PALMER – The Southwick Regional High School boys soccer team ran into a roadblock Tuesday, falling to a red-hot Pathfinder team.
Cayden Bousquet had a hand in two scoring plays, striking the back of the net with one goal and delivering the assist on another to help Pathfinder Regional Vocational-Technical High School knock back visiting Southwick Regional, 2-1, on Tuesday.
It was the Pioneers (7-6-1) third straight win at home and fourth consecutive overall. It was only the third loss of the season for the Rams, who fell to 7-3-5.
Southwick and Pathfinder traded first half goals.
Bousquet set up Abees Castillo-Clotter for Pathfinder’s first goal of the game. Kevin Banks scored for Southwick. Rams’ Brett Robb assisted.
It was an intense, physical second half that could have swung either way.
Pathfinder launched a shot toward the Southwick goal in the early moments of the second half. Rams’ keeper Luca Proietti (seven saves) made the initial save, deflecting the ball. The ball took a backwards spin though, rolling toward the goal line. A defender stepped in to kick the ball away though, preserving the 1-1 tie.
Southwick had its own opportunity a short time later, striking a free kick toward the net. Pathfinder’s defense prevailed.
A Pathfinder corner kick soon determined the outcome as the ball found the foot of Owen Pear, who passed it to Bousquet. Bousquet scored.
Southwick made a strong push to attempt to net the equalizer, first on a free kick and then on a corner kick but an Andrey Saykin header went just wide.
Then past the midway point of the second half, Southwick took aim at the net with a hard shot. Pathfinder goalie Elijah Hodge made a diving save, one of 10 saves for Hodge during the game. The ball squirted out to a Ram, who tried to tuck the ball into the near post. A Pioneers player defending the corner post, kicked it away.
Pathfinder nearly tacked on some insurance with a breakaway attempt and the rebound shot, but both shots were saved.
Southwick made a last-ditch effort to try and tie the game in the final minutes but came up just short.
Southwick next hosts Lenox on Monday, October 20 at Whalley Park at 7 p.m.
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