Boys’ soccer came away with a close victory, 3-2, over Western Sierra Collegiate Academy in the first round of playoffs at Foskett Regional Park, Nov. 8.
The Cavs, up 2-1 from goals made by senior Eric Hilton and junior Ethan Ham in the first half, was so close to victory when suddenly goalie Brad Petchauer let a shot slip by.
“They tied the game with two minutes left in regulation,” junior Skovran Cunningham said.
So it went into overtime, then double overtime.
The score was still tied 2-2, and the team only had a couple minutes left on the clock when Ham, Country Day’s leading scorer, was fouled, giving him the chance for a free kick.
Everyone stood silent. Ham set the ball in front of him, backed away, then ran toward the ball faster and faster until he kicked the ball hard.
The ball flew past the goalie and swished into the net. The crowd burst into cheers.
“(Ham) didn’t even understand what happened,” Cunningham said. “He was stoked. It was the last play of the game on a (free) kick. Then it was a giant mosh pit around him.”
Despite victory, freshman Christian Van Vleck said the team could have had better communication in the first half; the problem was fixed in the second.
The boys will next play against Forest Lake Christian at their field on Wednesday, Nov. 13, at 3 p.m.
(Video courtesy of Andy Cunningham)
