Wednesday Night Lights
The soccer game was decorated with cotton candy skies and a crisp fall breeze. Oh yeah, speaking of breezes—there goes freshman midfielder Stefen Nikolic breezing by the Alfred Saxons defense and scoring the very first goal of the game for the Knights! With just five minutes in the first half, Nikolic didn’t let anyone stop him as he pushed through the crowded offensive zone and shot the ball to the top left corner of the net. What a great way to start off tonight’s game.
The boys started off strong, showing the Saxons no mercy. Watching Alfred play, they had no idea what was coming for them. Both teams played strong, but the Knights came out on top.
With this being the knights’ third consecutive win, one could see how hard they are working. There was so much teamwork and respect shown during the game. Senior defenseman Sean Beaver worked his hardest and kept the Saxons out of his zone. Junior forward Eren Aydin showed respect to the boys on the other team but allowed nothing to distract him from making great plays.
As the game headed into the second quarter, it was clear that the Knights were preparing to show off more skill.
Freshman midfielder Maxwell Fiorcia and junior forward Ryan Hilke came in hot down the field with the ball. Alongside them was senior forward Ari Samoohy, who received a pass from Hilke and powered through to score a goal within the first five minutes of the second half, making the score 2-0 Geneseo. It was getting cold in the stands, but there’s nothing more heartwarming than seeing junior goalkeeper Will Price make saves left and right to hopefully end his night in a shutout.
The second half of the game was full of goals. Aydin scored a wonderful goal, and exactly six minutes later Hilke came in and scored another one. This marked Hilke’s third consecutive game with a goal, and made this game a 4-0 shutout victory for the Geneseo Knights.
After the game, Price, who played the full 90 minutes of tonight’s game, shared his thoughts with us. Price stated that during this game he felt comfortable. He had his boys behind his back and didn’t feel any pressure—if he made a mistake, his team would be there to support him.
One of Price’s best qualities is his leadership, which helps him perform as a great athlete. At the games you can hear him shouting at his teammates to let them know who is ‘on them’ or if anyone is open. Price added to that sentiment, “[a]s a goalie, leadership and communication is one of the biggest things,” said Price.
During pre-season, Price focused on fitness, such as lifting and working with his teammates to help him get ready for his season.
It might have been awkward playing a team that isn’t as skilled as the Knights, and the boys had the opportunity to get off of their game, but they knew how to bounce back out of that funk and pulled through. These boys played a great game tonight, and we are looking forward to their future games.
Some fun facts about Will Price:
Favorite post game meal: A simple ground turkey, rice, broccoli and sweet potatoes.
Apple or pumpkin pie: Prefers pumpkin pie in the fall. He is a seasonal man.
Favorite number: 4
Nicknames. Willy and Phil
Major: Biology
Hometown: Plainview, New York