Knights Win Regional Title in Snow

RFH 2010, Featured Articles, HCS Boys Soccer

Fri, Nov 11, 2011

HCS Advances to state championship semi-finals next weekend in Middletown

MORRISVILLE -- Robbie Keever scored the game's only goal at 25:15 in the first half to give HCS a 1-0 win over Cherry Valley-Springfield in the Class D boys soccer regional title game this afternoon. Drew Thompson had the assist.

Hamilton advances to the state semi-finals for the fourth straight year. They will play either Section II's Fort Ann or Section IX's Family School next Saturday at Middletown High School.

Most of Saturday's game was played in an early-season snow storm. In fact, the game was halted for about half an hour midway through the second half because of the intensity of the snowfall, and the two other games that were to be played this afternoon were postponed.

The two teams returned to their locker rooms during the break while a tractor was used to plow the side lines and the goal areas at each end of the field.

"We made the right decision on the coin toss," said Latella. HCS wound up playing the second half with the wind-drive snow at their backs.

HCS did something no other team has done to Cherry Valley-Springfield all season today: make them play catch-up. Until this afternoon, CVS had not trailed an opponent in any game and, HCS scorred only the third goal on CVS this year.

As they have done so many times this year, and especially in the post-season, the Emerald Knights drew first blood today and then held the other side at bay. After Keever's goal, Hamilton denied CVS any real scoring threats. Even after the second half snow delay, with time winding down, HCS controlled the ball and kept CVS in their own end much of the time.

"They had to do something in the regional championship that they didn't ave to do all year," said Coach Brian Latella. "Getting the first goal was huge."

Latella once again praised his defense (in photo below from left: Branden Thomas, Devin Askew, John Kerber, Sam Reilly and all Shult)), adding that it responded well even when injuries forced some adjustments in the early going.