In rematch of Division II soccer championship, North Smithfield shows it's up to the challenge
RICHMOND — Wednesday night was never going to erase what happened 10 months ago.
North Smithfield knew that. Victory in the regular season can’t compare with defeat against Chariho in last year’s Division II boys soccer final.
What this 1-0 result can do for the Northmen is help them toward the 2022 version of the crown. They’re rock solid on defense, have multiple players up front who can finish a chance and possess just enough of that motivation derived from previous pain to get it done in November.
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“We’re focused on 2022,” North Smithfield coach Eric Korytkowski said. “We can’t change anything that happened last year. But I’d be lying to you if I said we didn’t throw the film on Monday night for a little extra motivation.”
The Chargers rallied to their first title at any level since 2009 thanks to a late equalizer in regulation and the winning goal in extra time. North Smithfield was left wondering what might have been throughout the summer and relished its first chance to do something about it. Northmen striker Joshua Neves acknowledged that this game might have been circled on the calendar when schedules were released.
“We knew what happened last year,” Neves said. “Terrible, terrible ending to the season.”
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Joshua Neves scores the only goal
This perfect fall evening brought a different conclusion. Neves struck for the lone goal in the 62nd minute, slipping behind the Chariho defense on the right and arriving first to a ball played in by Zach Bienkiewicz. Neves flicked a header over the Chargers' keeper that seemed to stop time for a few moments — it arched high in the air and eventually dipped below the crossbar inside the far post.
“I just tried to get a head on it and it went in,” Neves said. “Got it down. It wasn’t the most powerful header, but good placement.”
Finding the net once in each match has been enough for the Northmen thus far in league play. North Smithfield improved to 5-0-1 while keeping a sixth clean sheet this season. Only a 0-0 draw Sept. 17 against East Greenwich has put a scuff on the club’s record to date.
“These games are important to win when you’re not at your best,” Korytkowski said. “It’s easy to win when everybody is jelling and everybody is going and things are easy.”
Chariho (1-3-2) was unbeaten in three straight and had a pair of chances on either side of halftime to take the lead. Liam Currier’s throw off the left wing in the 34th minute set up Ian Clark for a sizzling right-footed drive, but Northmen keeper Sammy Beauchemin palmed it away at the far post to keep it 0-0 into the break.
“We’re only going to ask him to make two or three big saves in a game, and he does it,” Korytkowski said. “Tremendous save, and he does it with ease sometimes. We forget how valuable he is back there.”
Some bad fortune denied the Chargers less than a minute out of the locker room. Canyon Krom’s corner off the right hit Will Edmunds at the back post, and his header across goal clipped the crossbar. Chariho was trailing some 20 minutes later and didn’t come that close again.
“We didn’t play our best game, but we played good enough to beat them,” Neves said. “Their defense is great, but we got those chances. That one came to me and I put it in the back of the net.”
NORTH SMITHFIELD (1): Joshua Neves; assist — Zach Bienkiewicz.
CHARIHO (0): No scoring.
Halftime — 0-0. Saves — Sammy Beauchemin, NS, 5; Drew DeNoncour, C, 0; Jack McCallig, C, 4.
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On Twitter: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI boys soccer North Smithfield edges Chariho Josh Neves scores only goal
