The Medomak Valley boys soccer team lost to John Bapst 3-1 in the Class B North regional final on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at Hampden Academy in Hampden. The score was tied 1-1 at halftime, with both teams trading chances at either end in a tightly contested match. Thirteen minutes into the game, Oscar Martinez banged home a rebound off a shot by Laken Walker to score the first goal for the Crusaders. The Panthers knotted the score 1-1 fourteen minutes later off a corner kick play when Noah Swartz buried a Nevan Power crossing pass into the John Bapst net.
The speedy Crusaders were able to gain the upper hand in the second half in terms of overall ball possession and shots on goal. John Bapst broke the tie with 23 minutes remaining in the game when Moritz Mueller beat two Panthers defenders and hooked a beautiful high shot past Panthers goalie Dima Cheesman. From there, the skilled Crusaders had the momentum and kept the ball away from the Medomak Valley offense. The John Bapst squad scored an insurance goal to make it 3-1 with under two minutes remaining when Martinez notched his second goal of the game on a penalty kick.
Class B North division runner-up Medomak Valley ended their season with a 10-3-4 record. John Bapst (16-1) advanced to the Class B state championship match against undefeated Greeley, which will take place on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 3 P.M. at Cameron Stadium in Bangor.
