The Independence Boys Soccer team faced adversity almost immediately against Brooklyn on Tuesday, but the Blue Devils didn’t let it linger.
After Brooklyn converted a penalty kick in the opening minute, Independence answered with four unanswered goals from four different players to earn a 4-1 victory and improve to 3-1 on the season.
“We’ve been down before,” Independence coach Dominic Buttari said. “We came out flat, and Brooklyn capitalized. I just wanted them to refocus on what we’d been working on in practice. I reminded them to relax, stick together and keep playing.”
That response came quickly.
James Bridges, Evan McFeely, Patrick Boc and Rex Verlinger each scored for the Blue Devils, while McFeely, Finn McGovern and Jackson Scarcella recorded assists.
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McFeely finished with a goal and an assist as Independence’s depth began to take over.
“We didn’t change anything tactically,” Buttari said. “We came in knowing we were going to sub frequently to stay fresh. About 15 minutes in, we brought in James and Evan with a few reminders about the game plan, and they scored the first two goals for us.”
For Buttari, the balance in the scoring column was a reflection of the type of offense he wants Independence to play.
Four players scored, and three different Blue Devils contributed assists.
“That’s exactly what we want to see,” Buttari said. “It’s an extremely deep team, and I want an emphasis on unselfish play. I have to mention Jackson Scarcella here, though. Even though he didn’t score tonight, so much of what we do is possible because of his work on the field.”
Scarcella added an assist, while McGovern also set up a goal.
The Blue Devils also settled in defensively after Brooklyn’s early penalty kick and kept the Hurricanes off the scoreboard the rest of the way.
Independence received a boost from the return of Jensen Bezuijen, who had been sidelined by injury.
“Defensively, we got Jensen Bezuijen back from injury tonight, and he was a big help,” Buttari said. “The back line is always so solid for us, and I’m hoping they keep growing as the season progresses.”
Luke Masek finished with three saves for Independence.
The victory pushed the Blue Devils to 3-1 and gave them another example of their ability to respond when things don’t go their way early.
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Boys Soccer Match Result
| Team | Score |
|---|---|
26 Independence Blue Devils | 4 |
 Brooklyn Hurricanes | 1 |
Top Performers
Independence
Player Stats
Independence
| Player | G | A | S |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Bridges | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Evan McFeely | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Patrick Boc | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Rex Verlinger | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Finn McGovern | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jackson Scarcella | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Luke Masek | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Game Notes
Updated automatically through this result and the latest reported player stats.
