Boys soccer – Class 2A Hampshire Regional: Sycamore's midfield play strong in semifinal win

HAMPSHIRE – A hard-fought regional match between the Sycamore soccer team and Marmion saw the No. 7 Cadets shuffle into an early offseason as the Spartans won, 2-0, in a Class 2A Hampshire Regional semifinal.

It was the No. 2 Spartans who looked like champion-quality in the first half, dominating the midfield behind the abilities of Joseph Quinn and Alec Garcia.

There was rarely a play that the pair weren’t a factor in, as they combined for eight tackles and four clearances in the first half alone.

“The attitude that we had to come with on this game was 100 percent,” Quinn said. “We had to keep it high the whole game just to make sure that we stayed in control in the middle of the field.”

The stranglehold opened up opportunities near the Marmion goal, and the deadlock finally broke when Garcia rocketed a shot at the net from distance.

Cadets goalkeeper Jason Baker palmed it away, but was still on the ground as Sycamore’s Isaac Plagakis blasted the rebound into the back of the net.

“Regionals is something different,” Sycamore coach David Bachta said. “It’s a pretty loaded regional, so if we can get out of this, that would be great. Their motivation was definitely to get through Game 1 and then see what happens in Game 2.”

Game 2 is the regional final at
4:30 p.m. Saturday against Hampshire.

Sycamore pounced again before the close of the first half, when one of Garcia’s clearances started a break that ended with Mason McGhee sliding a shot past Baker off a low cross. With 14 minutes left in the half, Sycamore’s defense remained resolute, winning seven aerial duels to carry their clean sheet into the second half.

Marmion coach James Roman said something had to change in the second half.

“We changed formation, moved players around to get a little bit more pressure on them,” Roman said. “Take more risks. We were able to do that and put pressure on them and just couldn’t get one in.”

Sycamore’s defense tightened as the aggressive Marmion scheme put pressure on the back line, launching errant long balls over the top instead of the formula that had worked so well in the first half.

“The high school kids, sometimes they get into that mode where they don’t want to be the one that makes the mistake,” Bachta said. “And I think we were in that in the second half, and because of that, there was a huge gap and it really wasn’t allowing our midfielders to catch up with the play.”

Marmion continued to threaten, but to no avail. It seemed that every cohesive attack was derailed at the last second by the play of Plagakis or center-back partner Jimmy Romero.

“I told them if we got one then we’d probably get a second one in,” Roman said. “But that first one … we couldn’t find it tonight.”

As the frustration continued to mount for the Cadets, Quinn relished the opportunity to rub in the salt. A few choice moments of conversation, combined with a mixtape-esque double roulette move that turned two Marmion defenders, seemed to fuel the fire.

“It’s all a mental thing,” Quinn said. “I know that when I get into the brains of the other players that it’ll eventually catch up to them and hold them back.”

By the numbers: The end tally for tackles by Garcia and Quinn was 15, showing a commitment to defensive work that made the day a simpler one for keeper Jaycob Sears (three saves).

Beyond the stats: Left back Jackson Binder missed the last two minutes with an injury, going down in the Marmion corner and grabbing his leg.

They said it: “I know Jackson is a strong kid, and he’ll be there for the next game, but the next game we’re playing is the same as this one,” Bachta said. “It’s just another game, and we’ve got to keep pushing forward.”

Up next: Sycamore will play Hampshire in the championship game Saturday. Hampshire beat St. Edward, 4-3, in the other semifinal.