Manchester Boys Soccer Wins On Mercy Rule At Rochester

The Manchester Boys Varsity Soccer team beat Rochester 9-0, bringing the game to a halt with 18.54 left in the match with the ninth goal invoking the “mercy rule.”

The Squires got off to a quick start on a pass across the mouth of the goal by Diego Munoz just two minutes into the game which Michael Ortiz volleyed into the back of the net. Ortiz scored again about nine minutes later on an assist from Nathaniel Miller. Then Miller assisted on another goal, this time scored by Tyler McLain. Ortiz scored his third goal with less than ten minutes remaining in the half, assisted by McLain, and then McLain rounded out the half with two more goals of his own, the first assisted by Munoz and the second by Jose Cortes on a long pass forward from his position in the defense.

In the second half, McLain and Ortiz continued their back and forth scoring pattern with three goals in a five minute span: McLain, assisted by Ortiz; Ortiz unassisted; Ortiz, assisted by McLain.

While all the goals were scored by two players (Ortiz with five and McLain with four), five different players tallied assists. Ortiz and McLain are now tied for the scoring lead on the team with 14 goals each.

The defense was solid, with goalkeeper Kolby Haecker gaining his third shut-out of the season. This was also the game that marked another milestone: all 28 Squire soccer players in the JV and Varsity programs have now played varsity minutes this season.