BOYS SOCCER: Troy rallies for double-overtime win over Utica
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
WATERFORD — Ryan Decker sure picked the right time to score his first couple goals of the season.
The junior midfielder from Troy scored last Thursday in a 4-1 pre-district win over Bloomfield Hills, then booted the game-winner Tuesday in the Colts’ 2-1 double-overtime victory over Utica in the Division 1 district semifinals at Waterford Mott.
“He’s scored some timely goals I guess,” smiled Troy coach Jim Stachura. “We desperately needed something to happen and he came through for us.”
Decker, who was a part-time starter as a sophomore on defense last season and now a regular starter in the midfield, rifled home a shot from 16 yards out following a pass from sophomore John Palomino with 2:47 to go in the first overtime session. The Colts’ defense made that stand over the final 13 minutes of extra time.
Utica (4-10-2) pushed up extra attackers in the second overtime period but could not net an equalizer. Troy senior goalkeeper Jacob Grimm leapt high to snare a bending cornerkick with four minutes to play in the second overtime.
“In the first overtime I got through with a pass from (Palomino) who let a ball through to me, I ran behind the defender and got lucky with enough room and got the shot off,” said Decker. “I needed to make something happen because we were struggling to get that second goal. That put us up 2-1 and we held them off for the rest of the game.”
Utica scored first on its first shot on frame. Senior midfielder Michael Dedvukaj’s cornerkick sailed through traffic and junior forward Weston Motloch volleyed home a close-range shot to the left post with 29:23 to go in the first half.
Utica failed to generate much offense through the remainder of the first half, as Troy held a 10-2 shots edge (5-1 on frame) in the first half.
Troy finally tied the game with 5:38 left in the first half. Sophomore midfielder Nick Worrell’s short free kick went over to senior brother Chris Worrell and the elder Worrell uncorked a 30-yard left-footed blast that reached the upper 90 of the goal.
Troy outshot Utica 5-3 in the second half and 3-2 in overtime, but neither team could score again until Decker’s heroics in the first overtime.
“We actually adjusted and played with three in the back in the first half and had a 3-5-2 (alignment) to kind of start pressuring them offensively and to try to stop them (defensively) trying to get the ball up top to their entry player,” said Utica coach Carl Territo. “We got the goal which was awesome for us, but then for whatever reason we got really flat and it got into our head, maybe being too confident saying ‘we belong in this game.’ We allowed them to climb back into this game. Then we put a little pressure on them again late in regulation and almost scored again. We had a couple of nice chances and we did carry play to them a little bit. We just couldn’t score again and their goalkeeper made a couple of nice saves. We were in this game all along.”
Utica senior goalkeeper Michael Ciubotaru, a hockey defenseman in the offseason, dove to his right to stop a header by Chris Worrell off the goal line with 8:38 remaining in regulation.
Grimm stopped Utica sophomore midfielder Jonathan Russell on a breakaway with 4:35 remaining in regulation, as both teams created late chances.
“I think we didn’t panic being down 1-0. In fact it settled us down a little bit and we started to control play. We figured with the way we were attacking that we would eventually put one away and tie it,” said Stachura. “I thought we had more chances in the game, we even hit a crossbar and missed a couple of close chances. Then we had a defensive mishap late in the second half that was almost lethal. But our goalie stepped up and made that save on the breakaway and we were eventually able to score in overtime.”
Troy finished with a 18-7 total shots edge, including 11-5 with shots on frame, and posted a 5-4 differential on cornerkicks. Grimm had four saves for the Colts, while Ciubotaru made nine stops for the Chieftains.
Troy (9-2-4) will face arch-rival and defending state champion Troy Athens at 6 pm. Thursday for the district championship, also at Waterford Mott. The Colts have lost five straight games to Athens and have not defeated the Red Hawks in postseason play since 2016.
“They beat us 4-1 earlier in the year because Athens finishes very well. I know our meetings in the postseason have been a lot closer recently,” said Stachura. “We hope to get them this time. We’re due.”
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