Connor, Greenberg and Fraser lead Hills West to win
Hauppauge High School #15 defender #15 Luke Wolmer, left, and Half Hollow Hills West forward #16 Justin Connor battle for possession in the second half. (Sept. 29, 2010) Credit: James Escher
The more defenders that teams stash in the backfield to combat them, the more Half Hollow Hills West forwards Justin Connor, Dylan Greenberg and Donovan Fraser seem to score.
"We have so much speed up top that other teams adapt to our style," Hills West coach Doug Gannon said. "I got three guys, I think they are the best front line in the county."
Even with extra defenders marking them, the trio did nothing to dispel that notion yesterday. Connor and Greenberg went goal for goal, finishing with two each, and Fraser added two assists as Half Hollow Hills defeated Hauppauge, 4-1, in a League IV game.
Connor opened the scoring after he converged with Hauppauge keeper Mike Mazzeo on a lob in front of the net and headed the ball over Mazzeo's outstretched hand with 15:49 left in the first half.
Greenberg scored his first goal after taking a centering pass from Kyle Weaving in the middle of the box and heading it in to give the Colts a 2-0 lead with 7:43 left in the half. Less than three minutes later, Connor headed in his second goal.
"Connor and Fraser are good players and they are fast," said Greenberg, who added another goal with 28:13 remaining in the game. "They are getting me involved and when I'm around better players I play very good and score goals."
The Colts (4-0) came within 10.5 seconds of their sixth shutout of the season until Thomas O'Brien of Hauppauge (2-2) got behind the defenders for the lone blemish on a dominant defensive performance.
As good as the Colts offense has looked, outscoring opponents 36-3 this season, the defense has been just as impressive. "I have to give credit to my defense," Gannon said. "They're the ones that if we want to go far and compete for a county title, and compete to go upstate to Middletown, those are the guys that are going to get us there, not the offense."
The Colts' potent offense won't allow their defense to book a potential trip to the state tournament single-handedly, but it's a responsibility that defender Taylor Brugna seems willing to embrace.
"To win championships, you need a strong defense," he said. "You have to stop the other team from scoring and we have the ability to do that."
