Stockade's Starting XI at Boston City FC. (Photo: Dan Hoffay)
MALDEN, Mass. — In soccer, and sports in general, you never hope for the end result to be a loss when you take the pitch. But if you do fall, you at least hope to have gained something from the experience. That can certainly be seen as the case for Kingston Stockade FC from their travels over the weekend.
Stockade FC fell to Boston City FC, 2-0, on Saturday, just outside of Boston. The loss was the final match of the regular season for Stockade, who finished the 2017 campaign with a 7-1-4 record (wins, draws, losses), a good enough record for first place in the Atlantic White Division of the Northeast Conference.
While the result was ultimately a disappointment, Stockade FC was able to use all seven subs for the match and give plenty of players some valuable minutes — as well as the starters some valuable rest — just one week before Stockade's first-ever playoff match.
Play was extremely even for the entirety of the first half, as both sides showed high levels of intensity in what has become a growing rivalry between the two clubs. Boston City broke through just before the half in the 45th minute, though, courtesy of a long set piece, which was ultimately converted by Isaac Addai.
Stockade then made five subs at the half, bringing David Nkansah-Siriboe, Mike Corbi, Joe Bogart, Victor Guirma and T.J. Zehner on for Bruce Jeter, Marco Kloster, Ernie Mitchell, Eric Fortier and Steve Skonieczny.
Tommy Steigerwald then came on in the 56th minute for Juan Gatti, and Mike Lanzetta was subbed for Pedro Espindola in the 67th minute to complete the substitutions on the day.
Stockade kept the pressure on Boston throughout the second half, and was the better bet to score in the final 45. Yet Boston managed to break through on the counter in the 90th minute to make it 2-0, as the Stockade defense was stretched thin due to the visitors pushing so far forward in the hopes of leveling the match.
Stockade's next match will be a playoff tilt at Dietz Stadium against the winner of the Boston City-Hartford City match to be played this week. The club's first-ever playoff match is scheduled for Saturday, July 15 at 6 p.m. in Kingston.
Man of the Match: Brandon Curtis
Stockade Starting XI: Skonieczny; Curtis, Gatti, Mitchell, Zobre; Koziol, Macklin, Kloster; Jeter, Espindola, Fortier