eagles survive and advance

The Seymour Eagles soccer team took care of business Tuesday night with a season-defining 4-3 victory in the District 3-AA Tournament semi-finals at Carter, eliminating the Hornets from the tournament while earning SHS a bid to Thursday’s tournament championship game against Alcoa.

Tuesday’s thrilling victory also gives the Eagles a berth in next week’s region tournament.

“It was  a huge game,” Seymour head coach Bobby Norwood stated. “I think this team is peaking at just the right time. We’ve been so hot and cold all season but we’re playing good soccer right now. It’s very good to see.

“Now we just have to keep it up,” Norwood continued. “As long as we keep playing hard and keep playing good soccer for 80 minutes we’ll be a force to be reckoned with.”

The Eagles, leading 3-1 early in the second half, were forced to play 10 players against 11 after SHS defensive stopper Nathan Drain was given a red-card for taking out a Carter player from behind in an effort to save what would have been an uncontested Hornets’ goal.

“It was a good soccer play,” Norwood said in defense of his ejected player. “If he wouldn’t have done that, they would have scored. It wasn’t at all dirty. He sacrificed himself for the team.”

With their backs firmly planted against the wall, the Eagles allowed Carter to climb back into it and tie the contest at 3-3 headed into the game’s final minutes.

With two minutes remaining Carlos Lopez, who had scored the Eagles’ first two goals of the night, threw the ball in from the sideline. He threw the ball into the box in front of the goal and teammate Spencer Proctor knocked it into the goal for the dramatic winning score.

Seymour’s Chris Kjellgren also scored a first half goal to contribute to the Eagles’ early advantage.

Norwood said SHS goal-keeper turned in a sterling performance against the favored Hornets.

“Garrett Becker played the game of his life,” said Norwood. “They out-shot us 21-9 and Garrett kept us in it. He had some incredible one-on-one saves.”

Seymour and Alcoa battled to a 1-1 tie at Alcoa on April 25. The winner of the District 3-AA championship game will host the runner-up from District 4-AA in the first round of the region tournament next week while the loser will travel to play the tournament champion of District 4-AA.