On Tuesday May 19, John Jay traveled to Byram Hills, and Peter Hill admitted the team came out kind of lackadaisical. No score after six full minutes said as much, but not long after, the heavy lifting began.
“We started stepping it up,” said the defender, and four straight goals set the tone for a 12-3 victory.
Of course, Blake O’Callaghan came out at his normal temperature. A long pass across the field put Evan Gola right in the Jay goalie’s face. So O’Callaghan simply turned the other cheek for the save.
He even got the offense going on a loose ball behind the net. O’Callaghan eluded the Byram middies, got the ball to Nicholas Harris, and two more passes had James Tesi teeing up.
Unfortunately, the shot went wide, but the wake up call was received. On the right, Dash Stewart faked a shot, stepped around his defender and unleashed for a 1-0 lead at 5:20.
A few turnovers later on both sides, John Jay called for time at 3:34, and the respite paid off. Around the horn, Colin Kazanecki came free and fired away for a 2-0 lead.
In at 3:08, O’Callaghan’s calm denial of Alex Rothenberg and Shane Horowitz almost looked nocturnal. “He’s not asleep, he’s calm, cool and collected,” asserted Hill.
O’Callaghan was certainly heads up when Byram sent a long clear with the quarter dwindling down. The goalie snared the ball at his own 30 and put his middie hat on. “I’ve been waiting for a goal my whole career,” said the senior.
Reality did set in on the rush, though. “Once you get the ball, it’s a little more complicated,” O’Callaghan admitted.
Still, he handled the fast break like an old pro by playing give and go with Tesi. “That’s the way you do it,” said the holder of over 800 saves.
In prime position, O’Callaghan had his dream denied by Luke Greco, but the Wolf didn’t let the disappointment keep him from his regular duties. After Judd Spiewak took the draw, he headed straight for the goal, and ho-hum, O’Callaghan easily snared the overhead. “Whenever he makes a good save, it leads to something good,” assured Hill, and moments later, the boast was backed up.
John Jay set up, Tesi drew the defense to the center, and that left Jack Hartney open on the right. The middie took his time winding up, and Greco didn’t have a chance at 10:55.
O’Callaghan, on the other hand, tends to defy the odds. First Horowitz swung right into open space in front, and with the wave of his magic stick, the Jay goalie made the ball disappear into his net at the eight minute mark.
Byram retaining possession, O’Callaghan made sure it wasn’t for very long. Horowitz on the other side this time, the threat of denial had the Bobcat shooting into the side of the net.
Still, the good thing was more delayed this time when John Jay was unable to score. Nonetheless, Byram turned the ball over, and on the fast break, Jack Casey was in no rush after receiving the ball on the goal line. The defense was drawn, and he passed back to Tesi for a 4-0 lead at 5:56.
Horowitz did answer to get his team on the board at 4:35 but John Jay and their goalie did not panic. Nico Palermiti receiving from behind, his underhand projective was no problem for O’Callaghan at 4:04.
So the offense took the cue. Stewart on the right, he found a narrow passing corridor to Dino Rajamani on the left, and his sidearm regained the four goal lead to close the half.
Onto the third, Byram woke up in the rain. Horowitz and Rothenburg scored and cut the lead in half. 6-3, a won draw by Spiewak led to a slashing penalty, and the Bobcats reeled in the one man advantage.
Of course, O’Callaghan was not the man, and Horowitz could confirm. One v one on the left, the Wolf goalie reached up and had the point blank save at 6:50.
Max Arcamone gave it one more try anyway. From the 25, his shot was easily gobbled up by O’Callaghan, and the game was ready to shift back permanently.
On a turnover at midfield, Cody Jones began the break, Dash Stewart received on the right and he passed over to big Jack Casey on the left. An intimidating image, Casey proved he’s not just muscle. “If he needs to dodge he gets down to it” said Tesi, and a little side step opened the cage for the senior.
In at 6:15, the margin remained until the fourth quarter began, and the Wolves made no apology for a little serendipity. A short hop pass from Rajamani kicked straight up, and coming all the way down, Hartney got the scoop. He turned and deftly snuck in an underhand dribbler.
8-3 at 10:46, John Jay put in the next four goals, but the slow start had Tesi laying out what must happen in the playoffs. “We have to come out strong and finish strong,” concluded the attacker.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here