Win or go Home

After a tough loss to an outstanding #2 seed W.C. Henderson team in overtime in the District 1 quarter-finals last Saturday, the Aces got a reprieve. They would get a chance to "playback" for the 5th spot in the PIAA State Playoffs. Their 1st opponent would be #6 seed Neshaminy, on their home field.

LM would be playing without several key players once again; senior midfielder Andreas Blobel sitting out a red card, outstanding junior center back Thomas Podrasky out with a concussion sustained in the Henderson game, and a couple of other starters nursing injuries.

Neshaminy wasted no time getting on the scoreboard first. With just a minute & a half played they scored off a nice thru ball, finished with a perfectly placed shot. 1-0 Redskins. The Aces seemed a little lethargic, and seemed to be having a tough time getting used to the grass field. Neshaminy didn't care. Midway thru the half they scored again. This time coming from a cross to a wide open striker who ripped it past a helpless Sabastian Jenkins. Two shots, two goals.  LM was lacking many of the things they have done so well all season; supporting the ball, creating space & passing lanes, and attacking as a team. Add to that the defense, who has been so steady all season long, was having trouble marking in their defensive third. They needed some fire, something to get things turned around, and it came with less than a minute left in the 1st half. They got a free kick just outside the box, and as the ref moved back from the ball to allow play to start, sophomore Tim O'Hare put a rocket past the Neshaminy keeper, but wait. About 5 long seconds after the goal was scored it was waved off. One of the refs said that the Redskins were not set, even though a wall was not marked off & no whistle was needed. 2-0 Neshaminy at halftime.

This seemed to fire the Aces up as they came out swinging in the 2nd half. With only 4 minutes gone O'Hare was pulled down in the box and senior David Novacich converted to cut the lead in half. It's no over yet. Right after that LM blasted a shot from point blank range, coming off a great cross, but it hit the golakeeper straight on & bounced away. A foot either way and it's 2-2. Its not over yet. Minutes later they got a good look from 16 out but the shot went just over the crossbar. The Aces were back on their game, and the Redskins were beatable. O'Hare got a good left-footed rip with 17 left but it too was just a little too high. Its not over yet. Five minutes later, at the other end of the field, Jenkins made a beautiful point blank save to keep the Neshaminy lead at 1. Had the Aces started the game playing like this, it very well might have been a different story. But as the clock went under 2 minutes left in regulation the Redskins put the game away with a goal coming off a corner kick. 3-1 final, and the Aces season was over.

In tomorrow's post we will look back on a very successful LM season, and I will also post results from all the District 1 playoff games today.