Massena 2 – Canton 1
Canton hosted the Red Raiders on Sept. 20. The Bears were looking to stay undefeated in league play, and the Red Raiders were bound to be a tough test. Both teams came out of the gates firing, but neither team could find the back of the net. Canton sophomore goalie Jackson Ames made save after save, but was matched by Massena goalie Junior Colin Patterson.
Both goalies kept the scoring low, until a Massena corner kick just barely cleared Ames’ hands and was headed in, putting the Red Raiders up 1-0. Just a few minutes later, Massena scored off of a defensive mistake by the Bears. Despite not being outplayed, the Bears found themselves down 2-0 at halftime
The first 20 minutes of the second half was just like the beginning of the game; solid saves by both goaltenders. The Bears really turned it on in the last 15 minutes of the game, and had many chances to score. A missed breakaway and a few missed point-blank shots kept the Bears down two, until Junior Ethan Francey finally got one past Patterson. The Bears kept their pressure up, but failed to capitalize on their opportunities once again. They failed to convert on a penalty kick, and lost 2-1.
Canton 3 – Potsdam 0
On Sept. 23, the Bears once again hosted another Central Division rival in the Potsdam Sandstoners. The Bears were without Senior Captain Owen Hall and Junior Jacob Rosales. Looking for a bounce back win, the Bears turned to some bench players to step up. Francey scored just four minutes into the game, on an assist from fellow Junior Ryan Jones. Later in the half, Junior Jonney Mclear headed one in off the corner kick from Senior Bradley Frank to put the Bears up 2-0 going into the half.
Canton continued its dominance into the second half, despite the low scoring. Jones scored to put the Bears up 3-0, and Canton continued their resilient control of possession. Blistering Sandstoner Senior goalie Alden DiMarco with a bunch of shots resulted in ten corner kicks for the Bears. Potsdam’s forward Junior Tyler Berkman had the Sandstoners’ best scoring opportunity, but Ames made an unbelievable save to keep the shutout alive. He ended the game with seven saves, and the Bears improved to 4-1 in League play.
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