Boys soccer: Harvest Christian falls in Class 1A sectional semifinal
Harvest Christian had all manner of numerical advantages except for the one that mattered most - the scoreboard.
The final horn sounded with Rockford Christian - playing short-handed for the final 47 minutes - holding off a Harvest comeback bid for a 2-1 victory Tuesday in the Class 1A Genoa-Kingston boys soccer sectional.
"Today just wasn't our day," coach Sina Vidic lamented after Harvest's Lions had their single-season school record for victories capped at 15-3-1.
Rockford Christian's Royal Lions (11-12-1), who were 1-6-1 for the last eight matches of the regular season, take a three-match win streak into Saturday's sectional championship against the winner of Wednesday's St. Edward vs. Oregon semifinal.
Two minutes in Harvest's Raphael DeSouza was one-on-one with Rockford goalie Matt Chaffin, who made a dramatic save. Much more stunning at 7:10 was Maxwell Cincinnati's 29-yard scorcher into the left side upper 90 that caromed off the crossbar down and in.
Just under two minutes later Harvest nearly had an equalizer but Chaffin fisted the ball over an oncoming Zach Floyd to avoid another potential tying effort. While the overall attempts and shots on goal mounted in Harvest's favor, the score stayed the same. Despite two straight yellow cards leading to a red card expulsion of a Rockford forward, the half closed at 1-0.
The Lions continued attacking but shooting wide or high until Rockford managed a counter attack on which Cincinnati set up teammate Andrew Villacorta in the middle for a 16-yard chip shot inside the right post. That made it 2-0 for the Royal Lions with 22:50 left in regulation.
Harvest scored with 12:06 remaining as Aaron Ptak showed patience and control in a scramble and his pass set up Cesar Velazquez for an easy 6-yard tap-in near the left post.
"With a defender flying at me I saw Cesar near the left post and figured the odds were better passing than trying to blast one in," Ptak explained. "Whether it's a goal or an assist, it's not about me, it's about the team and helping us win. This loss definitely stings right now, but it's been a great season and not just because of the record. Of my four years, this group has been more of a family than ever."
The remainder of the match featured continual Harvest attacks that amounted to a 20-7 edge in overall attempts and an 8-4 advantage for shots on goal, plus a whopping 12-4 tally for corner kicks.
As was the case in 2014, Harvest's postseason didn't reach the sectional title game, but the Lions boast three straight regional plaques, double-figure triumphs for four consecutive years, plus above .500 records each season after their 2011 varsity debut. HCA captured the Hampshire tournament crown and went undefeated (6-0) for the Northeastern Athletic Conference title.
"When I think back to our start from preseason, I'm amazed at how far our journey has taken us beyond just the wins," Vidic said. "I appreciate all of their hard work. We had our chances throughout this game, but didn't capitalize. They had an absolutely amazing shot in the first half and then they did what was needed to earn the win."