Corner kick goal ends Mooney’s season

The Cards finished the season 15-4-1.

By DOUG CHAPIN

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

BRECKSVILLE — Mooney High’s seventh straight trip to the boys soccer regional ended on a disappointing note Tuesday night at Brecksville-Broadview Heights High. The Cardinals yielded a single goal early in the second half on a corner kick, and were unable to find the back of the net in a 1-0 loss to Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy in a Division II regional semifinal.

The Cards, who end their season 15-4-1, lost in the regular season to CVCA, 2-0, Sept. 27. The Royals, 15-1-3, play Saturday at Ravenna in the regional championship game against Chagrin Falls.

Mooney coach Larry Lencyk said he thought playing CVCA previously was a positive.

“I thought it was a plus, because we knew what they had, we had tape of them, we studied them and we felt we could play with them,” he said. “They are a very, very good team, they deserve all the credit in the world. I’m just proud of our boys, I’m very proud of our boys.

“I thought it would be a one-goal game and it turned out to be just that, unfortunately we were the team that got scored on.”

The deciding goal came on a corner kick by Danny Thompson and was scored by Brian Petak, who headed in the ball from about 8 yards out. The score came with 37:40 remaining in the game.

“We’ve given up a couple of those this year and unfortunately one came in this game,” Lencyk said. “It’s hard to defend, you just have to have the people in the right spots. What could we have done differently? I’d have to look at the tape, to be honest with you. There are so many players in that box and when that ball is kicked anything can happen, that’s why corner kicks are so dangerous.”

The Cardinals, who were outshot 6-3 in the first half, picked up the offensive pressure after falling behind and had several good chances the rest of the way. CVCA ended with a 9-7 edge in shots and a 7-3 edge in corner kicks.

“I think it was a sense of urgency in the players after we gave up that goal,” Lencyk said. “They just stepped it up and took it to another level. Sometimes that’s what it takes to make a team play at the next level. We stayed with what we started with and the team, to a man, just picked it up and started controlling the flow of the game.”

CVCA coach Jason Spodnik said he knew his team was in for a battle.

“That’s what a regional semifinal is, two teams playing as hard as they can, both looking for a moment, looking for a chance,” he said. “There weren’t many chances, but you just have to take advantage of them in a game against that kind of a team.

“Plus, it’s always tough to beat a team twice, it gives them a little bit of incentive. You never know if they’re going to change anything from the first time.”

The contest went about how Lencyk thought it would.

“I thought at halftime that we were doing a good job, we were doing what we wanted to do,” he said. “We didn’t have as much possession as I would like but I expected that because they are a very fast, skilled team. But we hung with them and we felt in the second half we could start controlling the game a little bit.

“When we played them earlier I thought they tired a little bit in the second half and we thought we could take advantage of that. We hit the post and had some other opportunities, but those are the breaks of the game. I’m very proud of our boys, they did a tremendous, tremendous job.”

Junior goal keeper Jonahon Critell had three saves on the night.

Seniors Tim Beck, Tommy McBride and Scott Blasko played in their final game Tuesday. Mooney also will lose seniors Bill Payne and Mark Riffel.

“They are just a tremendous, tremendous group,” Lencyk said about his seniors. “They are the ones that basically stepped it up and got everyone focused. Scottie Blasko and Tim Beck, they are our central midfielders, and they’re the heart and soul of the team. They just stepped it up when we got scored on.”