Hamden High Varsity Soccer Shuts Out West Haven – Saturday Sept 24

On a warm, humid night in West Haven, the Hamden boys varsity soccer team battled the entire first half to a scoreless tie.

But after the half, the scales began to tilt dramatically in Hamden’s favor, as West Haven’s rough play incurred frequent fouls and one yellow card.  

But as Xavier learned earlier this week, it doesn’t pay to foul Hamden within direct kick range. Senior Alex Zapata drilled the direct kick the upper left side of the net to go 1-0. During one advance, Zapata after being tripped, rose from the ground to receive a through pass. When the goalkeeper committed, Zapata  dribbled around him to sink a low, solid shot for the second goal with about 12 minutes left to play.

West Haven retaliated with a run on goal, tumbling end over end with Hamden Goalkeeper Adam Miedzinski. In the hostilities that immediately followed, one player from each side was ejected with a red card. Midfielders on both sides exchanged turnovers, with occasional breakaways by Hamden strikers Tristan Mahan and Jon Miller.

Another roughness call against West Haven put Zapata in front of another direct kick with less than 3 minutes to play. The line shot struck the crossbar in mid span, ricocheting straight up high into the air.

As the ball reached its apogee and began its interminable fall, several Hamden players  converged around West Haven’s goalkeeper. In the scuffle that met the ball’s descent, Austin Tomin flipped it over the line for goal number three. 

When the clock ran out, the Hamden Boys Varsity Soccer team were still undefeated with a 5-0 record. The junior varsity squad boasts a similar 5-0 undefeated streak as well.