By Jacob Heid

Sports Editor

AMHERST – When the Amherst and Pacelli soccer teams met twice last season, both games were intense and ended in draws. 

This season, Amherst got the best of the Cardinals in the first matchup, 4-1, at Amherst High School on Sept. 7. 

Sophomore striker Ayden Kazda scored twice for the Falcons in the win.

Head Coach Erik Linde enjoyed the constant pressure on offense. 

“It’s something that we have been working on for a couple of years. We have a pretty young midfield, but we have a pretty experienced front line,” he said. “Getting the pressure, getting our midfield to move up into the attack was a good one today.”

More pressure came in the 19th minute in Amherst’s attacking third. 

Senior defender Austin Kosobucki created the play with a move at midfield. 

He dumped the ball to the corner for a cross that met the foot of Kazda right in front of the net. An easy shot gave the sophomore his second score of the night, putting Amherst ahead 2-0.

One more goal made it 3-0 before the first-half horn sounded.

Kazda had an open look for a hat trick but sailed one over the crossbar as the second half started.

Fellow striker Carlos Lopez also had a few close looks during the second half.

“Unselfish,” Linde said when talking about sophomore Ayden Kazda and junior Carlos Lopez’s performances. “Working together, we’ve been really pushing that because they’re both great scorers. We have been trying to push them to work together, and I think that came through in this game.” 

Even with Pacelli being down 3-0 in the late stages, it searched for an opportunity.

Senior Max Grabiec took advantage of a bobble from keeper Alex Martin and found the back of the net in the 66th minute.

Lopez closed the game for good with another Falcon goal roughly a minute later to make it 4-1.