He threw a punch at the sky, when the buzzer finally sounded. Then he shouted. Then he leaped – no, bounded was more like it – into the arms of one his coaches, Paul Gunsett.
FORT WAYNE – Success can come when resolve meets opportunity.
For 75 minutes, Northridge controlled the Carroll Classic boys soccer championship match Saturday against No. 15 Homestead before the Spartans rallied with two goals in the final 4 1/2 minutes to tie the score at 2 and then won it in penalty kicks.
“We were tired, and we caught a break,” Homestead coach Paco Castillo said after the 3-2 win. “All teams have problems, but the ones that persevere are the ones that will come out on top.”
Homestead (5-2-1) trailed 2-0 until Michael Wendlandt scored with 4:22 remaining to cut the margin in half. Then the Spartans’ chance came in the form of a controversial call almost four minutes later.
Northridge goalkeeper Derrick Giddens was called for being past the 18-yard box when he kicked the ball downfield, a rules violation (albeit by only a matter of inches). The Spartans got the free kick, and after Wend- landt’s shot was deflected away by Giddens, John McMillin knocked in the rebound to tie at the score at 2 with 31 seconds left.
After a 14-minute overtime and one penalty kick round of five, the score was still tied. Northridge shot first in the sudden-death penalty kick second session, but the Raiders’ Seth Regan hit the crossbar. Homestead sophomore Chris Anderson stepped up and drilled a shot past Giddens for the game-winner.
“I was really nervous taking it because for club soccer I missed one that was really important,” Anderson said. “Other than that, I thought I could get it. Paco asked who was confident, but I wanted the upperclassmen to take theirs because they have the confidence and the experience, but I wanted to be the sixth one badly because I knew I could make it and just drill it like I always do. My first goal in high school soccer and everybody just piling on me when I slid down.”
A young Spartans team (seven of the 2010 starters were on the junior varsity team a year ago) had lost all 11 starters from last year’s state runner-up team.
“We just kept our composure, and we kept on working hard,” Anderson said. “It is great because we played as a team the whole game, and it is pretty special.
“We came together as a team. We knew each other from club soccer, and Paco did a great job getting people into positions, and a lot of people have stepped up.”
Northridge (6-2), which was receiving votes in the latest state poll, jumped out early with two first-half goals by Luke Davis and Matheus DePaula.
