Saxony Lutheran yields late goal in 2-1 Class 1 quarterfinal loss

FENTON -- The Saxony Lutheran Crusaders weren't happy about their play in the first 40 minutes of Thursday night's Class 1 state quarterfinal game.

But it was the last 10 minutes that proved to be heartbreaking for the Crusaders.

Trinity's Jordan Stretch scored on a bouncing ball in the box with 4:27 to play, lifting the Titans to a 2-1 victory.

"It was just a cross from the corner that came in bouncing and went right through my arms," Saxony keeper Bryant Steffens said, "and they just poked it in."

"You can't ask everything from Bryant," said Garrett Fritsche, a senior midfielder. "He played his heart out again, but just a little-bitty bad bounce and it went in. It's not his fault; it's the team's fault."

Saxony had fallen behind 1-0 in a first half that coach Ryan Schweain and some players called "flat." The Crusaders put together five good chances in the second half before finally cashing on a nifty goal by Andrew Etzold with just 10:35 to play in the game.

"I thought we could catch them on their heels a little bit and see if we could get another one and get out of here with a win," Saxony senior Ross Gage said. "But we knew they were going to come back strong, and they did." We just weren't able to counter as strong as they did."

Trinity pressured in the six minutes leading up to the goal, getting two more corner kicks to push its advantage in the game to 8-2. The Crusaders cleared out one ball into the box that was near Trinity's dangerous Joe Pieper, and the second corner kick was driven into the pack in front of the goal and somehow ended up in Steffens' hands.

But two minutes later, not long after Pieper hobbled off the field, Corey Kinnison worked in the right corner and sent in the crossing pass that bounced to Stretch, who fired a shot over Steffens.

"We came back and did some nice things," Trinity coach Vince Drake. "At the end, the last 13 minutes, I thought, 'We could lay down here and they could get a goal and send us home,' but the kids came back, and without Pieper on the field, they still responded. I think that showed a little character there."

Trinity (13-11-1) plays 11 a.m. Nov. 21 in the semifinal round against Kansas City St. Pius. The Titans have been a state runner-up twice since 2003 in Class 2 following the merger of Aquinas-Mercy and Rosary. Drake has been a part of big games before, having led Aquinas-Mercy to 11 state championships in boys soccer.

Saxony, a third-year program, was making its first appearance in the state playoff bracket.

"I think we felt a little pressure from the big stage and came out flat," Gage said.

"That was one of the worst halves we've played all year," Saxony senior Garrett Fritsche said. "They were winning all the 50-50 balls."

"I've seen us play so much better than that," Schweain said. "I don't know if it was the pressure or what."

Pieper, Trinity's leading scorer with 25 goals coming in, was a part of two attacks that Steffens thwarted in the middle of the first half. The junior finally cashed in with 8:18 to play in the half, assisted by Bob Terranova. Kevin Murphy started the attack on the left side, then sent a crossing pass over the box. Terranova chased it down and got it back to Pieper.

Saxony was limited in its attack by fencing along the sides of the field that limited the throw-in area for Fritsche, who set up the Crusaders' first goal in the district final with one of his many long throws into the box.

"There's not a lot of room to throw in, and that's a big part of our attack is Garrett's long throws," Schweain said. "With only being able to take a couple steps, he couldn't even get it to the near post. He couldn't get much distance on them."

Trinity also seemed cognizant, allowing Fritsche just two throw-ins in the first half and five for the game.

But Saxony did apply more pressue in the second half. Etzold, Gage, Brent Rodewald, Trevor Mabuce and Fritsche helped put together five chances that Drake described as "golden."

"And they parked it over the highway," Drake said in reference to nearby Interstate 44 behind the east goal. "They had some looks at the goal; they were just off. They did work the ball well to get there."

"That probably would've changed the outcome of the game," Schweain said of the blown chances.

"It's frustrating," Gage said, "but that's soccer sometimes."

Finally, Gage was able to steal the ball from a Trinity player in the midfield and sent it up the left side to Rodewald. The junior lost possession, regained it and sent a pass to Etzold.

"I saw Brent going to the sideline, just like Garrett did last game," Etzold said. "When he crossed it to me, I had a guy on my right posted up and I just caught it with my chest, turned and took a quick shot."

It could've swung the momentum to Saxony.

"I figured we could hold them, and maybe get a quick one, but I thought it would go to overtime," Etzold said. "We slowed down just a little bit, and they picked it up on us."

"It was going to happen for one of us," Schweain said. "It just went the other way."