[dropcap size=”4″]A[/dropcap]fter losing the same sectional game in the 2015 season, the soccer team came back tonight with the intention of avenging last season’s loss. With a fierce attitude and an attentive mindset, the Bruins triumphed over Lee’s Summit West High School (LSW) 3-1 in the sectionals competition.
The Bruins went into the game with full knowledge of their adversary’s skill. LSW had an impressive 20-4 record and crushed nearly every team they played by multiple points. Despite not playing them in regular season, the Bruins were certain they had the ability to defeat LSW and were ready to advance to the quarterfinals.
“We were confident, but we knew we couldn’t [just] show up and win,” senior defender Carlo Montano said. “We were lucky enough to watch some film and get some scouting reports on their best playmakers and we tried to exploit that at much as we could.”
Both teams’ tight defense throughout the first half allowed no goals to be scored, but the Bruins overall had more possession of the ball than LSW. Tied 0-0 at halftime, junior midfielder Johnny Klein said it was only a matter of time before they got a goal.
“I think we just came out with more intensity and urgency than [LSW],” Klein said. “We pressed high on them and were able to keep possession of the ball a lot more than they were.”
As soon as the second half began, senior forward Drew Stanowski immediately scored the first goal of the game in the 45th minute. When senior forward Brandon Rettke’s shot was blocked, the ball fell back at Stanowski’s feet and resulted in an electrifying goal.
“After that goal we were just trying to possess and not let them score,” Stanowski said. “We didn’t try to change our game much, but you generally tend to sit back a bit more than before [when you’re leading].”
The 1-0 lead lasted 20 minutes before LSW equalized the game in the 61st minute by slipping past the Bruins’ defense.
“We knew we weren’t going to give up and [we] had to bring it even more,” Montano said. “[The LSW goal] was a mistake on defense and we shouldn’t have let that ball in. We had three guys against him, but he had a great shot.”
Stanowski responded just a minute after LSW’s goal with a successful shot from the 30 yard line for a free kick. With 18 minutes left on the clock, RBHS led 2-1 and the outcome looked positive for the Bruins.
“That goal really changed the game and gave our whole team an extra sort of confidence,” Stanowski said. “We got back the lead, so we knew we had to try and defend it again.”
The Bruins spent the 18 remaining minutes trying to maintain the lead after Stanowski’s goal. The defense continued to be strong while the offense put in a final effort to seal a hard-fought victory. In the final countdown of the game, Klein scored a goal with the help of junior forward Nick Cary with 30 seconds left, resulting in the final score of 3-1.
“I saw the keeper was out and tried to keep my cool [while putting] it away,” Klein said. “It felt so good to secure the win and took a lot of stress off of us in the final seconds of that game.”
After the victory, the team is now preparing for the next game on the schedule. RBHS will host Ozark High School on Saturday, Nov. 5 for Quarterfinals at Battle High School (BHS).
“We will watch the film of the LSW game and have practice as usual for the rest of the week,” Stanowski said. “The preparation won’t be that much different than the LSW game with just some minor adjustments.”
Will you attend the upcoming game at BHS? Comment below and let us know.
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Bruins seal sectional victory, proceed to state quarterfinals
November 1, 2016
Senior Carson Raetz (7) attempts to rescue the ball from Hickman opponents on Oct. 1. Photo by Yousuf El-Jayyousi
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Ben Kimchi • Nov 2, 2016 at 11:39 pm
It is completely different to see the game from the players perspective. I thought the quote about having the sense of relief at the end really added to this feeling, and gave a lot of insight.
Maddie Murphy • Nov 2, 2016 at 10:38 pm
Riding the spirit bus to this game was so much fun! (even though we missed the first half:/)