Despite missing a pair of seniors due to injury, Brockport’s boys soccer team advanced as the third seed to the Class A1 semi-finals before having their season ended by Pittsford Mendon on penalty kicks 2-1.
The Vikings had an early scoring chance stopped literally on the goal-line by junior midfielder Karl McNulty in the sixth minute, but Mendon took a 1-0 lead just seconds later on a goal from 30 yards away by Koby Wallman.
Jason Hayes tied the score in the 15th minute for the Blue Devils putting in a deflection off a Mendon defender and the two teams would stay tied for the rest of regulation and two 15-minute overtime periods before advancing to penalty kicks.
But it wasn’t due to a lack of offensive chances.
Nico Langelotti outraced the defense in the 26th minute and sent a cross to Josh Olson, whose shot went just right of the goalpost.
Mendon had the next two chances – the first needing a sprawling save by Brockport goalkeeper Jacob Mitchell late in the first half and another in the 45th minute that Mitchell tipped just over the crossbar.
In the 54th, Brockport senior Anthony Montanaro had his direct kick from 37 yards out tipped over the crossbar and the ensuing corner kick dribbled past several pairs of feet right along the goal-line.
In the 73rd minute, Dylan Sharpe used a breakout after a failed corner kick at the other end to one-touch around the defender and break in all alone, but shot wide of the charging Mendon goalkeeper.
Neither team had any real scoring chances in either overtime leading to the penalty kicks.
The two teams matched save for save and goal for goal through the first five shooters with Blue Devils Matt VanDuzee, Hayes, Langelotti and McNulty all scoring to send it to a sixth shooter where Mendon won.
“You take a look at our season and to lose our two center-backs (Tom Reynolds and Connor Hill) fairly early on, the guys around them rallied and performed the rest of the season,” Brockport head coach Chris Zorn summarized. “Coming into the sectionals I told them I couldn’t ask anything more from a team.
“We didn’t get the breaks even though I thought we had the better of the play tonight. When it comes down to penalty kicks, it’s a crapshoot, but that’s just how soccer is, but I couldn’t be prouder of the guys.”
