The ebb and flow of the Berkshire boys side’s 2024 campaign may have been encapsulated Sept. 21 in a matinee match against visiting Columbia. On one hand, the Badgers showed propensity for getting into the attack with dangerous off-ball flow and intent, leading to a career day for one of their senior staples. On the other hand, they conceded 19 shots on target. Fortunately for Berkshire, it ebbed and flowed all the way into the win column just the same. Ryan Kessinger had an afternoon to remember with six goals, one off the school record for most in a single match, to lead the Badgers to a wild 9-4 win. “It’s taken until about this time of year, both this year and last year I felt, to start getting really started producing going forward,” Berkshire coach Oliver Mason said. “We got some scrappy wins at the start, some humbling losses at the start. But as we kept going and as we do these things, it’s good for the boys to start getting some goals under their belt. “On the defensive side, sadly our starting center back, who has won awards sophomore year, junior year, is now out with a broken ankle. So it is taking a lot for the boys to try to step up into that. That has required our starting goalkeeper to start playing in the field. And the goalkeeper today has to sub in because both our other sub goalies are injured. At the end of two weeks, six games is a lot. So the boys are feeling that. They have a week off until the next game, so that’s really good.” Berkshire 1-0Trent Hornak 5th min pic.twitter.com/KuqeI2XXgg — Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) September 21, 2024 Berkshire (6-4-2) went up, 3-0, by the 21st minute, appearing to be on the verge of a rout, through a brace by Trent Hornak in the fifth and 15th before Kessinger bagged his first of the match. Berkshire 2-0Trent Hornak for the brace 15th min pic.twitter.com/W7MfFzTgID — Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) September 21, 2024 Then Columbia, through standout sophomore Jack Washburn’s brace, got within 3-2 by the 29th. Kessinger calmed down matters a bit for the hosts approaching half. The senior netted a finish in the 37th minute, playing a high bounce off a Roman Percic goal kick all the way to the left post for a tapper. Then he generated a brace for that particular minute, pouncing 31 seconds later to make it a 5-2 match after the opening 40. Kessinger came into the match with five career high school goals — two last fall and three to date in 2024. Doubling his career output in one day may not have been something he anticipated, but it was very much welcome. “I just thought it was a lot of goals both ways,” Kessinger said. “But we just came out on top scoring more. We found the gaps in their defense, and we just took advantage of it. We were able to get some nice goals in there. Our defense, they stepped up when it counted. Let in four — could be better, but it could be worse.” The second 40 was similarly chaotic, as Kessinger grabbed another same-minute brace in the 59th minute before adding his sixth and final goal of the match in the 65th. Percic, less than a day removed from breaking the school record when he kicked a 48-yard field goal in the Badgers’ football win at Wickliffe, was solid in makeshift goalie duty with 15 saves. The junior, understandably amid a busy weekend, make a quick exit postmatch. With a combined 13 goals and 32 shots on target, it might not have been the most ideal 80 for any defensive-third enthusiast. But it was effective enough. For more from this match, check back in the coming days on News-Herald.com and in our print edition.im THE SCORE Berkshire 9, Columbia 4