Senators Get Their Revenge

Brandon Miller
PrideTime Reporter

With a hard fought match the McMahon Boys Varsity team took their 7th win of the season on October 20th beating the Fairfield Warde Mustangs 3-2.   

McMahon is on track for one of the best seasons in years with a record of 7-4-4 and qualifying for the states after their 4-1 win against St. Joseph's Cadets on October 15th.

“Being a coach now I see how hard it is, the FCIAC is such a high conference that you don’t get any points from anybody, so you have to fight and make sure that the team believes that they could do it and that’s what happened, the team believed that they could do anything. So we are one step away from making two of our goals”  head coach Rodrigo Guzman said after the game.

After their 3-1 loss to Warde last season McMahon came looking for revenge. McMahon’s record going into the game was 6-4-4 while Warde’s was 9-3-2.  

McMahon was able to get an early jump after a cross from Elias Pardo found its way to Maycon Bueso Flores (14) for an easy tipin 4:12 into the game. With a 1-0 lead Warde came back fighting hard at McMahon and with 21:05 left in the first half center back Emmet Towey (15) made a very important goal line save. On this same play goalkeeper Norberto Santiago IV’s (1) leg was injured  and backup keeper Kyle Root (30) entered the game.

Throughout the rest of the first half it was equal play between both teams until 9:49 left and a long ball over the top by Christopher Ocampo (16) was flicked over the keepers head by Elias Pardo. McMahon took a dominating 2-0 lead.  Kyle Root finished with two saves after Norberto Santiago IV re entered the game with 8:26 left in the first half.

At half time, Coach Rodrigo Guzman gave a pep talk to the team where he said “Stay focused, all we have is 40 minutes, in those 40 minutes you have to work. To get to where we want to get it shouldn’t be easy. 40 minutes of your life and paying attention to detail.  Guys, believe that you guys can get out of this on high note. That’s all we should focus on, go get it for yourselves”.

At the start of the second half Warde came out ready, scoring two goals and tying the game with a goal off of a corner within 4:16 and free kick within 7:53.  Throughout the second half it was an all out battle with both teams having opportunities. Warde came close to taking the lead with 12:18 left in the second half but with another goal line save, this time by Owen Mendez, it stayed even.  

3:26 to go in the second half, a header by Elias Pardo off a cross from Jorge Garcia (6), buried Warde and gave McMahon a bigger chance at securing a spot in the top eight seed for FCIAC play.    
  
“I was big gassed. I’m shaking still. I was big hype though I had to run to the fan section to talk some smack” said Elias Pardo.

McMahon took a total of five shots on target and finished three of them while captain Norberto Santiago IV held it down in goal with a total of 17 saves, despite his injury.

If McMahon wins on Tuesday, October 23nd, against Bridgeport Central, they clinch a spot in the FCIAC playoffs.