With three games remaining, the Dragons (4-0-1) needed just one more victory to clinch a first-place seed in the Jewish Community Center of Bayonne’s Indoor Soccer Junior Division Championship Tournament. For the Wizards (1-3-1), this was a chance to build some momentum after their 5-5 overtime draw with the Dragons in week three.
The Dragons got right down to business as Daniel Mena and Brayden Cotter each notched two goals and two assists to springboard the Dragons out to a 4-0 lead in the first five minutes. With the goal count climbing, the Wizards’ Kyle O’Hara narrowed the Dragons’ lead to 4-1 as O’Hara launched a net-to-net tornado just before halftime. As the second half got underway, the Wizards’ defense picked up the pace with T.J. Wolf, Matt Miceli, Michael Egan, Victor Mendolaro, and Danny Reyes hounding the Dragons’ sharpshooters.
With the 4-1 margin held in a defensive deep freeze, the Dragons’ Drew Radil broke the ice with a coast-to-coast bomb to make it 5-1, Dragons. For the Dragons’ stingy defense, the mission was clear: they were out to redeem themselves after allowing five goals in their last bout with the Wizards and Josh Belber. Akshat Thakur, Marcelino Soliman and Alexandra Soliman stayed true to their task.
While the Wizards’ offense was kept in check, the Dragons added two more goals as Brayden Cotter and Daniel Mena hit the hat trick mark off assists by Alexandra and Marcelino Soliman for a 7-1 Dragons’ victory.