Tuesday March 19th, 2024 7:12AM

(VIDEO) Playoff soccer: East Hall boys frustrated by Pace in semifinal loss

RABBITTOWN — There are times in soccer when it seems the ball will not go in the net no matter what you try.

Tuesday proved one of those outings for the East Hall boys soccer team -- though the Pace Academy defense had a lot to do with that fact. And the combination proved too much for the Vikings, who fell 1-0 in the Class AAA semifinals to see their season come to an end.

"We knew it was going to be a tight game, and we set out to win the midfield and control things -- and we did that for a large part of the game. But we also didn't take our opportunities when they came to us," East Hall coach Chris Horton said after watching his team's bid to reach a second straight state title game extinguished. "That's just the way this game goes sometimes."

For a while it seemed as if neither team would find the back of the net in a physical showdown that simmered for much of the first half before finally catching fire after the interval. The Knights provided the first real fireworks early in the second half, using their height advantage to score off a corner kick, Avery Herman rising above the Vikings defense to head home at the far post.

The goal turned up the intensity on the contest, and each team came close to adding to the tally -- including an agonizing miss for the second-ranked Vikings (17-5) with just eight minutes remaining. That it stayed 1-0 was thanks in large part to strong defensive efforts, and the third-ranked Knights (15-7) head to this Friday's state championship game thanks largely to a determined backline.

"We knew (East Hall) was extremely talented going forward, especially through (Sergio Turcios and Carlos Castrejon), so we knew we absolutely had to keep our shape and stay disciplined. And we did that tonight," Pace Academy coach Lucas Moreno said. "Our backline had great tests against similar offensive teams in the second and third round, so they were ready."

Indeed, Pace -- most often via centerbacks Sammy Lettes and Eno Reyes -- did its best to shackle a Vikings attack averaging almost six goals per playoff contest.

"Those two centerbacks are very unique; you have one that's our captain and the best player on the team (Lettes), and then another who had never played the position in club soccer before in Reyes," Moreno said. "But we turned to Reyes to play at that position a couple of weeks ago, and he gave us his heart tonight. He and the entire defense worked and worked."

East Hall intially looked as though it might work over the Knights, using its speed to attack the flanks and create scoring opportunities. Maury Ibarra proved especially difficult for the Knights to handle, as the winger twice sprinted into space and centered for Brandon Callahan, but the Vikings could not put a shot on frame, as Callahan twice fired over the crossbar.

Turcios also tried to test the Pace defense, running at full pelt at times, using mesmeric dribbles at others -- but the sophomore standout too was frustrated by a committed Pace backline and 6-foot-9 goalkeeper Jonathan Rushton, who was forced into just three first half saves.

Meanwhile, the visitors began to fashion attacks of their own as the half dwindled. Brian Sloan and Cole Akenbrandt ran on to long balls through the middle and down the flanks. Akenbrandt also leapt to head a backpost cross from Herman but put his effort wide and high with 20 minutes remaining in the half.

The physical nature of the contest also took its toll, and both the Vikings and Knights slowed their pace, as they entered the interval knotted at 0-0.

Speed of play picked up straight from the second half kickoff, however, and East Hall fashioned two opportunities after Pace defensice miscues, but Ibarra slipped at a critical moment and then Turcios volleyed high to let Pace off the hook.

The misses proved costly, as Pace stormed into the lead with 31:49 left to play. After imporessively saving back-to-back shots from the Knights, East Hall goalkeeper Oscar Rosas could do little about the Pace corner kick that Herman rose to head home at the back post for a 1-0 Knights advantage.

The visitors so nearly doubled their lead two minutes later when Sloan dispossesed Giezi Barrientos and curled an 18-yard shot just wide of an open East Hall goal.

Momentarily stunned East Hall recovered and began to search for an answer through familiar channels -- with Turcios and Castrejon running at and occasionally through the Pace backline. But the Knights, as they had done all contest, made the Vikings earn every inch, staying disciplined and defending in packs. Lettes also executed an inch-perfect sliding tackle to dispossess Turcios after the striker created himself a yard of space and sprinted into the penalty area.

Even so, East Hall came achingly close to equalizing with eight minutes remaining, as a Vikings corner kick fell right into Freddy Rebollar's path. But the East Hall player could only lam his point-blank volley off the crossbar and out of play, as time ran out on the Vikings' season.

"We're only graduating two players that started tonight, and a lot of the guys that play key roles are very young," Horton said. "We had a quality season, and even though things didn't go our way tonight we'll get back together and go over what went wrong and be better for it next season."

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