Leading off today: You have to trust Dan Gillespie if the topic is soccer and he ever tells you, "Relax, I've done this a thousand times before."
That's because Gillespie, 74, coached his 1,000th Maple Hill boys soccer game earlier this month. The milestone came in the Wildcats' 4-1 victory against Waterford-Halfmoon. He started his second thousand last week with a 5-0 win -- No. 768 of his tenure -- against Tamarac.
Maple Hill has won 22 Section 2 championships (in 29 trips to the finals) as well as NYSPHSAA titles in 1998, 2000, and 2006.
Still, it was hardly an easy road toward becoming the winningest boys soccer coach in NYSPHSAA history for Gillespie, who stayed in the soccer program after retiring from teaching in 2008. His debut on the sideline in 1974 was a 10-0 loss.
"You set goals for the team and you look back to realize decades have gone by," he told The Times Union. "When you get a fall like this, you forget winter is around the corner. Soon, we will be freezing our butts off trying to play. It took me 10 years to have more wins than losses. That is how much of a hole we were in. When we got to 1982 and won the league for the first time, it was really exciting."
Said Waterford-Halfmoon coach Ryan Hardy: "He is a great human being. Dan cares about his team so much. That is all he cares about. He never takes credit for anything. It is always about his players. He is always a gentleman when you talk to him. He is a different type of guy. He is awesome."
Lourdes coach fired after incident between teammates
Eileen Cancro is out as the boys soccer coach at Our Lady of Lourdes less than a year after guiding the Warriors to a place in the NYSPHSAA Class A semifinals, the
Poughkeepsie Journal reported.
The paper reported her dismissal stemmed from an altercation between two OLL players before a Sept. 19 game against Mount Academy. The incident involved physical contact and language that could be considered racist, the report said.
Cancro was not present for the team's next game. Players' parents were informed of the decision to fire her in a Sept. 26 email signed by five school administrators.
"After thoughtful and ongoing discussions, careful consideration of all facts presented and consultation with legal counsel from the Archdiocese of New York, we have made the decision to cut ties with coach Cancro," the email read. "Please know this decision was not made lightly. It followed a thorough and deliberate review of all available information, always with the best interests of our student-athletes and the integrity of the program at heart. Despite efforts on both sides, we couldn't establish a shared vision moving forward.
"This matter has been settled and is not up to further discussion."
Cancro, who declined comment to the paper, began coaching at Lourdes in 2022 as a volunteer assistant. She took over the varsity last fall, with the season culminating with a Section 9 championship and a pair of wins in the state tournament. She was named the Poughkeepsie Journal's coach of the year.
Week 6 football scoreboard
Here's the rundown of New York's
Week 6 football scores.
