Fayetteville Academy falls in NCISAA 2-A soccer finals
, Sat Oct 31, 2015.
By Earl Vaughan Jr. Scholastic sports editor FAYETTEVILLE OBSERVER
HIGH POINT - Fayetteville Academy saw its bid for a 16th state private schools soccer title fall short on Saturday as it lost 5-4 on penalty kicks to Asheville Christian.
The game was the finals of the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association 2-A state tournament at Westchester Country Day in High Point. The loss was the Academy's first of the season as it ended 21-1. It was the tournament's top seed.
Asheville Christian, the tournament's No. 3 seed, ended 16-3-2. One of its losses was a 3-2 decision to Fayetteville Academy on a neutral field last month.
It was Asheville Christian's first state soccer title.
"It was one of those games where I think everything that could have went wrong did,'' said Academy coach Andrew McCarthy.
The Eagles appeared to be cruising to the title as they jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first half on two goals by Bruno Lazaro and one by Marcos da Paz.
But Asheville Christian rallied to tie the game at 3-3, then da Paz got a red card in the second half and Fayetteville Academy had to play a man short the rest of the way.
"After that, with 10 men, I thought we looked like a strong side,'' McCarthy said.
The game extended into overtime, and in the second extra period Antonio Kraychete scored to give the Eagles a 4-3 lead with about nine minutes to play.
It appeared Fayetteville Academy was going to win, until Asheville Christian got off a long kick into the Eagle box and managed to knock it in with less than six seconds left for a 4-4 tie.
"Nothing could be more cruel,'' McCarthy said. "The fellows battled hard. You can't fault the guys' effort. They all gave 100 percent and dug deep.''
The teams battled through two scoreless sudden-death overtime periods before going to penalty kicks.
In the penalty kick session, Asheville Christian converted all four of its attempts. Fayetteville got kicks from Lazaro, Coby Dorsey and Justin Bellamy, but Kraychete missed on the first attempt and Asheville Christian goalie Logan Collie made a great save on Emanuel Poulos on the last one to clinch the win for the Lions.
Kraychete, who battled through a groin injury the whole game, was singled out by McCarthy for his leadership. "He wanted to take the first one,'' McCarthy said of the penalty kick phase. "He's normally very good at PK's. I'm sure next time he gets one it'll probably go in the back of the net.''
McCarthy called soccer the greatest game in the world when you win and the cruelest when you lose. "We've got to look back and think of the quality wins we had throughout the year,'' he said. "We had a fantastic season.''
, Sat Oct 31, 2015.
By Earl Vaughan Jr. Scholastic sports editor FAYETTEVILLE OBSERVER
HIGH POINT - Fayetteville Academy saw its bid for a 16th state private schools soccer title fall short on Saturday as it lost 5-4 on penalty kicks to Asheville Christian.
The game was the finals of the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association 2-A state tournament at Westchester Country Day in High Point. The loss was the Academy's first of the season as it ended 21-1. It was the tournament's top seed.
Asheville Christian, the tournament's No. 3 seed, ended 16-3-2. One of its losses was a 3-2 decision to Fayetteville Academy on a neutral field last month.
It was Asheville Christian's first state soccer title.
"It was one of those games where I think everything that could have went wrong did,'' said Academy coach Andrew McCarthy.
The Eagles appeared to be cruising to the title as they jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first half on two goals by Bruno Lazaro and one by Marcos da Paz.
But Asheville Christian rallied to tie the game at 3-3, then da Paz got a red card in the second half and Fayetteville Academy had to play a man short the rest of the way.
"After that, with 10 men, I thought we looked like a strong side,'' McCarthy said.
The game extended into overtime, and in the second extra period Antonio Kraychete scored to give the Eagles a 4-3 lead with about nine minutes to play.
It appeared Fayetteville Academy was going to win, until Asheville Christian got off a long kick into the Eagle box and managed to knock it in with less than six seconds left for a 4-4 tie.
"Nothing could be more cruel,'' McCarthy said. "The fellows battled hard. You can't fault the guys' effort. They all gave 100 percent and dug deep.''
The teams battled through two scoreless sudden-death overtime periods before going to penalty kicks.
In the penalty kick session, Asheville Christian converted all four of its attempts. Fayetteville got kicks from Lazaro, Coby Dorsey and Justin Bellamy, but Kraychete missed on the first attempt and Asheville Christian goalie Logan Collie made a great save on Emanuel Poulos on the last one to clinch the win for the Lions.
Kraychete, who battled through a groin injury the whole game, was singled out by McCarthy for his leadership. "He wanted to take the first one,'' McCarthy said of the penalty kick phase. "He's normally very good at PK's. I'm sure next time he gets one it'll probably go in the back of the net.''
McCarthy called soccer the greatest game in the world when you win and the cruelest when you lose. "We've got to look back and think of the quality wins we had throughout the year,'' he said. "We had a fantastic season.''
