Presidents use PKs to top Sharon
|
|
Black River's James Greenwood heads the ball away from Sharon's Hannes Fischer-Byrne at the Division IV state title game at College of Saint Joseph on Saturday morning. CASSANDRA HOTALING / RUTLAND HERALD |
Toolbox
By Tom Haley STAFF WRITER - Published: November 8, 2009
Winning a state championship is special. Two in a row is remarkable in its consistency. Win three straight and people begin to throw around the word "dynasty."
Meet the dynastic Black River Presidents. They won their third straight Division IV boys soccer championship Saturday by beating Sharon Academy on penalty kicks 4-2, after the teams battled through a 1-1 tie through regulation and 20 minutes of overtimes.
Kippie Turco did plenty of everything for the fourth-seeded Presidents. He assisted on Jake Covell's goal three minutes into the second half with one of his patented corner kicks he hangs in front of the goal. After defender Victor Cucullo was injured late in the game, Turco went back and played defense in the two overtimes. And he touched off the celebration with the clinching penalty kick.
Turco missed a penalty kick during regulation time after Sharon was whistled for a handball with 5:21 remaining.
"It was redemption," Turco said.
Turco missed wide with his PK in regulation so when he stepped up to take his shot in the penalty-kick session, he was focused on making sure he put it on goal.
"I wanted to make sure it was on net so I put it right in the middle," Turco said.
And that's where it went. It was right at keeper Brad Farrell in the middle of the goal. But it also had plenty on it and cut just under the bar for Black River's fourth penalty kick, clinching the PK session at 4-2.
Chris Kowalski was the hero on the other side of the penalty-kick session. The Black River keeper saved two of them. Sharon's first penalty kicker was Torin Riddle. He struck the ball well, but Kowalski went to his knees and made a nice save.
Noah Schmidt was Black River's first penalty kicker and he placed the ball perfectly, giving the Prexies the edge.
The next two kickers were Sharon's Erik Littlehales and Black River's Covell. They both converted: 2-1, Black River.
Then, Sharon's Michael Young-Ward and Black River's James Greenwood made the penalty kicks, keeping the advantage for Black River.
Farrell turned kicker and hit the ball well, but Kowalski made a diving stop.
That meant Turco could keep the first stanza from going to the fifth and final kicker and he came through.
Kowalski, a senior, was superb under the pressure.
"I read it," Kowalski said. "I watch the plant foot of the shooter and that tells me which way he is opening up his hips."
The Presidents, and Kowalski in particular, had to be a little shaken that the game was going into overtime in the first place. They were so close to closing it out in regulation time with a 1-0 lead when Michael Landry tallied for the Phoenix with just 37 seconds to left.
Young-Ward set the scoring play in motion with a corner kick. There was a scramble in front of the goal and Landry finished it off, triggering a wild celebration for Sharon.
They had been pushing frantically for the equalizer and just when it seemed they would run out of time, they scored to give them plenty of momentum heading into overtime.
"I learned over the summer to block it out as soon as possible," Kowalski said of the late score.
"They deserved the goal. They were in there in force," Black River coach Tony Valente said.
The Presidents nearly scored in the early minutes of the game when Ben Farrow got a head on Turco's corner kick. Dillon Normyle had another strong bid for the Presidents but his hard shot sailed wide.
Black River had the better of the play in the first half, but Sharon came closest to scoring. Hannes Fishcher-Byrne scorched a shot near the end of the half, forcing Kowalski to make an outstanding diving save.
Both teams had their opportunities in the second half. Sharon's Ian Pattison led Fischer-Byrne with a nice ball and he just missed with a header.
The celebration was somewhat subdued for Valente because it came via the penalty-kick format.
"That's a horrible way to end the game," the Black River coach said. "I say keep playing until somebody wins.
"Sharon is a class act and they always have been.
"We had won two in a row in 1997 and 1998 and were trying to retire the trophy. This time we had a better result."
"I thought we played very well in the two overtimes," Sharon coach Rob Stainton said. "It was a great season."
It's been quite a run at the Ludlow school. Last year the Black River girls team retired the rotating trophy with a third straight state championship. This time it was the boys' turn.
tom.haley@rutlandherald.com
40