The FHSAA boys soccer playoffs continued Feb. 10 with Episcopal and University Christian in high school action. Here's how things unfolded.
A soccer ball dropped to the ground where nobody was expecting it, and Daniel Lian suddenly saw the opportunity that had eluded everyone through 68 minutes of scoreless deadlock.
"It was just in the moment," Lian said. "I didn't really know what to do, and I tapped it in."
Lian's opportunistic game-winner kept the best-ever season for University Christian boys soccer going strong, overcoming Gainesville Oak Hall 1-0 in the Florida High School Athletic Association Region 1-1A semifinal on Feb. 10.
UC (17-1-4), which had never qualified for FHSAA regionals until this year and finished 2-16-1 only three years ago, now stands only one game — a Feb. 13 home regional championship — away from the state final four in Auburndale.
After more than an hour of scoreless soccer, intense but often disjointed, UC broke through in the 69th minute when Maxwell Santerelli drew a foul near the midfield stripe. Central defender Colton Adams lofted a high free kick, Oak Hall (9-9-1) failed to clear the loose ball and Lian lunged in for the only goal as UC teammates celebrated with gusto before the home crowd.
UC goalkeeper Connor Loughhead preserved the shutout, diving to deny Oak Hall top scorer Thomas Gibson only two minutes after Lian's strike.
"It's taken three or four years of really hard work to build it to this point, but they've just believed in themselves this whole time and now we're able to do something special," UC coach Andrew Smith.
REGION 1-2A
Robert Adams stayed hot with two more goals and unbeaten Episcopal hit the 20-win mark, winning 3-1 against visitor P.K. Yonge (18-4-2) in Gainesville.
Adams ran his total to 12 goals since Jan. 6 and defender Henry Morreale also scored for the second consecutive game.
The Eagles (20-0-3) advance to meet Tallahassee Maclay or Williston on Feb. 13.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: University Christian boys soccer vs. Gainesville Oak Hall in playoff
Category: General Sports
