Groton vs. Thayer

After a couple of educational losses in the past week, Groton’s players took the pitch with the simple mandate of starting with energy and communication.  Fifth Form captain Will Klick clearly wanted to emphasize that this wasn’t empty rhetoric, going on a mazy run in the third minute that culminated in a sharp finish into the bottom corner from a difficult angle.  Fired up, the Zebras continued pressing Thayer’s midfield aggressively, stringing together more fluid play in the final third and pushing for a second goal.  An eight-minute stretch saw Groton’s work pay off: another two goals from Sixth Former Leo Serodio (with assists from Third Formers Ettore Monson and Alex Holden) and a debut goal from distance from Fourth Former William Cai broke open the game.  A fifth goal in the first half arrived from Third Former William García (with an assist from Serodio).  The second half sputtered a bit in energy and drive, as the Zebras looked to carve out more possession and Thayer reemerged as a much more focused unit, pressuring Groton’s back line and playing more openly than the first half.  Thayer’s determination resulted in a well-worked goal in the 80^th minute.  While the second half marked a downturn in energy and ambition on the pitch, the overall result was a clear positive for the Zebras, who will now look ahead to a quick turnaround before their next match.  Next up: Middlesex at home on 10/13.