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Stickle’s long shot pays off for Cards
CANFIELD
Shortly after the Lake High boys soccer team tied Canfield 1-1 late in the second half of the Division I district semifinal contest, the Cards’ Patrick Stickle wanted to make something happen.
Canfield’s leading goal scorer lofted a kick from about 45 yards out toward the Lake goal. With a little help from a strong wind, the ball floated over the outstretched arms of Lake’s goalkeeper Kyle Tisdale into the net.
The goal with 11:34 remaining put the Cards ahead as Canfield went on to defeat the Blue Streaks, 3-1.
The win sets up an All-American Conference Red Tier district championship game on Thursday at Canfield against Howland.
The two teams split in regular-season play.
“Lake looked like they had grabbed momentum, so we were just trying to pressure them,” Stickle said. “You usually don’t score like that but their keeper was coming out so I just tried to get one over top and the wind just helped it out.”
Canfield coach Phil Simone said that Stickle’s shot seemed to deflate the Blue Streaks.
“I think that took the wind out of their sails,” Simone said. “They got frustrated and seemed to hang their heads after that.
“It was a big shot for us.”
One minute later, a frustrated Lake defender took Stickle down in the box and the senior was awarded a penalty kick.
Stickle knocked the penalty shot past Tisdale for his 22nd goal of the season.
“It feels great to help the team make it to the district championship,” Stickle said. “We worked hard the entire game, put pressure on them and came out on top.”
Simone said he wanted to see his team play two good halves of soccer after last week’s close encounter against Boardman.
“It was good to see us play well the whole game tonight,” Simone said. “We came out clicking offensively in the first half and took it to them and then we didn’t let up in the second half.”
Canfield (15-2) outshot Lake 12-3 in the first half but couldn’t put it in the net until Travis Gorley drove a kick 52 yards that settled into the back of the Lake goal.
It was Gorley’s first goal of the season for the defenseman and gave Canfield an early 1-0 lead.
The Cards dominated the rest of the first half with an outstanding attacking offense and continued that style into the early part of the second period.
Lake (12-4-2) however, slowly regained its composure and began to play possession soccer the way the Blue Streaks had most of the season.
The Blue Streaks tied the game at 20:06 of the second half when Kurt Wolf headed in a shot on a great pass from Josh Hunter.
“We were unlucky tonight,” Lake coach John Meszaros said. “They had two long shots go in and the second one switched the momentum in their favor and took it away from us.
“I think our boys panicked in the first half when they got that 50-yarder and that took us out of our game.
“Soccer can be a cruel game.”