The John Stark boys soccer team had been there. They just hadn’t done that.

After losing a 1-0 lead with 10 minutes remaining and falling to Hollis-Brookline earlier in the week, the Generals held off Milford for a 1-0 victory on Friday, Sept. 19.

Joe Dodson notched the lone goal of the game in the first half, and keeper Matt Bartolotti made Dodson’s strike hold up, making several diving saves throughout the contest.

Milford’s best chance to tie came with 14:34 remaining, when the Spartans sent a shot toward the left post. Bartolotti was up to the task; his full-extension dive knocked the shot wide.

John Stark’s head coach, Mark Bograd, said Bartolotti and Josh Levandowski have split time based on how they’ve looked in practice, among other factors.

“Matt was on today,” Bograd said. “His angles were perfect. One of his biggest difficulties before today had been making a decision. Even if it was the wrong decision, I told him he just needed to make one.”

The coach also said he often chooses based on his gut feeling. “It worked out today,” he said. With the win, the Generals improved to 3-2-1 in Class I. One of the losses was a 2-1 defeat at the hands of 6-0-1 Hollis-Brookline. The Generals have struggled to find a consistent offense, producing seven goals through their six matches.

Bograd said the effort was important for his team’s confidence after the tough loss.

“I told them before the game we were either going to leave the field over .500 or under .500, it was just a matter of which side they’d end up on,” he said. “This was so huge because they were in this exact situation Tuesday.” The Generals tallied with 23 minutes remaining in the half after Steve Johnstone was taken down inside the box, giving John Stark a penalty shot.

Dodson cashed in, easily knocking the ball past Milford’s diving goalie.

Jason Savage delivered a solid defensive game; he broke up a Spartan shot on goal with roughly five minutes remaining to help preserve the win.

Matt Gelinas played well for John Stark after replacing Nick Campono, who injured his head in the first half. Bograd said Campono was taken to the hospital for tests.

The Generals also won their game against visiting Con-Val on Monday, Sept. 22. The hosts shut out the Cougars, 2-0.