Bulldogs boys, girls down to the wire of regular season

Adam Minor

Editor’s Note: This edition was sent to press on Monday, Oct. 26, which was before the Eastford Bulldogs’ final regular season game against Ashford on Tuesday, Oct. 27. Therefore, we could not include results from that game or any potential playoff reporting. A complete season recap is planned for the December edition of the Communicator.

EASTFORD — For both the boys’ and girls’ Bulldogs soccer teams, the 2026 season has been a series of ups and downs, with 11 of 12 regular-season games played as of press time Monday, Oct. 26.

The boys’ team, led by Head Coach Kullen Pacheco, started out on a high note, starting the season 2-0 with wins over St. James (2-1) on Sept. 15 and Parish Hill (2-0) on Sept. 17. Kameron Pacheco jumped out early as the team’s scoring leader, netting three goals in the first two games.

The Bulldogs faltered in the next four games, however, as they lost at home to Canterbury, 4-1, on Tuesday, Sept. 22, and were then shut out, 8-0, on the road at Thompson on Thursday, Sept. 24. These losses were followed by a loss to Pomfret, 4-2, at home on Sept. 29, and an overtime loss at Ashford, 4-3, on Oct. 1 — leaving the Bulldogs holding on for playoff positioning at 2-4 at the midway point of the season.

After defeating St. James at home, 3-2, on Oct. 8, to move to 3-4, the Bulldogs would go on to lose three straight — a 1-0 loss at Parish Hill on Oct. 13, a 5-2 loss at Canterbury on Oct. 14, and a 7-2 loss against Thompson at home on Oct. 20 — to move to 3-7. On Oct. 21, the Bulldogs traveled to Pomfret, a perennial QVJC power, and shocked the Eagles with a 5-4 come-from-behind win (after being down 4-1 at halftime), moving the Bulldogs to 4-7 (2-3 home, 2-4 away) as of press time. Over the middle and latter portion of the season, Sylas Platt emerged as the team’s scoring leader, with 9 goals as of Oct. 26. Besides Platt and Pacheco, Charlie Ellsworth (3), Jack Kernan (2), and Logan Gillett (2) have also contributed scores to the Bulldogs’ team total.

On the girls’ side, the Bulldogs, led by Head Coach Jen Barlow, struggled at the start, losing their first five games of the season — a 6-0 home loss to St. James on Sept. 15; a close, 2-1 loss at Parish Hill on Sept. 17; a 9-0 loss at Canterbury on Sept. 22; a 4-1 loss at Pomfret on Sept. 29, and a 5-0 loss at home to Ashford on Oct. 1. However, the girls would finally break through against Thompson on Oct. 7, shutting out the Tigers 3-0 to notch their first win of the season. They would follow up that win with another victory, a 1-0 win at St. James to move to 2-5.

Back-to-back 3-0 losses versus Parish Hill (Oct. 13) and Canterbury (Oct. 14) would drop the Bulldogs to 2-7, but in a rematch with Thompson, the Bulldogs fought to a 2-2 draw, moving their record to 2-7-1. On Oct. 21, the girls dropped their home finale to Pomfret, 6-1.

Hayleigh Wooding has emerged as the team’s scoring leader with three goals. Scarlett Haynes also scored two goals, while Olivia DePercio, Chloe Minor, Aiyana Reed, and Emma-Lynn Salony each scored one.

See below for a complete breakdown of the season’s results, remaining schedule, and season scoring leaders. For more detailed game-by-game coverage, including photos, visit the Eastford Communicator Facebook page!

Results And Upcoming Schedule

Girls- Tuesday, Sept. 15, vs. St. James, L, 0-6

Boys- Tuesday, Sept. 15, at St. James, W, 2-1

Season Scoring Totals

Boys

Sylas Platt: 9

Kameron Pacheco: 5

Charlie Ellsworth: 3

Jack Kernan: 2

Logan Gillett: 2

Xander Sughrue: 1

Girls

Hayleigh Wooding: 3

Scarlett Haynes: 2

Olivia DePercio: 1

Chloe Minor: 1

Aiyana Reed: 1

Emma-Lynn Salony: 1

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