The Hopewell Hurricanes amazed spectators with an aggressive offense and strong defense to earn second place in the Hopewell Valley Soccer Association Memorial Day Tournament.
The U8 Hurricanes played four games against U9 teams, winning three of the four. Archie Seas scored at least one goal in each game, totaling seven goals over the two-day tournament. Jaxson DeRossett scored three goals during the tournament and prevented a number of goals with his record-setting sprints and amazing defense. Logan Gonsalves dribbled around two defenders to score against the Clark Thunder, and Ethan Garber scored a beautiful goal when he raced for a rebound that deflected off the keeper. Dylan Kawalek scored twice and had fans out of their seats when he lofted the ball over the Rahway keeper’s head with only one minute left in the game, leading the team to victory. Trevor Baratta could not be stopped and maintained possession of the ball throughout much of day one, earning two assists. Jacob Berman kept the ball moving on offense and played smart as keeper against the Franklin Township Gunners. Michael Cappucci was unstoppable, moving the ball down the sidelines and out of Robbinsville Revolution territory. Patrick Slajchert was all over the field, making it difficult for his opponent to get possession beyond midfield. Snayhin Sharma played strong offensively and defensively, knocking the ball away from his opponents and passing with skill and speed. Jack Pachtinger’s goalkeeping and defensive skills were on display as he dove for saves, sprinted to prevent breakaways, and lofted the ball into Hurricanes’ territory time and time again.
The Hurricanes’ effective communication, strong passing, and fearless defense was something to see!
