Sumner upsets Central Seyffer tallies game-winner

EAST SULLIVAN – The Sumner boys soccer team had a couple of things in mind going into their game with Central of Corinth Monday.

1. Get a win and put the team in the playoff picture.

1A. Get some revenge on the Red Devils, who had thumped the Eagles to the tune of 7-1 on Sept. 23.

Sumner accomplished both, earning a 2-1 win over the Red Devils. The win was the Tigers’ third in a row and they improved to 5-6-1.

Will Seyffer and Jake Viveiros were the Tigers’ goal scorers and, just like the players’ styles, the goals were very different.

Viveiros usually runs the left wing for Sumner, and he has speed and precision. Coach John Frye moves Seyffer around from wing to wing and even back into the defense. He is a power forward, with speed and a cannon for a shot and he doesn’t hesitate to let the ball fly from 30 yards out.

Viveiros’ goal came with 4:03 remaining in the first half. The play started with Seyffer pushing the ball forward down the right wing to Roger Sargent at the right edge of the penalty area. Sargent pushed to the middle and then flipped a pass back to Viveiros at the top the box. Viveiros one-timed his shot, lofting the ball just over Central goalie Scott Chambers, who managed to get his finger tips on the ball but not enough to keep it out of the goal.

“I knew it was going in as soon as I kicked it,” Viveiros laughed. “This was a very big win. We needed this win.”

For long stretches it appeared that one goal might be enough for the win. Sumner used its speed and a tight defense to control play.

“That’s one thing we’ve had problems with this year is just kinda winning the middle of the field. We seem to sit back and let them play the ball,” Central coach Paul Speed said.

But 6-5-1 Central came alive with just under 22 minutes remaining in the match when Thomas Palmer sent a long cross from the right wing into the penalty area that Sumner rolled to the far post. Jimmy Connolly slammed it into the net to tie the game.

Sumner once again stepped up the pressure, and with 9:18 remaining, Seyffer found himself all alone at the top of the penalty area and he hammered a shot into the upper right corner for the winning goal.

“These guys smoked us last time. We decided to bring it to them and leave it all out on the field,” Seyffer said.

Frye said his team finally played a complete game.

“Our problem most of the time is after we score we usually let down. Today they didn’t. They played 80 minutes and we haven’t put an 80 together until today,” he said.

Carlos Valencia made six saves on 12 shots for Sumner while Chambers stopped four of Sumner’s nine shots.