The Boys First Region soccer tournament came to a close on Thursday night, as the McCracken County Mustangs took on the Marshall County Marshals. After 80 minutes, the Mustangs would earn their fourth win of the season over Marshall when it mattered most, earning their fifth regional title in the last six seasons with a 3-1 win.
“This has been one of those years where we’ve had only a few guys play in every game, and 20-something different starters across the season. But somehow, they’d always get it done, no matter who’s out there, and they did again tonight,” McCracken County head coach Michael Wiersema said. “We’ve made a lot of strides this year…We’re just going to keep having fun on this ride we’re on.”
A bit of early pressure would pay off for the Mustangs early into the first half, as they poured forward into Marshall’s half straight from kick-off. A long throw into the box from Johnny Mendoza would bounce off a Marshall defender and in, giving the visitors the edge less than a minute into the match. However, the Marshals would be right there with a near instant response. Just two minutes later, a loose ball off a corner kick would fall to the feet Davis Hunt, who fired in the equalizer.
Following the frantic start, things would level out between the two sides, with both the Marshals and Mustangs putting together decent spells of possession as the half continued. With just over 15 minutes to play, it would be the Mustangs who capitalized on a momentum swing first. After having an initial shot turned away, Eli Riley would follow his own shot to create a rebound opportunity on an open net, putting McCracken back ahead, 2-1. While the Marshals would put on the pressure looking to level things back up once again, nearly getting it if not for a goal line clearance for the Mustangs, Riley’s goal would hold up as the difference, as McCracken took a 2-1 lead into halftime.
Coming out of the break, the Marshals would up the tempo, pouring forward still in search of the tying goal. While they would create a handful of shots through the first minute, timely stops from the Mustang defense, and a few saves from McCracken keeper Lane Grace would keep the lead in tact as the game neared the halfway mark of the second.
As time continued to tick away, Marshall continued to push forward, but just couldn’t put the finishing touches on any chances they could create. Finally, a crushing blow was dealt at the other end; with just over five minutes left on the clock, a sharp angle shot from Jake Hazel would find the back of the net, giving the Mustangs a two goal cushion.
“We knew that we couldn’t panic. That was the message after they tied it up in the first, we just calm down, stuck to our game, and it worked,” Grace said. “Our defense played great in the second half, and getting that two-goal lead just took so much pressure off of us, so shoutout to our offense.”
From there, an improbable comeback was not on the cards for Marshall. The final five minutes would pass, seeing the Mustangs reclaim their spot atop the First Region with a 3-1 victory.
“It’s an awesome feeling,” Grace continued. “This a really close group of guys, to get back on top of the region with them, especially after losing last year, it’s great.”
With the win, the Mustangs advance to the state tournament, where they’ll meet the Bowling Green Purples in the opening round. As for the message to his Mustangs going forward, Wiersema kept things short and simple.
“Stay humble, and stay hungry.”