by Brian BurdenSpecial to DigitalSportsThe
La Plata High School boys soccer team, the darling fifth seed that won the 3A South Region, had an answer for everything East Region champ and eighth-ranked
Fallston could throw at them…except height.
Senior midfielder Derek Hyde headed home a throw-in from line mate Mike Hamilton midway through the first half to as the Cougars shut out the Warriors, 1-0, in a 3A state semifinal at North County High School.
Fallston, making its 12th state tournament appearance, will face the winner of Tuscarora and Towson next weekend at UMBC in search of its second overall state title and first since 1992.
La Plata was down coming in, as they were missing leading scorer Ricky Jackson and Kyle Tolson, who has served as a lightning rod in the postseason. The two had accounted for all three goals in their 3-0 region final win over Northern-Calvert.
“Offensively, going in, we knew we were going to be in a little trouble, and more depth-wise than anything else,” La Plata coach Dennis Burns said. “We were missing two of our playmakers and that put pressure on our last playmaker, Steven Barock. We can normally give our forwards a breather during the game, but Steven never came out today.”
The Cougars were limited in terms of offensive chances by an aggressive and physical La Plata defense that played up on Fallston’s forwards. Taylor Ross, Brian Mauck and Nick DiLodovico, in particular, kept 2nd-team all-state forward Dominic Welsh (20 goals) and his peers at bay.
Fallston tested Warriors goalkeeper Jack Mister in the opening minutes, but a glowing chance did not present itself again until nearly 20 minutes had elapsed in the first half. On a throw-in attempt, Hamilton fired right onto Hyde’s head. The 6-footer eased it past Mister into the lower right corner.
“I am one of the taller guys on the team so Coach Hoover puts me near the goal every time,” Hyde said. “Mike Hamilton has great throws and puts it to me every time. It was crazy out there. Everyone was playing good and we got through it.”
La Plata, in turn, was stunted offensively by their lack of depth and by Fallston’s defensive unit. The squad, which has now registered 11 shutouts and outscored their opponents 69-13, left little in the way of room to operate.
“Our backs played phenomenal. Jordan Lozzi really ran the show for us and he was making good decisions in terms of when to clear and when to work it out of the back,” Fallston coach Chris Hoover said. Zack Knudson was solid and Ryan Strasdauskus was a beast back there. Benny Holehouse did a great job in the second half after coming off the bench and I am proud of our focus and composure.”
The second half offered little in the way of scoring chances as each team could only work the ball two-thirds of the way down the field before losing possession. The Warriors became frustrated with perceived missed calls and their ensuing frustration placed them a man down with 11:24 to go.
“We did not sustain our chances, but our defense kept us in it the whole game,” Burns said. “Our defense was our strength all year. They were the heart and soul of our team.”
In the end, La Plata could not avoid being shut out for just the third time this season and saw their playoff run end. For Fallston, the trip continues.
“We have personified what is on the back of our shirts ‘I am because we are.’ It was a total team effort,” Hoover said. “One of our starters pulls a hamstring in the first two minutes of play and the guy that goes in for him is fired up. It was a tough physical match and it was a tough mental match to keep your head in it.”
La Plata (11-7) 0 0 - 0
Fallston (16-2) 1 0 - 1
GOALS: FA – Hyde. ASSISTS: Hamilton. SHOTS: LP – 5. FA – 10. SAVES: LP – Mister 7. FA – Fromile 2. CORNER KICKS: LP – 1. FA – 3.
