HERKIMER COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE 1, SUNY-ALFRED 0

HERKIMER, N.Y. — A 1-0 win over SUNY-Alfred’s Pioneers put Herkimer County Community College in the Region III semifinals but the Generals’ performance did not please coach Pepe Aragon Tuesday.

“We never showed any fire,” Aragon said. “I didn’t see the Herkimer passion that we have a long history of. I let the guys know that if they don’t pick it up we’re not going to make it through regionals.”

The Generals dominated the first half of play but eight saves by Daniel Krajcir kept the Pioneers in a scoreless tie. Gustavo Pereira scored in the second half to give top-seeded Herkimer (16-1-2) the only goal of the match but the team’s play after halftime was a sore spot for the coach.

“That second half,” Aragon said, “that was not Herkimer soccer.”

The Generals finished the match with a 15-0 edge in shots with goalkeeper James Taber credited for a shutout without making a save. The lone goal came 12:03 into the second half on a rush down the field. Mike Roopchandsingh carried the ball on the left side and crossed it for Pereira near the top of the 18-yard box. Pereira put a foot to the ball and blasted it into the right side of the net for the goal on Herkimer’s first shot of the second half.

Herkimer had chances to add to its lead but came up empty. Alfred’s Brian Jackson blocked a shot with his foot at the goal line with 11 1/2 minutes left to play and Steven Medwinter took a through ball and shot the ball into the outside of the net two minutes later.

As good as those scoring chances may have been, Krajcir deprived the Generals of better ones in the first half. The Gloversville native made a diving save to his left to stop a shot by Pereira in the 18th minute then stopped Christian Parra’s header off a corner kick a short time later. Krajcir made another diving save against Joey Lontrato, this time to his right, and batted a shot by Medwinter into the air before the half was over. General Yanick Brudy put a shot off the right post with four minutes left in the opening period as Herkimer stayed scoreless.

“The first half was a case of flat out not finishing,” Aragon said. “That came back to make the game much more difficult for us. In the second half, our performance was very poor.”
Krajcir finished the match with 15 saves for the Pioneers (8-7-1).

The Generals head to Tompkins-Cortland Community College for Final Four play this weekend and meet the host school at noon in Saturday’s semifinals. Tompkins-Cortland advanced Tuesday with a 3-2 win on the road against Broome Community College. North Country Community College and Mohawk Valley Community College meet in the other semifinal. North Country defeated Hudson Valley Community College 2-1 Tuesday while Mohawk Valley blanked Finger Lakes Community College 2-0.

Herkimer, the 19-time defending regional champion, defeated Tompkins-Cortland 3-2 at home Oct. 14.

MOHAWK VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE 2, FINGER LAKES COMMUNITY COLLEGE 0

UTICA, N.Y. — Galway High School graduate Steven Wilday assisted on both goals Tuesday as the Mohawk Valley Community College Hawks earned a spot in Region III’s Final Four with a 2-0 shutout of Finger Lakes Community College’s Lakers.

Matty Owusu and Brandon Butts scored for the third-seeded Hawks who will meet North Country Community College in Saturday’s regional semifinals at Tompkins-Cortland Community College. Shane Sullivan made two saves in the shutout.

Compiled From Evening Times Staff Reports