Published November 5, 2020
By DAN NUNN
NORTH READING — Powered by sophomore Josh Stanieich’s scintillating three goal and three assist performance, the NRHS boys’ soccer team walloped Manchester-Essex 6-0 on senior night on Oct. 28. Juniors Jake Mikulski, Zac Heintz and Landon Phillips all added a goal apiece.
North Reading (7-1-1) currently sits on top of the CAL Kinney Division by 1 point, but need to win their last game versus Georgetown (Nov. 4) and then hope that Newburyport loses one of their last two games to win the title.
The 12 seniors were honored in a brief picture and gift ceremony before the game.
“This senior class has done a great job dealing with all of the changes this year and I’m especially impressed by how well they have kept the team focused and together – tonight was a great example of that,” said head coach Mark Bisognano. “Of course, it was great to be able to get all of the seniors onto the field. They have earned that opportunity through their dedication and I was happy to be able to reward them and the starters couldn’t have been happier for them.”
The Hornets quickly put the game away with three goals in the first 10 minutes. In the 5th minute, Stanieich collected the ball near midfield and beat his defender down the left wing. He then whipped a cross to a wide open Mikulski at the far post. Mikulski brought the ball down with his right foot and then hammered home the half-volley with his left.
Just 20 seconds later, junior Alex Carpenter intercepted a Manchester-Essex pass 30 yards out and quickly found Stanieich out and in the middle of the field. Stanieich immediately turned and fired a low hard shot from 20 yards away into the lower left corner of the net.
In the 10th minute, Stanieich extended the lead. Senior captain John Tramontozzi won a ball in the middle of the field and laid off a pass to junior Kiernan Schulz. Schulz quickly surveyed the field and played a perfectly weighted ball to a streaking Stanieich who neatly chipped it over the onrushing keeper into the yawning goal.
North Reading concluded the first half with one more goal in the 34th minute. The play started with sophomore Kieran Gorgenyi playing a short goal kick to junior Cody Cannalonga who quickly found right back and senior captain Nick Pasquale. Pasquale then found senior Maguire Koepke who immediately swung the ball to Schulz on the left wing. Schulz found Stanieich who slid a pass to an onrushing Phillips. The midfielder made no mistake and tucked the ball inside the right post for his first goal of the season.
The second half led to two more goals for the Hornets. In the 54th minute, Stanieich picked up his third assist when he lofted a ball off of a short corner kick to the far post where Heintz tapped in his first varsity goal.
Finally, in the 59th minute, Stanieich completed the hat-trick. On the play, senior captain Sam McGeachie played a long pass to the left wing where Heintz cleverly flicked the ball across the face of the goal to Stanieich who buried the half-volley into the left side of the net.
