Team walks in triumph after its win. (Jenny L’Hommodieu’19)
After beating the Lions in regular season and bringing home the Cup, the CA boys soccer team were faced with the task of defeating Bexley one more time on Wednesday, October 25, to punch a ticket to the District Finals.
The boys fell behind in the first half 1-0, only to come back more determined than ever in the final 40 minutes.
A beautiful corner kick by junior Tyler Schlonsky teed up a header for senior co-captain Angus Soderberg, evening the score.
Academy’s offense continued to play smart and aggressive, and pressured Bexley into scoring on themselves, giving the Vikes a 2-1 lead.
Frustrated by their mistake, the Lions struck back and scored off of a free kick to knot the score once again.
Academy’s offense took advantage of its opportunities and kept the ball in their possession. With time winding down and overtime seeming inevitable, junior Evan Scott netted a clutch goal for the Vikings, lifting his team to 3-2 win.
With the win, CA advanced to the District Finals, against Granville on Saturday, October 28.
After being blown out by the Blue Aces during the regular season, the Vikes knew they would need to play a stellar game to win.
The weather, freezing and wet, was unfavorable, but the boys weren’t going to let the conditions stop them from giving it their all.
Playing physical and strategic defense, Academy was able to prevent Granville for much of the game. Senior goalie Justin Kahle played a masterful game, finishing with five saves.
But the Blue Aces netted a lucky goal, and the Vikes found themselves down 1-0 going into halftime.
CA refused to back down. Constant offensive penetration led to Granville making a mistake and scoring an own goal, tying the game.
Neither team could find the back of the net for the remainder of regulation, and the two squads went into overtime, a District title hanging in the balance.
After two scoreless overtimes, the game moved to penalty kicks.
Granville missed two of their attempts and gave Academy an opportunity to seal a victory. The Vikes did exactly that, keeping their composure under the immense pressure and winning the shootout, 4-2. Jack Ostrowski’18, Tyler Schlonsky’19, Charlie Mueller’20, and Connor Brown’18 all buried penalty shots for Academy.
The District champion Vikings advance to the regional semi-finals against Tippecanoe on Tuesday, November 1 at Springfield High School.
