Woodstock
St. Martin’s heroics helped the Hurricanes (4-4-1) earn a thrilling 3-2 victory over the Wasps (2-3-2) in rainy conditions.
His first goal of the season seemed to develop out of nothing. Operating on the right side about 20 yards away from the goal, St. Martin turned on a dime and snaked a scorcher past Woodstock goalie Steven Bianchi.
“I tried taking on my guy, but it didn’t work,” St. Martin said. “I couldn’t get past him, so I looked to pass it, but he left an opening, so I just rolled it back and took a shot near-post. And then the goalie was caught off too far and couldn’t reach for it.”
St. Martin’s game-winner felt like redemption for fellow Hurricane center back Pat Brady, who was involved in a strange sequence moments earlier.
Hartford was awarded a free kick with nearly 30 seconds left in the first of two 10-minute, sudden-death periods. Brady, a free-kick fixture for Hartford, initially moved the ball forward a few yards to the objection of Woodstock players and coaches. The official asked Brady to move the ball back, then walked across the field to verify the new placement. The remaining time ultimately ticked off the clock, depriving Hartford of a set-piece opportunity.
“I moved the ball forward a couple of yards and the referee told me to move it back and I did,” Brady said. “Then he stopped the game to tell me to move it back. Basically time kind of just ran out and I didn’t get to take the free kick, so I was a little bit upset about it.”
Brady, who thwarted numerous offensive threats by Woodstock throughout the contest, scored Hartford’s first goal in the 27th minute by launching a free kick directly at Bianchi (six saves) from 35 yards out. The Woodstock keeper appeared to make the stop, only to see the wet ball slide through his hands and into the right side of the net. The save likely would have been routine on a dryer day.
Brady’s attempt was in line with the game plan established by Hartford coach Kevin Guilbault.
“That’s one of the things we talked about in the conditions they way they were,” Guilbault said. “No shot’s a bad shot. Anything that the goalkeepers have to handle is an issue.”
Brady’s kick tied the game 20 minutes after the hosts took the lead on a Charles Greene blast from 12 yards out. Greene’s finish was set up by a Will Crompton corner kick. Woodstock attempted seven corners on the day compared with two for Hartford.
Hartford was lucky to be tied at the half, considering the Wasps’ overall aggression and time-of-possession advantage. Guilbault used intermission to let his team know that improvements were in order.
“As my team would attest, I wasn’t pleased with the way we played the first half,” the Canes’ coach said. “We definitely had a discussion at halftime about the things we needed to do differently. I’m glad to see that the boys collectively stepped up their game. They worked harder, they played stronger, both physically and mentally, and I think that was huge in terms of how we approached the second half and the overtimes.”
The visitors responded by showing greater energy and fight in the second stanza.
The score remained deadlocked until 17:30 remaining, when Hartford’s Andrew St. Martin (younger brother of Alex) scored on a pretty give-and-go play with Nick Jones at the 18-yard line.
Woodstock equalized the score a minute later on a Min Purvis one-timer lofted over the head of Hartford keeper Alex Valley, who replaced Shane Miller at halftime (the two combined for eight saves). Purvis’ initial bid was a free kick from 40 yards out that Brady cleared with a header. The carom went back to Purvis, who made the most of the repeat opportunity.
“He’s one of the best players in the state for sure, no question about it,” Wasps coach Tom Avellino said of Purvis, the center back. “He’s very valuable to us.”
Overtime contests haven’t been kind to Woodstock, which is 0-2-2 this season in games that have gone beyond 80 minutes.
“(OT losses are) just tough to take,” Avellino said. “It’s very emotional. The kids played hard.”
The sixth-year coach seemed relatively positive despite the outcome.
“We have a very young, inexperienced team,” Avellino said. “And we’re learning on the fly, but we’re also competing at the same time, which is a really good sign for us.”
The teams will meet again on Oct. 13 at Hartford.