Sycamore upsets Burlington C. in regional final

There was no comeback this time for the Burlington Central girls soccer team.

Sycamore scored with 18:33 remaining in the match Friday and the Rockets were unable to find the equalizer as the Spartans upset the top-seeded Rockets, 1-0, in the championship match of the Class 2A Sycamore regional.

“We gave ourselves plenty of chances to score. We were probably a little slow around the box,” Central coach Stephen Berry said.

Central (18-3-1) rallied from a 3-0 deficit with 15 minutes remaining in the regional semifinals against Hampshire before coming back and winning in overtime. The Rockets had a couple of chances to find the tying goal, but could not get past Sycamore goalkeeper Amanda Cook.

Camille Dela Cruz dribbled past a couple of defenders into the Spartans penalty area with 8 minutes remaining. Her cross was deflected out for a corner, which was easily cleared. A shot from 20 yards out off the foot of Cali Andrew with 3 minutes to go was right at Cook, who finished with three saves. The Rockets earned a free kick outside of the penalty area with 2 minutes remaining, but Dela Cruz’s service was cleared.

“After we got our goal, they really put on the full-court press,” Spartans coach Dave Lichamer said. “They were really moving the ball down on us and had some great ball skill. We just had to keep our composure.”

The second-seeded Spartans (9-11-2) had a couple of good opportunities in the first half, but were limited by the Rockets to just one chance in the second. Sycamore took advantage.

A cross into Central’s penalty area bounced around and eventually fell to Sycamore’s Lauren Miller. Her right-footed shot beat Rockets goalkeeper Taylor Martin for a 1-0 lead.

“A couple of mistakes within the whole play, and they score,” Berry said. “When you have chances you have to score to win the game. We didn’t, and they get to move forward.”

Despite the loss, Berry feels that the season was a success. The Rockets set a school record for wins and could return all but four players next season.

“There are a ton of positives with adding a new coaching staff,” Berry said. “Being able to do the things we did and grow as individuals and as a team, it was a good season for us.”