Bristol Eastern boys soccer has been having a terrific season, the 50th for Bill Sweet as head coach.
The Lancers, 7-0-2, are one of just three unbeaten teams left in the Central Connecticut Conference. East Hartford, 9-0-1, was undefeated before a 2-2 tie on Monday night against a tough Hall team. Glastonbury sits at 8-0-1.
Why is Eastern still unbeaten? It starts with good defense. The Lancers have let up just four goals in nine games, with no more than one per contest. Credit belongs to junior keeper Nate DiLoreto and the Lancer backfield. Defense is a team effort, however, so the play of Eastern’s midfielders can’t be forgotten.
On offense, no one has really had an answer for senior standout Jake Woznicki. Eastern had scored 28 goals this season, and Woznicki has put in 21 of them. You read that right. Woznicki has scored 75 percent of his team’s goals. Woznicki has had help from his teammates, who have gotten him the ball in position to score. For example, sophomore Dylan Piazza assisted on three of Woznicki’s four goals in the win over Avon on Oct. 11.
Just in the three names mentioned — Woznicki, DiLoreto and Piazza — you can see how players ranging from seasoned seniors to still growing sophomores have influenced Eastern’s sterling start.
Both of Eastern’s ties — Lewis Mills on Sept. 24 and Bristol Central on Oct. 7 — ended with a score of 1-1. The next game for the Lancers is Tuesday at Hartford Public at 3:45 p.m. Eastern is at always tough Berlin on Friday at 6 p.m.
