There hasn’t been a lot of luster attached to the Foran High boys soccer team this year. Much of the publicity in Milford has gone to the side on the West side of the city, where after a 13-year drought the Jonathan Law boys team qualified for the upcoming Class M state tournament.
But the Lions did a little bit of roaring on Oct. 27, getting a late-game goal from a freshman Glaymer Cardona to earn a 1-1 standoff against the Lawmen heading into Foran’s regular-season final at home on Senior Night against Coginchaug on Oct. 28.
Foran’s goal, which came with 6:03 left, developed when Cedrick Lingane’s long, high, arching kick was put on goal by teammate Joe Kubic.
His shot was turned aside by Law freshman goalkeeper Jack Pincus-Coyle, but an ever-alert Cardona soft-touched it in.
Law (6-7-3) had taken a 1-0 lead in the game’s 24th minute and looked to be heading to a 2-0 advantage when Herbie Pritchard’s goal was called back.
Pritchard had taken a well-placed cross from Ian Hugo after Antonio Gjuraj had set up the play. He received the pass literally at the goal-mouth and easily finished. The officials, however, called it off, saying that Pritchard was offsides.
Kevin Linn, a tall and talented forward for Law, had scored at 23:28 of the first half when his shot from in close went off Foran goal keeper Prashant Patel’s hands and into the goal. Senior Craig Calderone assisted on the score.
“I’m a little disappointed because, as I saw it, we were onsides on the second goal,” said Law coach Donato Piselli. “So we go from what would’ve been a 2-0 lead, back to 1-0, and, it changes everything. We lost whatever momentum we had at the time. And we changed our system.”
Foran clearly dominated play throughout the second 40 minutes, as it saw its record go to 3-11-1. Each team took five shots apiece in the opening half while the Lions held an almost two-to-one margin after that, out-shooting the Eagles 9-5.
Leandro Jorge missed two chances for Foran while another by Cardona hit the crossbar with 7:56 left to play.
“Many times these games between us and Law tend to be sporadic in nature,” said Foran coach Rick DiStefano. “They get a little messy at times. But, I thought this was a good football match from the word go.
“I thought we moved the ball well, especially in the second half and put it in dangerous positions.”
DiStefano felt his teams’ record was deceiving based on the caliber of their opponents. He praised the play of three of his defenders, Joe Kubic, James Berkovich and Claudio Dos Santos. All three are seniors and played their final games against Coginchaug, along with Patel, Joe Buzelle and Tyler Phillips.
Meanwhile, the Lawmen will move on to the state tournament next week.
Patel made four saves for Foran. Law split up its goal-tending chores between junior Jaret Petrie (two saves) and Pincus-Coyle (four saves).
Roundup
Jonathan Law qualified for the state tournament for the first time since the 2001 season, when the Lawmen defeated East Haven by a score of 6-1 in an SCC match on Oct. 16.
Herbie Pritchard and Kevin Linn scored two goals each. Antonio Guraj and Colby Brennan scored the other goals, and Jack Pincus-Coyle had three saves.
Jon Costa had two assists. Kris Guraj, Antonio Guraj, Pritchard and Brennan had one assist each.
For Foran, Leandro Jorge scored three goals when the Lions defeated East Haven, 5-1, on Oct. 16. Jorge scored in the 37th, 48th and 67th minutes of the SCC contest. Cedrick Lingane scored in the 54th minute and Jim Cronin with three minutes remaining.
Jim Berkovich, Lingane and Jorge had the assists.
Foran lost to Sheehan High from Wallingford, 1-0, on Oct. 20. Prashant Patel had 12 saves.