Battaglini's Header the Difference for South Windsor Over Manchester

Not to be outdone by their girls counterparts on Thursday, South Windsor High boys soccer team survived a 4-3 double-overtime victory over Manchester High in Manchester.

Steven Battaglini was the hero, delivering the game-winner four minutes into the first overtime - the 84th minute - on a gorgeous near-post header.

The game was nothing if not a parabolic exercise in emotions for the Bobcats, who went down 1-0 just 48 seconds into the match, courtesy of a goal from Jack Garlitz, who nodded home a gorgeous cross.

South Windsor head coach Dave St. Jean, who hoped to have his team come out strong, had one thought on his mind after the stunning start.

“I wondered why the heck they don’t have timeouts in soccer,” he quipped in a telephone interview Thursday.

But his team regrouped from there and the game settled into a back-and-forth contest until South Windsor leveled in the 25th minute on a breakaway goal by Zach Heckt. St. Jean said that Heckt “beat a defender and the goalie and neatly tucked away the finish.”

South Windsor stormed out to the lead early in the second half, courtesy of a brace of goals by Andrew Smith in the within the 55th minute to put South up 3-1.

Despite looking like they were in, St. Jean’s words, “total control,” South Windsor missed no fewer than five point-blank chances to seal the game.

The Bobcats, according to St. Jean, “slowly began to give ground to the home side as they pushed players forward, eventually giving up Manchester’s goal to Manny Caicedo on a well-designed restart with 15 minutes remaining.”

Manchester continued to press forward, scoring the equalizer with two minutes left on a goal from Leo Lucas.

All of which set up Battaglini’s heroics in overtime and South Windsor held on for the final six minutes of overtime.

The Bobcats suffered some knocks during the game, with injuries to four players ranging from ankle twists to hamstring pulls, leaving them in doubt for the East Catholic game at home Saturday.

Saves: SW—Eric Hintz, 10; M—Myles Spencer, 11. Rec.: SW—8-1-1; M—4-4-3.

(This article was derived from an interview with, and an e-mail from, St. Jean)