CENTRAL NEW YORK – Seven games and seven consecutive victories had moved the East Syracuse Minoa boys soccer team all the way to no. 3 in last week’s state Class AA rankings. Yet the Spartans knew that Nottingham, no. 10 in that same state poll and also undefeated, provided a major challenge as the two would face each other last Tuesday night in what turned into an instant classic. They traded single goals in the first half, Joel Alvarez converting for the Spartans and Ebuela Bilengana for the Bulldogs, but it appeared that ESM would get control when Alvarez converted again and Ahmed Mujezinovic also scored, with Joevany Alvarez and Nick Courcy getting asssits. Down 3-1, Nottingham did not get discouraged. Instead, Bilengana and Mao Nkrunziza both converted, tying the game 3-3 and sending it to overtime. The Bulldogs kept the momentum and won it, 4-3, when midway through the first extra period a hard shot from Nkrunziza got past Mike Godleskli, who to that point in the game had made nine saves. ESM absorbed this and, returning to action Saturday as part of the “Kara Day” festivities at Spartan Stadium, roared back into the win column, shutting out Fulton 5-0. Adding three more goals, Joel Alvarez ran his season total to 22 while also earning an assist. ESM led 4-0 by halftime as Courcy and Jett Winans joined Alvarez in the goal-scoring column and other assists went to Matt O’Reilly and Dainer Gonzalez. Manlius Pebble Hill again played a tough opponent to a 1-1 stalemate when it did so in last Tuesday night’s game at Fabius-Pompey as a follow-up to a similar score against Bishop Ludden the week before. The Falcons entered the game at 5-2 and took the lead on a first-half goal by Abner Montecinos. However, Omari Swedi tied it for the Trojans in the second half, and helped by eight saves from Owen Hay MPH was able to keep it there through the rest of regulation and 20 minutes of overtime. Then, against Class B Cazenovia on Saturday, the Trojans lost 2-1 in a game where Nick Lurvey’s first-half goal, assisted by Andy Lurvey, helped make it 1-1 at halftime, but the Lakers took the lead for good in the second half. Hay finished with seven saves. Bishop Grimes got its first win of the season last Tuesday against LaFayette/Onondaga, breaking a five-game skid with a decisive 5-0 shutout where Eddie Koroma’s hat trick led the way. Up 3-0 by halftime, the Cobras kept going and Koroma picked up three goals, helped by Cooper Stewart and Brody English finding the net. Dante Piraino picked up an assist and Grimes held the opposition to just two shots all afternoon. When Grimes faced MPH on Thursday afternoon it was the Trojans prevailing 4-2, largely on the strength of a first half when it bolted to a 3-1 advantage. Nick Lurvey struck again, notching a three-goal hat trick to pace MPH. Dan Ford had the other goal, with Sam Lurvey getting two assists and Owen Reckess a single assist.