PEABODY — It took every last second and every last effort from the No. 4 Bishop Fenwick boys soccer team Tuesday evening, but it all came together for the Crusaders in a 2-1 victory in penalty kicks over No. 5 Bishop Stang in the CCL Cup quarterfinal at Donaldson Stadium.
“I definitely have a few more gray hairs after that game, that’s for sure,” said Fenwick coach Tony Enos. “It was such a great back-and-forth battle from start to finish, and to be able to pull out the win in such exciting fashion was fun to be a part of.”
Jack Andrews scored the lone goal in regulation for the Crusaders, while Ryan Noci had one assist. Andrews, Ryan Morgenstern, Aidan Dwyer and goalkeeper Liam Foley all scored goals when it came to penalty kicks.
The Crusaders came out early and pushed the pace, getting a number of scoring opportunities in the opening minutes of the game. While Fenwick didn’t find the back of the net early on, it was only a matter of time.
Fenwick finally broke through with one minute to play in the first quarter, when Noci sent a perfect setup pass to Andrews for a goal to make it 1-0.
The Crusaders held that 1-0 lead for much of the game, but Bishop Stang didn’t go away quietly. The Spartans struck back with just two minutes to play in the game, tying the score at 1-1.
That pushed the game to overtime, where the two teams continued to battle to a stalemate. The game eventually came down to penalty kicks.
“We played a high press on defense for most of the game and the guys were gassed by the end,” said Enos. “We put some good pressure on them in the final minutes, but they were able to get a free kick and pack the box. The ball deflected off three people before it found the back of the net.”
In penalty kicks, Stang scored a goal to start and then Noci had his shot stopped. But from there, Fenwick took over. Following a big save by Foley, Morgenstern scored to even things up. Foley then made another save to set up a goal by Andrews, then Foley jumped onto the field himself and scored a goal of his own. Stang responded with a goal to make it 3-3, but Dwyer came through at the end to score the clinching goal.
“Aidan and Liam have really been the heartbeat of our team all year, and I knew I wanted those guys out there at the end of the penalty kicks,” said Enos.
Next up for No. 4 Fenwick (10-1-4) is a bout with No. 1 Bishop Feehan in the CCL Cup semifinal Thursday (TBA).
“Obviously this was a big win and it gave us a lot of momentum, but we have to be careful at the same time,” said Enos. “We’re pumped up and the guys have a lot of confidence, but at the same time we have to be able to keep our emotions in check so we don’t waste all our energy on the wrong things. That’s what we have to work on between now and Thursday.”
