The Westport soccer team ran to the sidelines full of former teammates, family and friends and celebrated in the waning light after outlasting Hampshire Regional 2-1 in penalty kicks during a Division-4 Sweet-Sixteen home game on Thursday evening. The 15-3-3 Wildcats, who had knocked off Brooke Charter School and 11th seeded Clinton previously, will travel three and half hours to face third-seeded Monument Mountain High School on Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Elite Eight.  Head coach Dr. Chris Parker gave praise to Raiders after the victory. 

 

"It was a very tough match. And I'm happy we came out on top," he said. "They were very well organized defensively and their goalkeeper was very good. They are a good team."

 

"It's a special feeling," said co-captain CJ LeBlanc. "We have so many family members and friends in the crowd. To celebrate with them on our home field was special."

 

Regulation

The two evenly-matched teams dueled to a brutally-physical scoreless tie in the first half. They traded goals in the second half as the score ended 1-1 in regulation and battled through two scoreless ten-minute overtime periods before goalkeeper Johnny Gadboury's heroics in the shootout gave the Wildcats the win.

 

Second half goals

Wildcats junior center back Jackson Chase scored the first goal of regulation with 6:46 remaining in the game. He leaped up above the fray and basted a side-kick by Hampshire keeper Max Johnson from a beautiful corner kick served up by senior striker CJ LeBlanc to give Westport a 1-0 lead. The hometown fans erupted as the team ran over to celebrate. 

But there was little time for hoopla as the Raiders struck back less than a minute later. Raiders' striker Riley Florek stunned the crowd when he knotted the score 1-1. A Hampshire free kick perfectly placed the ball inside the goal box. Florek got his first shot off, but Gadboury was there to make the save. The ball caromed to his right near the left goal post. Florek tracked it down and kicked it into the goal to tie the score 1-1 with 5:53 left to play. 

 

Double overtime

If a team received points for dominating an overtime period, Westport would have won. The Wildcats played their way to multiple solid scoring chances including corner kicks and set pieces, but were unable to put the game away in either overtime period. Senior outside midfielder Tiago Rodrigues had perhaps, the best chance to score in the second overtime period. He charged into Johnson during a Westport free kick from the 25-yard line, squared to the ball and got his head on it directly in front of the goal. The ball dropped to his feet, but before he could tap it into the goal for the game-winner, a Raiders defender quickly cleared the ball out.

 

Penalty kicks

Wildcats' goalkeeper Johnny Gadboury made eight terrific saves during regulation. The keeper earned the nickname 'Spiderman' from goalie coach George Stelljes for his one-handed full-extension saves. As he walked over to the goal to ready for the shootout, he shook hands with Raiders' keeper Johnson and offered him good luck. 

"You played a hell of a game," he told him. "Whatever happens, afterwards we'll have good sportsmanship."

 

Johnson, unfortunately, didn't have much luck against the first four Wildcats seniors that he faced. Senior striker CJ LeBlanc, senior midfielders Tiago Branco, Gavin DaSilva and Tiago Rodrigues all scored to give Westport a 4-3 lead in kicks. 

 

"We practice penalty kicks every single day," said LeBlanc. "We came in with full confidence, plus we have one of the best goalkeepers in the state. I felt that if we made our first three. It's over." 

 

The first two Raiders kept pace against Gadboury, who was attempting to guess the right direction in order to make a save the imminent darkness. He readied and made his move. Somehow, the third Raider missed.

 

"Mind games always work," said Gadboury. "I knew they practiced their pens and they were kicking to designated spots. I'm confident that he was going to the side that I chose to defend and I made him miss."

 

The next Raider made his kick.

With the score 4-3 in favor of the Wildcats, Gadboury set himself in the goal box and then lunged to his left side, perhaps startling the Raiders fifth kicker and he booted it over the goal.

Game over. The Wildcats had won.

Gadboury and his teammates took off for the sidelines to celebrate with their families and friends. 

"That was a stressful game," said Gadboury. "I'm glad we came through in the end."