Friday, September 12, 2014

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

Elimane Sow (right) netted a hat trick in the first half and Ferris got over the .500 mark for the first time in three years with a 6-0 win over McNair.

JERSEY CITY – After winning just six of the 18 games on its schedule last season and with just three seniors returning, it was supposed to be another rebuilding year for the Ferris boys soccer team. But with the most of the team getting to play together over the summer, something that has not happened in years past, there is a renewed optimism. On Thursday, two of those seniors, Elimane Sow and Abdou Touray, showed why the Bulldogs are going to be one of the surprise teams in Hudson County.

Sow used his blinding speed to pile up a first-half hat trick and Touray controlled the game from his center midfield slot, dishing out three assists as Ferris got above the .500 mark for the first time since the opening game of the 2011 season with a 6-0 triumph over McNair Academic at Ferris High School.

“We had a strong start today and we fed off of each other once we got that first goal,” said Touray. “We're happy we won today. But we also know that we have potential this year but we have to be in better condition and play for the full 80 minutes every game if we are going to reach our goals.”

Ferris took control right from the outset scoring on its second shot of the game. Touray sent a cross into the box and Sow right there to head it into the back of the net in the 5th minute to put the Bulldogs on top, 1-0.

Sow then noticed something and took advantage of it twice in a 25-second span to break the game open. Instead of making his runs up the wings, he made more diagonal runs to cut inside of the defender for what became one-on-one opportunities with the goalie. Touray delivered a nice through ball that Sow poked home in the 21st minute. Just seconds later, Samuel Fathy sent a through ball from the left side that Sow capitalized on to make it 3-0.

Hugo Parada finished with four saves for McNair, which fell to 0-4 on the season.

“I saw that their backs were playing really wide and I wasn't getting a lot of room on the outside, so I made more runs up the middle of the field,” said Sow. “My teammates gave me some great passes. From there, I just had to do my job as a striker and put the ball in the net.”

With just over two minutes remaining in the half, the Bulldogs tacked on another goal. A long direct kick from Touray hit the post but Kirolos Ebid was there for the rebound as Ferris took a commanding 4-0 lead at the half.

Ferris (2-1) was the beneficiary of an own goal in the second half and also got one from Leopoldo Rugel. Joseph Rovelo and Fady Habib each had two saves to combine on the Bulldogs' second straight shutout. Hugo Parada finished with 12 saves for McNair (0-4).

The win moved Ferris above the .500 mark since opening the 2011 season with a win over Bound Brook. Ironically enough, to stay above the .500 mark they will face none other than Bound Brook this afternoon to try and keep the winning streak going. Regardless of the outcome, the Bulldogs' pride is back and that is a good sign for the remainder of the season.

“We made some mistakes and it wasn't a perfect game, but we played pretty well in every phase of the game,” said Ferris head coach Roberto Escobar. “I think playing in the summer definitely has helped us in getting off to a good start. When we work together we feel we can play with the top teams in the county and shock anyone. We're still working on developing our bench and getting some consistency with our play, not just ten minutes on, ten minutes off. The talent and the desire to succeed is there though and that's something we can build on.”

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