Webutuck soccer ends season with 2-1 loss

WEBUTUCK — Despite going into halftime with a 1-0 lead, Webutuck High School’s boys soccer team couldn’t hold on in their first regional semifinal game in decades, allowing Haldane to score twice in the second half for a 2-1 finale on Tuesday, Nov. 9.

“The first half we played tremendously,� said Webutuck Coach Aaron Kelly after the match. “We played our game. We put a lot of pressure on them. But in the second half, we were in a position that we weren’t used to being in. We were winning at a level where we had never been before. Everybody kind of dropped off, and we just couldn’t keep up the pressure.�

The Warriors’ lone goal came from senior Joey Giblin, not even five minutes into the match.

The regional semifinal, which was held in Middletown, found Webutuck coming off their first sectional win in what Kelly was told by several alumni has been nearly 40 years.

“Sectional champions, you can’t really beat that,� Kelly said. “I’m really proud of the guys, and we’ve come a long way.�

The game attracted a lot of spectator attention from Webutuck, which sent two buses to escort students, teachers and fans, free of charge, to the game to root for the Warriors.

“I think [having the support] brought the team a lot of life,� Kelly said. “You always play better when you have fan support, and it was really nice to have them there cheering us on.�

Eight seniors will be graduating from the team this year, including six starters, but Kelly said he is optimistic about the younger players stepping up to the fill the shoes of those who are leaving.

Webutuck finishes the season with a 9-7 record.