MANCHESTER, NH – Knotted at one-goal apiece heading into the second half of its quarterfinal matchup against No. 5 Belmont High School, the fourth-ranked Trinity High School varsity boys soccer team found its second wind.
With three goals in the final 15 minutes of the quarterfinal home contest, the Pioneers secured a 4-1 triumph to forge forward Saturday.
The difference between a 1-1 first half and the three-goal second-half onslaught by Trinity?
“The wind,” said Belmont head coach Mike Foley. “Literally, at the end of the day, we knew this was going to be a battle based on which way we were going with the wind … You know, we knew if you win the toss, you’ve got the wind at your back the second half, and that’s the game in a nutshell.”
Indeed, the wind created unusual bounces throughout the game, which Foley credited to contributing to Trinity’s second and third goals, but that doesn’t take away from the reality the Pioneers found ways to capitalize on those opportunities.
“We talked at halftime and we discussed how whoever got that second goal was probably going to have the advantage, and Trinity moves the ball better than most teams we’ve seen this season” said Foley. “They trap the ball well, they do all the little things well, and you can lose a couple kids who let the ball fly.”
“Our boys, over-and-over, have encountered adversity within a game … and regardless they seem to gain composure and battle through it,” said Trinity head coach Mark Papp.
The adversity Papp was referring to was in regard to a direct throw-in from Belmont that crossed the goal-line. The throw-in, he said, only counted as a goal, because junior keeper Tyler Charette touched the ball. Whether it fully crossed the line or not is up for debate, but regardless, Trinity was put in an early 1-0 hole.
The Pioneers (12-2-4) equalized before halftime and then the game became locked in a defensive battle before senior Andrew Wood corralled a loose ball on the right side of the net with just under 15 minutes remaining in the second half, juked a defender and then placed the ball off the inside of his right foot and into the far side of the net for what resulted in the game winner.
Three minutes later, junior Panos Ntefeloudis mimicked Wood’s move to provide the hosts a two-goal cushion.
Wood then sent a laser from the top left corner of the box to cap the 4-1 victory.
“The boys just continue to battle. We’re not a huge team, but technically, we just keep getting better and better,” said Papp. “The guys are putting in the work in the offseason, and we’ve got a culture that believes in one another, and we just keep getting better and better.”
The Pioneers advance to face top-ranked Saint Thomas Aquinas (15-1-1) in the semifinals Wednesday at 6:45 p.m. at Bedford High School.
The victor advances to face the winner of No. 2 Kearsarge (14-0-4) versus No. 3 Hopkinton (13-3-4), the defending D-III champ, Saturday at 5:15 p.m at Bedford High School in the state title tilt.
“Saint Thomas is very tough and they may move the ball better than Trinity, but they both play on turf … so I wish Trinity the best, but Hopkinton is very good and they’re probably the proverbial favorite (heading into the semis),” said Foley
