MORGANTOWN — Thursday night’s Class AAA Region 1 Section 2 boys’ soccer championship game between host University and Bridgeport proved to be a near mirror image of the match between the two inter-county rivals of just a week ago, a hard-fought 1-0 UHS victory.
This time, it was a quality goal in the second minute that put the Hawks ahead early, and despite playing the entire second half down a man, UHS flawlessly controlled the proceedings to capture the Sectional crown, 1-0.
After a first-minute free kick from the corner for Bridgeport (12-7-3) that was served into the box but headed just wide of the near post, the Hawks (12-8-1) took the goal kick and quickly rolled into the Indians’ defensive third. Center back Nate Lindsay slipped a beautiful through ball into space for Wesley DeLeurere to sprint onto ahead of a defender, and the junior midfielder dribbled twice and shot across the goalmouth into the far corner for a stunning, well-earned opening tally.
Physical play dominated the rest of the half, with Bridgeport at their most dangerous with set pieces. The Indians seemed to slowly tilt the field through the middle portion of the first half, but they never connected well enough to generate any quality scoring chances. Later in the half, it was the Hawks’ turn to ratchet up defensive pressure and control possession for longer stretches. The half looked likely to expire without incident until, with 1:19 until the horn, a UHS player was carded for the second time, and suddenly University was faced with the prospect of trying to survive 40 + minutes short-handed.
“We stayed pretty even-keeled at the break,” UHS coach Michael Smith insisted. “And rather than changing our formation, we simply took away our target forward and kept everything the same. We reminded them to stay a bit conservative with buildup in the midfield, that long balls were never a mistake. Mostly we just wanted to keep playing good, responsible defensive soccer.”
And that is precisely what transpired in the second 40. UHS seemed to win the majority of 50-50 balls, and still managed to double team the ball all over the field despite being down a player. The Indians managed to gather a deflected clear that looked promising in the 60th minute, but heavy touches spoiled that potential threat, and even their few direct kick opportunities never seriously tested Hawks keeper Connor Montgomery’s clean sheet.
In short, the Hawks were the better side the entire second half, and as the clock ticked down, the UHS bench erupted with every clear across the centerline until the buzzer finally sounded, the signal to begin to celebrate their Sectional victory.
“We knew Bridgeport is a good club, and that they would want to start fast like they did a week ago,” Smith explained after the match, “so we wanted to match or exceed that, and we did. Anytime you’re playing for a title, you’re motivated, and I thought our effort and energy were there all game for us.
“I’m especially happy with the way they stuck to the plan in the second half,” he continued. “We remained very composed under that adversity, and it was a gritty, physical, total team effort that allowed us to win this one. I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
When informed that the Hawks would face top-ranked Morgantown in the Regional final, Smith was unphased.
“I think the guys are really buying in now,” he said of his streaking club, currently on an 8-1-1 stretch. “We always try to be playing our best soccer at the end of the year, and when we perform like we’re capable, we’re right there with anybody. We’ll be ready for the challenge.”
The Hawks will face the Region 1 Section 1 champion Morgantown on the road next Thursday at Brooke High School for a chance to qualify for the State Championship tournament.
