Big Red’s season ends with close loss to Quakers
Andrew Grimm FINDING SPACE — Big Red's Landon Bowers tries to get around a New Philadelphia defender during Tuesday's district semfinal match.
Andrew Grimm SETTLING IT DOWN — Big Red's Cedric Peckens looks to settle a bouncing ball.
Andrew Grimm SENDING IT — Big Red's Justin Pathakamuri sends the ball ahead up the field.
Andrew Grimm MAKING MOVES — Big Red's Thomas Lucas looks to move around a New Philadelphia player with the ball.
Andrew Grimm IN THE AIR — Big Red's Jackson Smith lunges trying to knock down the ball out of the air.
Andrew Grimm FINDING SPACE — Big Red's Landon Bowers tries to get around a New Philadelphia defender during Tuesday's district semfinal match.
Andrew Grimm SETTLING IT DOWN — Big Red's Cedric Peckens looks to settle a bouncing ball.
Andrew Grimm SENDING IT — Big Red's Justin Pathakamuri sends the ball ahead up the field.
Andrew Grimm MAKING MOVES — Big Red's Thomas Lucas looks to move around a New Philadelphia player with the ball.
Andrew Grimm IN THE AIR — Big Red's Jackson Smith lunges trying to knock down the ball out of the air.
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STEUBENVILLE -- Sometimes it's just not meant to be. Tuesday night was one of those such nights for the Big Red boys soccer team.
Steubenville, the No. 2 seed, battled hard to the end, but saw their season come to an end with a tough, 2-1 loss to No. 3 seed New Philadelphia on the Division III, East District semifinals at Harding Stadium.
"It's a tough way for it to end for sure," Big Red head coach Greg Bowers said. "Credit to (New Philly), they were the aggressor. Their speed was a concern coming in and they were faster in person than they looked on film.
"We had our opportunities, if we could have got one of those to go in it could have changed the momentum and been a different game, but it just wasn't meant for us today."
Big Red (13-4-3) struck first with an early goal from Landon Bowers in the 15th minute, taking a 1-0 lead. The Quakers (10-6-2), however, scored a pair of goals within seven minutes of action to take a 2-1 lead and that ended up being the final score despite both teams having quality chances the rest of the way.
New Philadelphia's Ryan Sauser scored the second goal, which proved to be the game winner.
"We fought to the very end, New Philly just made a few more plays than we did," coach Bowers said. "I did not think that 2-1 score would hold up but it did."
The Quakers missed on a penalty kick with just over three minutes to go in the opening half and had a free kick chance with two minutes to go sail over the goal, leaving the score at a one-goal margin at the halftime break.
In the second half, New Philly has several quality looks, Big Red keeper JJ Lamantia coming up big multiple times to give his team a chance to stay one shot away.
He made a big save with 16 minutes to go after the Quakers had hit the goal post a minute earlier, then another with eight minutes to go.
With their season on the line, Big Red turned up the pressure the other way, getting a couple of opportunities on corner kicks that just missed, and Landon Bowers being stopped by Quakers keeper Miles Beitzel on a couple of quality chances down the stretch.
Big Red, though, never got the bounce they needed to tie the game.
Big Red graduates seniors Luca Holt, Thomas Lucas and Tad Loot. Loot missed the season with an injury, but remained a big part of the successful season from the sideline.
"Credit to our seniors, they were great leaders for us," coach Bowers said. "They're a couple of hard guys to replace.
"We have a lot of guys coming back and lot to look forward to when it comes to next season."
New Philadelphia will take on top-seed Dover on Thursday at Tuscarawas Valley for the district championship and a trip to regionals.