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Young Canton soccer team continuing to learn, blanked by Ellington

Canton’s Jackson Miner (15) tries to control the ball in Friday’s NCCC loss to Ellington on the road, 2-0. (Photo courtesy Bill Brewster)

CANTON, Oct. 9 – It’s a young team on the field this fall for the Canton High boys soccer team. The Warriors (3-5-1) are learning as they progress through the campaign.

The team has just five seniors and a host of juniors and underclassmen who are gaining varsity experience on the field. Canton dropped a 3-1 decision to Coventry in early September only to come back three weeks later and beat the Patriots, 3-1.

Junior James Mattson is the leading scorer after nine games with four goals. Senior Axel Tanner and junior Jeremy Welcome have each scored a pair of goals.

Tanner had his two goals in a 4-1 win over Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy (HMTCA) in September – one of the two new members of the North Central Connecticut Conference. Canton also beat new NCCC rival Rockville, 2-1 with goals from Jackson Miner and Peter Fuller. Rockville joined the NCCC this fall after more than 30 years in the Central Connecticut Conference.

The Warriors were shutout for the second time this season on Friday in a 2-0 loss to Ellington on the road.

Harrison Mitchell (23) and Alex Tanner (11) control the ball at midfield in Friday’s 2-0 loss at Ellington. (Photo courtesy Bill Brewster)

Canton hosts the always-tough Suffield on Wednesday on the turf field at the high school before facing smaller NCCC schools in four of their final five games – Bolton, East Windsor, Hartford Classical and East Granby.

Classical will be in Canton as part of the annual boys and girls doubleheader under the lights on Saturday, October 21. The boys will face Classical at 5 p.m. with the girls team facing Classical at 7 p.m. under portable lights at the turf field.

Canton concludes the regular season with a night game at East Granby beginning at 8 p.m. on Friday, October 27.

Canton’s Diego Noriega (13) reaches for the ball in Friday’s 2-0 loss to Ellington in NCCC action. (Photo courtesy Bill Brewster)

This is the 29th season for head coach Bill Phelps behind the bench leading the Warriors and the 53rd season of Canton soccer, which began in 1965. Phelps began the season with a career record of 208-228-42 and is the all-time leader for wins in program history. Under Phelps, the Warriors won Class S state championships in 1995 and 2003. The late Bryon McKusick won 166 games from 1974-88.

 

Since 2009, the Collinsville Press has been providing award-winning coverage of sports and news in the Farmington Valley and across Connecticut.

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