Canton’s Cameron August and Old Saybrook’s Casey Deangelo (1, left) and Josh Roslonek (10, right) battle for the ball during Saturday’s non-league game in Canton.
CANTON, Sept. 23, 2023 – Coaches schedule challenging games for their teams for a number of reasons.
A challenging opponent can reveal flaws or aspects of an athlete’s game that need to be worked on. Opportunities for growth identified during the regular season can be addressed in time for a run at a league championship or a state championship.
Long-time head coach Bill Phelps thinks his Warriors can challenge for the Class S state championship this season. So, he added several teams from around the state to challenge his team – Middletown, Notre Dame-Fairfield and Old Saybrook – in preparation for a possible run for a state championship.
Earlier this month, Canton battled to a 1-1 tie with Middletown and a 0-0 tie with Notre Dame.
The Warriors hosted Old Saybrook, which has won the last four Class S championships, on Saturday on the turf field. The visiting Rams gave the Warriors plenty of things to think about and work on after earning a 3-1 victory.
Old Saybrook (4-0-1) scored twice in the span of six minutes to take a 2-0 lead and led 3-0 at one point after Kevin Decapua headed in a cross from Liam Roberts with 24:47 left in the game.
“It was a wakeup call for them and I like wakecup calls,” Phelps said. “I never wanted to be undefeated in my life because being undefeated doesn’t do you any good. We want to find someone who will beat (us up).”
And provide some hard lessons to work on.
Canton (3-1-2) was coming off a 3-1 win over Ellington four days earlier. It was just the sixth win over the Purple Knights by the Warriors this century and was the most goals that Canton has scored against the Knights since 2001 (four).
“The game we had against Ellington was probably the best game I have seen a Canton team play,” Phelps said. “They moved the ball, they never lost control and they humiliated a good team.”
Cam August had two goals in the win over Ellington with Alex Bowne adding the other goal.
Old Saybrook, ranked No. 9 in the latest Connecticut Soccer Coaches Association Class M/S top 10 poll, took advantage of several Canton miscues to score two goals in six minutes. Liam Roberts scored off an assist from Josh Roslonek with less than three minutes gone in the game and Decapua scored six minutes later off an assist from Roberts for a 2-0 lead with 31:45 left in the first half.
“We had a game plan for their team and we played it well,” Old Saybrook coach Steve Waters said. “We were looking to get them frustrated and elevate our game. We just kept breaking them down.”
The two teams were meeting on the pitch for the first time since they met in the 2021 Class S championship game when the Rams prevailed in overtime to win the state title, 4-1.
Waters was also trying to test the mettle of his team by scheduling Canton, ranked No. 10 in the latest CSCA Class M/S top 10 poll.
“Always the tough teams,” Waters said. “It’s always try to get the most from your best and the best out of your least.”
Canton did add one goal when August converted on a penalty kick with 5:09 left in the game. Old Saybrook outshot the Warriors, 18-6 and Warrior goalie Gavyn Munson made nine saves in net.
Canton (3-1-2, 2-0 NCCC) returns to action on Tuesday when they host SMSA on the turf field.
Old Saybrook 3, Canton 1
At Canton
Old Saybrook (4-0-1) 2 1 — 3
Canton (3-1-2) 0 1 — 1
Goals: Kevin Decapua (OS) 2, Liam Roberts (OS), Cameron August (C); Saves: Gavyn Munson (C) 9, London Sweeney (OS) 5; Shots: Old Saybrook 18-6; Corner kicks: Old Saybrook, 5-1
