Bounce goes Dutchtown’s way on game’s lone goal
Rodrick Anderson
SULPHUR — A single goal decided the fate of the Sulphur Tors soccer team’s season Wednesday afternoon at Matt Walker Memorial Stadium in the regional round of the Division I playoffs.
No. 9 Dutchtown scored midway through the second half, and the No. 8 Tors couldn’t come up with the equalizer despite several attacks.
“Honestly, it was pretty close,” Sulphur head coach Trevor Foolkes said. “It could have gone either way. They could have won 1-0, and we could have won 1-0. I thought it was just the luck of the bounce when they got their goal off the throw-in.”
Dutchtown will travel to play No. 1 Catholic-Baton Rouge in the quarterfinals.
Sulphur (13-3-3) cleared out a Griffins (11-7-2) corner kick in the 59th minute, but 2 minutes later Dutchtown got a throw-in near the Sulphur goal. Sulphur wasn’t able to clear it out this time as Ayden Rawashdeh booted it in. Jaxson Stovall got the assist.
“At that particular time we were under a lot of pressure,” Foolkes said. “I guess it was just a lack of concentration or just a mishit on the clearance of the ball.
“That is going to happen in the game.”
Sulphur had a solid scoring opportunity early in the second half when Kaleb Lirette got a breakaway, but the play was broken up by Griffins goalkeeper Josh Barrow.
Landon Dominigue lofted a long pass intended for Nick Poncho inside the 18-yard box, but Poncho lost his footing setting up for the shot.
Lirette’s scoring attempt on a bicycle kick missed to the left in the 72nd minute.
“We had a couple of chances at the other end,” Foolkes said. “On the day, they got the lucky bounce and we didn’t.”
Dutchtown outshot the Tors, but Sulphur sophomore goalkeeper Erick Zuniga made several diving saves and blocked 14 shots.
“He was a very busy goalkeeper today,” Foolkes said. “If he was a professional, we would say he earned his paycheck.
“That is just the caliber of goalkeeper he is. He is very good.”
Kirk Meche / Special to the American Press