DANE FUELLING
WZBD.com
NEW HAVEN – For 77 minutes the Bellmont Braves and New Haven Bulldogs battled, but it was one moment in the 78th minute that separated the two teams as coach Jake Briede’s team won for the third time in five games on a slick finish from senior Taahir Ally Monday night.
Ally found a pass at his feet from Isaac Pranger, who had intercepted a short goal kick from the New Haven keeper, settled it, and then slotted it past the keeper for the game’s only goal – and Ally’s first of the season. It was the second straight 1-0 victory for the Braves.
The game was forced to relocation, with the Bellmont game field unplayable due to soggy field conditions and the team’s practice field underwater. That meant that instead of playing on the slow Bellmont grass, the Braves were forced to play after the girls on the quick artificial turf.
Bellmont dominated play in the early going, but they didn’t create enough chances to satisfy Briede. 27 minutes in, he made a tactical change that ended up making a big difference. He took Malachi LaVine, the tall junior defender, and moved him forward. Hungry for the ball, LaVine made a run that provided the first real test for Knox Grimes, the New Haven keeper. The chance was saved and the match remained scoreless.
Just a few minutes later, with the reliable LaVine out of the back four, the Braves required another to step up and it was Romeo Antunes who was up to the task. He stepped in front of a charging Hussin Ahtwe in a moment of defensive brilliance, creating an easy save for Bellmont keeper Grayson Riehm.
The Braves came out of halftime with extra energy and August Fuelling played freshman Jack Barton in behind the defensive line on a breakaway, but the chance went just wide. Just minutes later, in the 45th minute, Ally was in a similar situation and his left-footed shot kissed off the crossbar.
The pressure built as both sides considered what 14 minutes of overtime may look like and whether they fancied their luck in a shootout, but it was the Braves who removed the doubt with Ally’s goal.
A couple of stoppages of time, along with a yellow card, caused the final two minutes to be frantic, but the Braves simply weren’t going to let the opportunity slip away to score a win in the NE8.
The Braves will make another road trip Wednesday when they head to East Noble.
About the Author
