SOCCER Fitch advances with victory in shootout

Gus Martinez scored on the final shot of a shoot-out to lift Fitch into the regional.
By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
GREEN -- After Austintown Fitch and Green played 100 minutes of scoreless but outstanding high school soccer -- 80 in regulation and 20 in overtime -- the outcome of the Division I district tournament game came down to the last shot of a shoot-out.
With the shoot-out tied at 4-4 and Fitch taking the last shot, senior center forward Gus Martinez scored the game-winner against goalie Sean Massey from 13 feet away to give the Falcons a 5-4 win, and a berth in next week's regional tournament in Ravenna.
Hudson next
Fitch (13-5-1) will play Hudson Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Ravenna High in a regional semifinal. Hudson advanced with a 2-0 win over Massillon Jackson Thursday night in a district final.
David Lough, Green's captain and forward and the team's leading scored this year with 22 goals, missed the first shot of the 10-shot shoot-out in alternating fashion to account for the losing deficit.
Scoring Fitch's first four shots in order were Sam Camens, Jason Cicconi, Ryan Puskas and Evan Mikula.
After Lough's missed, Green's four shots were made by Erik Zibritosky, Daniel Massey, Adam Webster and Bobby Girton, respectively.
Martinez said he was able to fake out Massey.
"I always look to the right. I always shoot the ball to the left. He followed my fake and went too much to the right and the ball went to the left," said Martinez. "They [goalies] always go where you look."
Fitch coach Rigo Castillo, in his 11th year at the helm, said Martinez gave the goalie a shoulder fake.
"[Martinez] sent the keeper the wrong way. Intuitively, they [goalies] tend to go with the shoulder," said Castillo, who has the Falcons in their second regional. They made it to the regional final in 1995.
Different team
Coach Renato D'Agruma of Green (14-2-3) said Fitch was a different team from earlier in the season when his Bulldogs blanked the Falcons, 3-0, in Austintown behind Lough's three goals.
"They came with a different attitude. They played the game of their life," said D'Agruma, whose Bulldogs defeated Fitch in the district final last year.
Castillo said Fitch set established two milestones in the win -- its longest tournament game and first shoot-out ever -- since he became coach.
He said the Falcons were able to make all five shots in their first shoot-out because they were prepared.
"We practice a lot and prepare for that, " said Castillo.
kovach@vindy.com