GUILDERLAND — The Guilderland boys’ soccer team played one of its best games of the year to beat visiting Ballston Spa on Tuesday night.

The Dutchmen defeated the Scotties, 4-0, after blowing open a close game with three goals in the second half.
"This was our best game of the year," said Guilderland Coach Mike Kinnally. "It was our most balanced game of the year. We had two unbelievable opportunities in the first half. We had not played well in the second half all year so that was nice."

Guilderland led 1-0 but had two great opportunities in the first half. Mike Camardo was credited with the first goal of the game. But a Ballston Spa player accidently kicked the ball into his own net after Camardo shot the ball. Nick Stark was given the assist on the score.

Camardo had a great opportunity later in the half but missed a wide-open net as he kicked the ball right of the goal.

Guilderland had plenty of opportunities in the first half but couldn’t finish and, if not for a great defensive play by Greg Murphy late in the first half, the score could’ve been tied.

Murphy stopped a break-away chance by sprinting back on defense and stopping and taking the ball away from a Ballston Spa player.

At halftime, the 10 seniors on the Guilderland team were honored with their parents as part of Senior Night.

Pumped up

The ceremony pumped up the Dutchmen as they came out with intensity in the second half.

Stark, a senior, scored just 37 seconds into the half as he got a pass from Chris Conway and was able to finish his shot.

Camardo scored about three minutes later on a great shot to the upper left corner of the goal. Frank Campagnano got the assist on the score.

Guilderland added its final goal with 32:13 left in the game. Conway scored by heading the ball into the goal after a great crossing pass from Kyle Klapp.

The Dutchmen played solid defense the rest of the game to preserve the shut out and walk away with a big win.
"We were ahead, 1-0, and we had opportunities," Kinnally said. "It was like at Burnt Hills. We have to put people away. We are not good enough to let people hang around. When we have opportunities, we have to put them away. And that’s been a bit of an issue."

Guilderland had beaten Burnt Hills, 3-0, on Friday.

On Tuesday, the Dutch controlled the middle of the field for most of the game and were able to finally put the Scotties away in the second half.
"Camardo controlled the middle," Kinnally said. "He is a strong kid in the middle. That was the key to this game."

Guilderland also got good scoring production from another senior.
"Nick Stark has been playing well for us," Kinnally said. "He had a good sophomore year and kind of fell off the face of the earth last year. He has four goals and four assists. He’s doing extremely well."

Guilderland had 14 shots in the contest to Ballston Spa’s three. Senior Barry Kinlan and junior Uriah Myrie split time in the goal for Guilderland and combined to make three saves.

The seniors who were honored at halftime were Camardo; Kinlan and his twin brother, Daniel; Kousha Navidar; John Polnak; Stark, Kelly Young; Ryan Zielinski; David Herkenham; and Havard Brustad, an exchange student from Norway.
Making history"

Guilderland improves to 5-4 overall as it heads into a contest with Shenendehowa on Thursday.
"I like playing Shen," Kinnally said. "I like playing them more than Niskayuna or Bethlehem. When you have an opportunity to beat Shen, it’s like making history. The kids always play a little harder and leave it all out there. If you beat them, it’s made your season."

The loss that hurt the most was a 1-0 setback to Ithaca.
"They went up 1-0 with two-and-a-half minutes to go," Kinnally said. "I would’ve liked to get a tie with them. I’d be pretty pleased if, instead of being 5-4, we were 5-3-1."

After the Shen game, the Dutch will play at Columbia on Saturday and at Saratoga next Wednesday.