We're in Orbit!

While we weren’t sure—given the weather—that we would even get the game in today, it turned out that this was a wonderful day to play. A highly touted Belmont Hill team was coming off an impressive Saturday win, and Groton knew this would be no easy match. Despite looking a little unsettled, Groton nevertheless got on the front foot early, pressing Belmont Hill consistently through the opening minutes of play. In the 13^th minute, PK Kenyon slipped a ball to Max Strong, who fired one under the keeper’s arm to open the scoring. Just three minutes later, Jack Goodrich flicked on a header to Chewy Bruni, who made it 2-0. Implausibly, Groton then went up 3-0 when Jay Fitzgerald, a handful on the wing, drove a ball in to Russel Thorndike, who banged it home far post as is his habit. As one might imagine, it was a pretty sunny halftime discussion, though Belmont Hill threw water on that by scoring within the first minute of the second half. With two very dangerous threats in Leighton Dolan and Matthew Goncalves, Belmont Hill could strike at any time (and we remember too well the hat-trick of golazos that Goncalves scored last year). 2018 proved a different tale, however, as Groton’s centerbacks Gil Canca and Walker Davey did a stellar job of shutting down the attack. Just ten minutes later, Max Strong received a Goodrich pass just beyond midfield and hit his hyper-drive button, streaking through three defenders to score his second goal of the game. Despite the weather feeling like Maryland in August, PK Kenyon tirelessly won balls in midfield, and Jack Goodrich helped guide the attack, finding Bruni (for his second) in the 67^th minute. Exhausted but elated, the players returned to campus (this was the ISL play-day at nearby Progin Park) to rehydrate and celebrate by…hitting the books.