Northwestern boys soccer just took a massive step toward their first Berkshire League title since 2007, snatching a gritty 2-1 victory over rival Nonnewaug on Tuesday night. This wasn’t just any win, either. It was a statement. Senior Cal Young buried the game-winner with just 4:40 left on the clock, sending a clear message: this team is hungry, and they are coming for that banner.
Sealing the Deal: How Young Broke the Deadlock
Man, this game was a battle, just like you’d expect from two top squads. Nonnewaug actually jumped out in front early, less than eight minutes in, when Vincenzo Rose made a slick run down the left wing and centered the ball perfectly to Maxim Dmitriyev. Dmitriyev didn’t miss, knocking it past Northwestern keeper Lucas Horstman, who still had seven saves on the night. But you know what? There was zero panic from the Highlanders. Easton Combes said the reaction was simple: “keep our heads up, keep going hard, look to attack, stay tight.” And they did just that. Barely a minute later, Cohen D’Amore lofted a beautiful cross-field pass to Combes, who showed some serious footwork, deking out a defender before drilling a left-footed shot from ten yards out past Nonnewaug keeper Rolf Brindle, who was busy with 13 saves himself. Just like that, it was 1-1. The game was tight, competitive, and heading for overtime when Combes again delivered, sending a cross into the box from the left corner. The ball glanced off teammate Lincoln Ouellette to Young, who, in his own words, “hit it with my left foot as best I could and placed it bottom left. That’s about as good as I could get.” “As good as I could get” was good enough for the win!
A New Era for the Highlanders?
Seriously, 2007? That’s how long it’s been since Northwestern boys soccer hoisted a Berkshire League title. Young made it clear what’s on their minds, promising, “Well, we’re going to change that. We’re coming for it.” And with this win, they’ve absolutely put themselves in the driver’s seat. They’re now sitting pretty at 11-1, giving them a crucial one-game edge in the loss column over Nonnewaug (10-2) and Shepaug (9-2). This win wasn’t just about the standings, though. It was sweet revenge for a 1-0 loss to the Chiefs earlier this season. Head coach Andy Campbell, in his 24th season, summed it up perfectly: “It puts us in the driver’s seat to win the league, which we haven’t done since ’07. We’ve been second. We’ve been third. We’re always right there, but we just haven’t gotten it done since (2007).” This feels different, though. While Nonnewaug coach Toby Denman rightly pointed out that “They just finished one more than we did,” you can feel the momentum swinging.
Northwestern’s work isn’t finished yet. They’ve still got four games left, including tough road trips to Lakeview and Shepaug, both of whom they beat by just one goal the first time around. But Combes isn’t worried, saying, “This gives us even more momentum. We’re going to carry this on and keep winning.” Nonnewaug, on the other hand, has only one upper-division team left in their schedule, a game at Shepaug. Their coach, Toby Denman, admits they still have “league title aspirations, but it’s not in our control.” That’s the difference right now. Northwestern controls their destiny, and after Tuesday night, you gotta believe they are not letting go.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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