CHS boys’ soccer team makes history in thrilling OT win
By Tony Catinella
The Canton High School boys’ soccer team captured the Division 2 south sectional championship for the very first time in program history after edging top-ranked Sandwich 2-1 in penalty kicks Sunday afternoon at Weymouth High School.
The victory earned the undefeated Bulldogs (17-0-4) a chance to play Concord-Carlisle — the Division 2 defending state champions — in the MIAA state semifinals Wednesday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Quincy. (See next week’s Citizen for results.)
Like Canton, Concord-Carlisle was a No. 2 seed in its sectional bracket and punched its ticket to the semis with a 2-1 win over top-seeded Winchester on Sunday. The Patriots promised to be a tough test for the Bulldogs, but Coach Danny Erickson said his boys were ready.
“We’re real excited, and very proud,” said Erickson after Sunday’s thrilling win. “We have an unbelievable group of kids. We can beat anyone and we come from behind.”
On Sunday the Bulldogs did just that. Despite allowing a goal just eight minutes into the game to the defending south champion Blue Knights, the Bulldogs would not let their guard down. Then, with five minutes off the clock in the second half, the Sandwich goalie mishandled a throw-in by junior captain Chris Murray and fellow captain Igor Perun capitalized on the mistake, chipping in his seventh goal of the season to tie the game at 1.
The score remained that way through two long overtime periods and eight penalty kick attempts, until senior Nate Seto delivered the winning penalty kick while goalie Colby Gavigan made a final save to clinch the south sectional title.
For the Bulldogs, it took a complete team effort to knock off the Blue Knights, yet it was not the first time Canton has benefited from big goals in key situations.
In Friday’s sectional semifinal game against the Duxbury Dragons, sophomore Drew Blake was the hero. With just 13 minutes left, Blake came in off the bench and scored on his first touch of the game. A Murray throw-in was deflected and Blake was in the right place at the right time to hammer the goal in the back of the net for the 1-0 win.
On Wednesday against Hopkinton, the Bulldogs were able to get revenge on the team that ended their season in last year’s sectional semifinal. Canton striker Ramon Ambrosio knocked in his 17th goal of the season midway through the second half, and defenders Seto, Scotty Levy, Andrew Vinciguerra, Matt Kelly, and goalkeeper Gavigan preserved the shutout.
Gavigan’s shutouts against Duxbury and Hopkinton were his 11th and 12th of the season.
“He’s a phenomenal, important part of the team,” Erickson said of his goalie.
Sunday’s championship win left the Bulldogs just two victories away from their first-ever state title, with Wednesday’s winner moving on to play the winner of the other semifinal matchup between central champion Nipmuc and west champion Southwick.
But as long as the Bulldogs play to the level they are capable of, Coach Erickson remains confident that they can beat any team in Division 2.
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=1441
Posted by Tony Catinella
on Nov 18 2010. Filed under High School, News, Sports.
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