BOYS SOCCER: Rochester advances to Elite Eight with 2-1 win over Hartland
BY DAN STICKRADT
CORRESPONDENT
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
ROCHESTER HILLS — After winning its first district title in nine years, Rochester has decided to stick around for a while in the postseason.
Rochester scored a goal in each half and held on for a 2-1 victory Tuesday over Hartland in a Division 1 regional semifinal at Rochester Stoney Creek.
The Falcons, who were ranked in the top 20 at one time this season but dropped out in early October, will face No. 15 Grand Blanc at 6 p.m. Thursday at Stoney Creek.
Rochester (14-3-5) has had numerous different players come through with goals in the tournament, where Rochester has outscored the opposition, 11-3.
“That’s kind of been our M.O. all season,” offered Rochester coach Chris Purgatori of his team’s balanced scoring. “We are a family. Families and teams stick together and work together and do what it takes to finish up on top. We’ve had a lot of guys come through for us.”
Senior midfielder Daniel Iyok scored his second goal of the postseason and just third overall this season with 19:50 to play, which proved to be the game-winner.
After sophomore Grant Ellison was leveled in the penalty box, Iyok left no doubt by drilling his ensuing penalty kick to give the Falcons the one-goal cushion they did not relinquish.
Rochester outshot Hartland by a 20-9 count, including 9-5 with shots on frame, during the win. Hartland did hold a 5-4 edge in cornerkicks, firing four from the corner in a two-minute stretch in the second half.
Down 1-0 at the break, Hartland (18-5-3) began to apply some pressure early in the second half, which resulted in the game-tying goal. Junior sniper Tony Rizzo picked off a clear, beat his mark and uncorked a shot from 18 yards out inside the right post with 30:51 remaining in regulation.
“We played hard and didn’t give up. Our effort was there and you could see the fight right up until the end of the game,” said Hartland coach Andrew Kartsounes, whose squad captured its first district title in 18 years and recorded a school record for wins. “I think we played a little nervous at the beginning and we were’t really controlling the ball (the way) we are normally used to. We were popping it up and we just needed to calm down. At halftime, that was pretty much our whole talk.”
All five of Hartland’s cornerkicks and seven of its nine shots occurred in the second half. Down 2-1, the Eagles did have a shot by junior Corey White that glanced off the outside of the goalpost with 18:01 remaining.
Hartland did not have a serious threat after that point, as the Falcons picked up the pace after their game-winning goal.
Rochester junior Martin Ivezaj scored his first goal of the season with 34:59 to go in the first half during a flurry of shots and cornerkicks. Following a cornerkick served into the box by junior Sid Osborne, Ivezaj pounced on the loose ball from two yards out during a goal mouth scrum for the 1-0 advantage.
“I thought we put a lot of pressure on them today, especially in that first 25 minutes,” said Purgatori, whose squad held a 9-2 shots edge during the first 40 minutes. “I wish we could have capitalized some more on our opportunities in the first half. Credit to them. Hartland kept themselves in the game.”
Senior goalkeeper Brad Carlson finished with four saves for the win in goal for Rochester. Senior Skyler Virden had seven saves for Hartland.
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