Lincoln Academy fans swarm the boys soccer team after the Eagles defeated Freeport on penalty kicks in a Class C South quarterfinal match on Wednesday, Oct. 25. (Paula Roberts photo)
It took the Eagles boys soccer team two overtimes and four rounds of a penalty kick shootout to finally overcome the Freeport Falcons. Lincoln Academy (11-1-3) came out on top in the scrappy Class B South quarterfinal match 3-2 on Wednesday, Oct. 25. The victory avenged the Eagles’ only regular season loss, a very close 1-0 match in Freeport on Sept. 29.
“Beating a strong southern team like Freeport builds a lot of confidence, and confidence is key during the playoffs,” said Eagles head coach Jeff Burroughs. “We got off to a flat start and fell behind, but the guys fought back with some nice goals, and then it was just a battle. I’m so proud of these guys.”
“In overtime, I felt like if the game goes to overtime penalty kicks, we’ll win it. (Freeport is) a really good team, but we have a great goalie in Marcello,” said Burroughs, referring to Lincoln Academy senior goalie Marcello Endrizzi, who made 15 saves during the game.
It was Endrizzi’s diving save on the final penalty kick that clinched the win for the Eagles, as they outscored the Falcons 4-2 in penalty kicks. Right after the acrobatic save by Endrizzi, the Eagles team cheered at midfield for a moment as if stunned before realizing it was over and racing to pile onto Endrizzi in the net before being joined by jubilant students and fans.
Pablo Iglesias Martin centers the ball for the Eagles. (Paula Roberts photo)
Before Endrizzi’s heroics, the game was an epic battle that captivated the large crowd, which was extra lively and seemed to sense a special ending might take place, for one side or the other. The game had it all – a slick breakaway goal and a goalie stop on one, a goal on a mad scramble and physical play. It featured a penalty kick, disallowed goals, yellow cards, a desperate overtime and then the drama of penalty kicks.
Freeport took an early lead when the Falcons’ senior captain Owen Rusiecki split two Eagle defenders for a breakaway goal less than nine minutes into the game. The match was back and forth with chances for both teams until LA’s Lucas Houghton made a run fifteen minutes later and was fouled inside the penalty box, Casey Duncan fired the penalty shot past diving Falcons’ goalie Mason Vintinner to knot the score 1-1 with 15:53 in the first half.
The Eagles built off of the momentum and scored again just two minutes later when E.J. Hunt knocked in the rebound of a Peter Thelander header. The frantic play was set up by a well-placed direct kick by Pablo Iglesias Martin right to the front of the Falcons’ goal.
Freeport got a shot past Endrizzi with seven minutes left in the half, but the play was ruled offside and the score remained 2-1. It looked like the Eagles would carry the lead into the second half, but Garrett Ritcheson converted a cross from Max Maneikis during a chaotic moment in front of Endrizzi with 1:30 to play in the half to tie the game 2-2.
Just before the goal, Thelander collided hard with Ritcheson near the midfield. Thelander was assessed a yellow card and a direct kick was awarded to Freeport. Rusiecki booted the direct kick into the danger area in front of Endrizzi’s goal to set up the Falcon’s scoring sequence from Maneikis to the fired-up Ritcheson.
Hunt kicked the ball into the Falcons’ net on a long kick from the corner as time expired to end the first half, but the goal was disallowed due to the ball crossing the line just barely after the horn.
Neither team would find the back of the net again in the second half, which saw both teams battling hard and trading chances on goal.
“It was a physical game,” Burroughs said. “In the second half, the defenses were strong for both teams.”
The Eagles dominated the first overtime and outshot the Falcons 4-1, but Freeport almost got a big advantage with less than one minute left. A Falcons forward collided with an Eagle defender in the penalty box with 45 seconds left but no foul or penalty kick like Duncan’s was called, much to the displeasure of the Freeport fans and the team, which was assessed a yellow card for arguing.
That helped the Falcons find their legs in the second OT. They had several scoring chances against Endrizzi, but he made all the key saves. When Endrizzi was in trouble, his defenders had his back and booted the ball out of danger, including a strong Nestor Powers clear with nine minutes remaining. After two extremely competitive overtimes, the game would be decided in dramatic fashion by penalty kicks.
Iglesias Martin went first for the Eagles and scored on Vintinner. Endrizzi dove to his right to thwart Rusiecki’s kick to earn Lincoln Academy the advantage. Conor Cass drilled his PK into the net for the Eagles to maintain their lead. Next up, Ivan Lyons found the back of the net on his shot to keep Freeport in it.
Endrizzi then booted a penalty kick past Vintinner to keep the pressure on the Falcons. Ritcheson scored when his shot went off the diving Endrizzi’s hands and in. Powers scored to keep the Eagles ahead, and then Endrizzi ended the game by diving left and knocking a low shot by Cam Tourgny just outside the post to clinch it 4-2.
Vintinner had 11 saves in goal for Freeport, who ended the season with a 7-5-3 record. Lincoln Academy advances to the Class B South semifinals.
