Boys Soccer: Falcons Fall 4-1 to Moses Brown

The Falcons went up against a tough Moses Brown team on Saturday in a Division II Boys Soccer matchup. Cranston West defended well but could not hold the Quakers down on set plays, as they scored three times on throw-ins on their way to a 4-1 victory.

Moses Brown jumped on the board early as Captain Christopher Poggi found Daniel Harrington with a long throw in the 6th minute, which he headed in giving the Quakers an early 1-0 lead.

The Falcons would face steady pressure throughout the first half from the likes of Talman Bigelow, Jonathan Sigal, and Daniel Harrington. But to their credit, they defended well, with Sweeper Evan Petrarca leading the way. 

Goalkeeper Jonas Sullivan played a solid first half as well, cutting down the angles and making some crucial saves to keep the Falcons in the game. But Poggi found Harrington on a long throw for a second time in the 37th minute to stretch the Quaker lead to 2-0.

Cranston West responded moments later, as Ian Chalmers found Chris Burrows streaking towards the net for the goal, narrowly beating the halftime buzzer.

Moses Brown dominated possession in the first half, but the Falcon defense kept them in the game and the late goal left them with only a one goal deficit at half.

The second half ended up being more of the same, the Quakers continued to dictate play and Cranston West played strong defense. Sullivan made save after save, but in the 72nd minute Poggi found Harrington for the third time on the throw, pushing the lead back up to two with minimal time remaining.

Cranston West created a couple counterattacks in the second half, but couldn't connect on any of them and gave up another goal in the closing minutes to Talman Bigelow, falling 4-1 to the Quakers.

With the small stature of of Cranston West Goalie Jonas Sullivan, the Falcons were at a disadvantage when defending in the box, which was the difference in this contest.

"They really beat us in the set plays. We just couldn't match them. We really didn't give up a lot of opportunities during the play. It was just the set plays. I was satisfied with our play other than that," Cranston West Head Coach James Williamson said.

The win brings Moses Brown to 9-4-1 on the season with two regular season games remaining before the playoffs. The Quakers currently sit in third place in Division II North.

The loss drops Cranston West to 3-11-1 on the season and on the outside looking in as the playoffs approach. The Falcons will finish their season against archrival Cranston East for the City Cup on Sunday night.

"I think we're ready. We've definitely improved and I think they're gonna come out and play a good game," Coach Williamson said, speaking of the City Cup match up.