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Boys soccer showdown
It was the type of night that high school soccer players only dream about. With dozens of players bundled up in long-sleeve under shirts and thin, wool gloves, autumn made its presence known, but under the lights at Cedar Grove High School, the heat was on.
In what was a must-win game for both Verona and Cedar Grove, the stage was set for what was expected to be by many, the game of the season, and the arch-rivals lived up to the billing.
Cedar Grove senior Captain Joe Corradi said that the game was one that the Panthers had been looking forward to all season and from the onset, it was clear that the Verona squad was as well.
After storming the field in what was a playoff atmosphere, neither team succeeded in establishing the early tone. A lack of dominance in possession for either side kept the back-and-forth pace alive for much of the game and it was that up and down pace that made the contest so exciting.
Early on, Verona seemed to gain momentum that the Cedar Grove defense swept aside when it continually stopped runs mounted by the Hillbilly offense. Because neither team was able to establish prolonged possession in the early-on, it was the long-ball that set up most of both teams’ first-half attacks and the Panthers were capable of thwarting Verona’s early transition game.
After countless failed attempts at the Black and Gold net, however, Verona struck first on a goal from senior Chris Lavery who punched a shot, courtesy of a Colin Cummings cross, into the net after 20 minutes of first-half play.
Cedar Grove, determined to fight back in front of its home crowd, rallied back and began to mount some attacks of its own. Led by forwards Jon Luke and Chuck Cakirgil, the Panthers were knocking on the door.
The Panthers, who knew that Monday night’s contest was a must-win for any chance of a State Tournament berth, played inspired and when the game got chippy, Cedar Grove responded.
With less than four minutes remaining in the first half, the Panthers took advantage of Verona’s physical play and drew a penalty at midfield. Urging his forwards to crowd the net, Corradi lofted the free kick through the middle and into the box. Amidst the confusion, Cakirgil was able to knock in the game-tying shot, a goal that galvanized the Panther faithful as the two teams headed into the half tied at one.
Second-half play seemed to pick up where the first half left off with a distinguishable style of soccer that boasted no real dominance from either side.
After countless attacks mounted by both offenses, it was clear that the respective defensive units were wearing themselves out. With big opportunities, both goalies came up huge. Verona junior Mack Kurby in particular, was a wal in net for Verona.
Cedar Grove had several great opportunities to put the game away in regulation, but Kurby was in the zone, stopping breakaway after breakaway to keep the Hillbillies alive.
“I was just out there trying to keep us in it for the playoffs,” the goalie said. “The adrenaline’s got you going in a game like this and you don’t really think about what’s going on, so I didn’t even notice that I was making those saves.”
With the clock winding down, it was clear that 80 minutes would not be enough to settle the dispute. Inspired by Kurby’s performance, the Hillbillies headed into the overtime period with all the momentum. Despite an injury to senior Captain Anthony Hart, who sprained his knee earlier in the week, the Verona offense looked poised to break the tie.
Less than two minutes into the extra period, Verona Head Coach Wayne Looney was forced to pull Hart due to the injury, but the senior was not pleased.
As if stirred by some divine soccer spirit, Looney re-inserted Hart back into the game less that two minutes later, just in time to receive the game-winning cross from Noah Herman.
“I was just thinking that I needed to be out there,” Hart said about his frame of mind while watching from the sidelines.
“I never even saw the cross,” Hart added. “I didn’t see the ball, but I knew he kicked it. The ball just came out of no where at the last second and that is when I put a head on it.”
With two games remaining, Looney knows the scenario.
“We knew heading into this three-game week, what the situation was,” Looney said. “If we want to make states, we’re going to have to win all three.”
After Monday night’s victory over Cedar Grove, the Hillbillies appear on their way.
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