Groton vs. Nobles

With such a young team this year, the “heuristic loss” becomes something of a familiar tagline in post-match debriefs.  Nobles is one of the stronger teams in the league, and they opened the scoring with a move that seemed to be a fait accompli, such was the state of their play.  But in the seventh minute, a mazy run and exquisite pass from Sixth Former Leo Serodio allowed Third Former Ettore Monson to equalize.  What followed was a laudable back-and-forth contest, with Groton withstanding waves of attacks (and here much praise goes to Sixth Form standout goalkeeper Ben Milner) while pushing for both possession and entry into the final third.  Nobles retook the lead in the 18^th, but Groton refused to capitulate to a talented midfield and attack, and it was Nobles that was on the back foot in several important moments in the first half (even earning a yellow card for hauling down Serodio to prevent a breakaway), as they were forced to defend a Groton line that harried and pressed in searching for another goal.  Much of the second half followed a similar script: Groton playing well on the counter and relying on Fifth Former Edward Wilkey’s speed in defense and Milner’s double digit stops.  A goal against the run of play in the 87^th minute sealed the victory for Nobles, but it was a mature and composed performance for Groton, and there were many positives to take as the team continues to learn and grow over the course of the season.  Next up: a night game at BB&N on 10/20.