Joshua Carroll's quick-thinking goal helps propel Comsewogue
Joshua Carroll of Comsewogue charges down field during a Suffolk boys soccer game against host Half Hollow Hills East on Thursday. Credit: Dawn McCormick
Comsewogue’s Joshua Carroll is just as quick with his mind as he is with his feet. Both attributes were on display Thursday against host Half Hollow Hills West.
After a Hills West foul occurred just outside the box, the attacking midfielder’s mind was already in motion.
"I don’t have to ask for 10 yards [of space]," he said. "I noticed their goalkeeper was on the near post trying to set up his wall."
Carroll alertly put the ball down and sent a shot into the bottom left corner in the 29th minute to help Comsewogue earn a 3-0 win in a key Suffolk League IV boys soccer match.
Comsewogue improved to 9-1 overall and put a stranglehold on the Suffolk League IV title at 8-1. Hills West is 9-2 overall and 7-2 in the league for second place. Both of the Colts’ losses came against Comsewogue.
"We work on re-starts at practice every day," Comsewogue coach Justin Seifert said. "Sometimes we’ll take a quick one, and that’s exactly what Josh did there."
The game’s first score was an own-goal in the unlucky 13th minute for Hills West, which is now 136-23-11 in League IV play since 2009 according to coach Doug Gannon.
Colts goalkeeper Alex Wolk was tested throughout the match and had 15 saves. His counterpart, Matthew Sparhuber, made seven saves for his fifth shutout of the season.
"The boys in the back [the defenders] have done a great job," said Sparhuber, who has four clean sheets in his last six games. "I haven’t had to do too much."
A player who has done tremendous work for Comsewogue this season is leading scorer Caiden Hardy, who converted a beautiful cross from Patrick Griffin and recorded his 14th goal of the season despite bracketing from the Hills West defense most of the game.
"Caiden is our big scorer," Sparhuber said, "but we have a lot of players who can score and do other things for us."
Like Carroll, who was the loudest voice in the post-game huddle.
"That’s a statement win, boys," he said. "That’s a statement win."
Sparhuber added: "We want that No. 1 seed [in the Suffolk Class A playoffs]."
However, Carroll had higher aspirations.
"We want to make states," Carroll said.
When a question was raised the last time Comsewogue reached the state tournament, Carroll quickly answered: "Back-to-back state titles in 2008 and 2009."
Carroll added: "We want a state title."
