ivy and NYSAIS Champions Fieldston at home was representative of how far the team had come. It was an even game and Hackley arguably had the better of the play, but a late first half goal was the difference.

With a 7-8-1 regular season record, the likelihood of an NYSAIS bid seemed remote. Fortunately, the seeding angels granted the Hornets a #8 seed despite the record and a play-i game vs. #9 seed Staten Island Academy. In a testament to the strength of the Ivy League teams, Hackley ran past SIA 11-0 and moved on to play #1 seed Fieldston. More than capable of beating the high-flying Eagles, the Hornets knew they had to play their absolute best to do so. Unfortunately, it was not to be as a few early lapses and the quality of the Fieldston side led to a lopsided result.

With the season behind them, the team thanked and reflected on the career contributions of the seniors–co-captain Tommy Larson, co-captain Patrick Schulman, Obi Nwokorie, Luke Malcolm and Hudson Kelley.

The team also started the process of motivation for 2020. With a talented group of players coming back, the team should be in the mix all season in 2020. Juniors returning include Luca McAdams, Samson Bennett, JB Rosenthal, Charlie Rosenblum, Nick Khoo, Tilden Burns, James Hirschberg and Sean Henry. Several fresh faces in 2019 will also be back with one year of Ivy League play under their belt. They include sophomore workhorse Thomas DeGirolami and Callum Steward-Wood as well as freshman goal-scorer Dan Paridis (18 on the season), JT Goswami, Fritz Lauerwald, Steven Li and Michael Abbey.