Story by Jon Dinan
In one year, Fallsburg boys’ soccer team has gone from a 4-12 team to a Section IX playoff participant.
The Comets clinched a playoff berth Friday with a 6-1 victory over Eldred in a non-league game. The win improved their record to 8-6, guaranteeing them a .500 record with two games left.
“We played great today and we’re obviously excited,” said Fallsburg head coach Darren Kenney.
During the first half of the game though, the two teams appeared to be quite evenly matched, playing to a 1-1 tie.
About fifteen minutes into the second half, Fallsburg midfielder Amado Gallo went on a scoring rampage, scoring three goals in a 10-minute span to pick up his second hat trick of the season and seal Fallsburg’s post-season fate.
By the time Gallo was done, Eldred (1-8) was down 4-1 with under 18 minutes remaining in the game. The Yellowjackets momentum was noticeably thwarted, allowing the Comets to tack on two more goals from Leo Espinoza and Aldo Villatoro for insurance before the final buzzer.
“I feel great. Gallo said. “I’ve had hat tricks before but I’ve never scored three goals that quickly.” Gallo said.
The Comets turnaround this season was not totally unexpected as they returned most of their starting lineup from last year. Kenney said their playoff fate lies with their resilience.
“Our biggest weakness this season has been finishing,” said Kenney. “We have to concentrate on finishing our matches strongly if we expect to have success in the playoffs.”