Calhoun Boys Lax Blows its Chances in Loss to Roslyn

Right after the post-game huddle, Calhoun's Paul Grubb snapped his stick in half and tossed it on the ground for dead.

It was just as well.

The Manhattan College-bound senior attackman exemplified the frustration of the Colts, who lost 9-5 in a flat and short-handed effort to the Roslyn Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon at Roslyn High School.

"Our shooting was just horrendous," Calhoun head coach Don Fleming said. "We had multiple players who should have had multiple goal games. I think we had three pipes in the second quarter alone. It's very frustrating."

On the other end of the field, Calhoun (3-3) was playing without its two best defenders. Both team captain Travis Massetti and Coleman Meier are out indefinitely with knee injuries.

"I'm very (expletive) frustrated," commented Massetti during the early action. "They're just walking in on us. Getting to eight or 10 yards without a touch. We have to step up."

The less experienced Calhoun defenders tried to fill the gaps and Calhoun goalie Kevin MacBride did his best to stand on his head. But Roslyn was too big, too strong and too sharp.

"Too many one-on-ones, too many back door cuts," Fleming said. "And we were just horrendous on clears. At times we were just staring at the ball."

Roslyn exploded to an early 4-0 lead, leaving the Calhoun defense slack-jawed and flat footed. But the Colts showed early signs that they might make a game of it.

Grubb put Calhoun on the board at 3:21 of the first quarter with a left-handed cannon from the top of the box. With Fleming exhorting them from the sideline, the Calhoun defense made their first quality stand at 1:45 left in the first, turning away multiple waves of the Bulldogs offense.

Heading into the second, it seemed as though Calhoun had the crispness and determination on offense to close the gap. Excellent face-off work from senior midfielder Patrick Greene, precise passing in the box and good ball control left things in the hands of junior attackman Charlie Isham, who hit the pipe with 6:08 left in the half. Despite flashes of excellence, it would be that type of day for Calhoun.

Junior attackman Joey McGinley scored a short time later at the 4:15 mark, bringing the Colts within three at 5-2. Roslyn immediately responded, pushing the lead back to 6-2 to end the first half.

Both teams came out hitting hard in the second half. Several sideline battles sent players in both uniforms sprawling, but with few concrete results. Calhoun changed that when Grubb fed McGinley in a man advantage situation at 11:31 of the third quarter to once again bring Calhoun within three.

But Roslyn stayed on the attack, shredding the sluggish Calhoun defense at the 6:17 mark to push the lead to 7-3, then again with 5:27 remaining in the third to lift the margin to five at 8-3. The Bulldogs put the final nail in the coffin with 1:25 left in the third, taking a 9-3 lead.

In the fourth quarter, Roslyn played keep away for most of the period, while Calhoun continued to frustrate itself with missed chances. Senior midfielder Ed Burbes scored on a loose ball with 10:41 left in the game. A minute later Grubb made a nice move at the top of the box, split two defenders and scored to bring Calhoun within four at 9-5, but the Colts would get no closer.

"Today was about missed opportunities," Fleming said. "We had plenty of chances and we simply didn't finish."

The Colts head to Elmont tomorrow for a 4:30 p.m. game.