After securing the district championship just a few days prior, the varsity boys soccer team (12-4-2) hosted the MAST Academy Makos (8-6-2) in the regional quarterfinal round, punching their ticket to the next round of the playoffs with a 1-0 victory.
The goal came courtesy of senior forward Miles Walters, who also clinched the game for the Patriots in the district championship.
“It’s all a part of God’s plan for me,” Walters said. “It’s a really good feeling to be able to come back out again and do it for a second time. I want to thank my teammates for believing in me and trusting me on the field. We are definitely going to keep this thing going.”
Though the Patriots were not able to generate much production on offense, the team’s defense pulled through, keeping the Makos at bay for the entire match.
“Offenses win games, but defenses win championships,” coach Todd Goodman said following the victory. “[Wednesday] was a grind. We were never able to find our rhythm, but we defended well enough to finish one of our chances which was the difference in the match.”
With the win, the Patriots will advance to the regional semifinals Saturday, Feb. 15 at home versus the third-seeded Gulliver Prep Raiders (11-7-4).
“At this point, being the two-time defending State Champion, we have learned to take it one game at a time,” Coach Goodman said regarding the team’s playoff run. “The mark of a good team is to be able to get a result even when you don’t play particularly well. [Wednesday], we proved we could problem solve and find a way to be successful in the face of adversity.”
