Peoria ND edges Marmion on PK’s
After battling through 80 minutes of scoreless soccer on Saturday, Marmion and Peoria Notre Dame were forced to decide who would take home the third-place trophy in Class 2A boys soccer by penalty kicks.
Peoria Notre Dame’s Brad Lazzari finished the Cadets off as he outguessed Marmion keeper Bradley White on Notre Dame’s fifth penalty kick attempt to beat the Cadets 1-0.
“Our goal at the beginning of the season was just to get to state, and as soon as we won that supersectional game we accomplished that,” Marmion senior Alex Ruble said. “We used the terms ‘biscuits and gravy’ because playing here was just extra. We wanted to win the games, and felt we could, but it didn’t happen.”
Marmion (19-8-3) created its fair share of chances, taking 14 shots overall with 6 of them coming on goal. Mike Frasca, who finished the season with easily a team-best 42 goals, had 6 shots but just 1 on goal.
Peoria Notre Dame (21-6), which has won two state titles in the past four years, had 17 shots, but also couldn’t find the back of the net so the match was decided without any overtime, going right into penalty kicks.
After the two squad’s first players in the shootout had their shots deflected out of harm’s way by their respective keepers, Peoria Notre Dame’s Johnny Frampton and Frasca both scored. The winners pulled ahead when Alex Garcia connected and Marmion’s Rodrigo Fernandez fired his shot too high. While Eddie Graham was successful on his attempt to keep the Cadets in the contest, Lazzari finished the Cadets off when he booted a shot into the right corner of the net.
“As a coach you can only ask kids to give their all and I felt that they played with their heart,” Marmion coach Kevin O’Connor said. “This is a great team (Peoria Notre Dame) with a storied history. We created a lot of great chances and I’m extremely proud. I’m proud of what they accomplished during my tenure and the program will continue without me and it should.”
The game signaled the end of O’Connor’s fantastic career with the Cadets which culminated in the program’s first appearance in the state finals. It was also the final high school match for seniors Mick Maley, Joe Romanos, Luke Elder, Brad White, Frasca, Fernandez and Ruble.
“We finally got a chance to play on the big stage and we didn’t have our best game yesterday but today they played with tremendous heart,” O’Connor said. “For my last game I told the guys to play with their heart and they did that.”
O’Connor won’t be coaching the Cadets next season, but don’t be surprised if you see him on the sidelines next fall.
“Marmion will always be in my heart and I might not be the head coach but I’ll still be a presence,” he said. “I’ll be as much as a presence on the sidelines as the next coach wants me to be.”
As for the graduating seniors, the season is one that will never be forgotten.
“I’d had a couple good seasons and going to (supersectionals) two years ago,” Ruble said. “But this season has meant so much more. I’ve had so much fun this year. I’ll never forget it.”