LEBANON — The Lebanon High boys soccer team’s NHIAA Division II playoff game had been over for a few minutes Sunday when a joyful scream arose from the sidelines.
“We’re going to the semifinals, boys!”
Unfortunately for the Raiders, the outburst emanated from Hollis-Brookline’s huddle. Thirty yards away and stretching in somber silence, all the hosts could do was ponder their quarterfinal loss and what they viewed as an early exit from the postseason.
A year after winning the program’s first state title in 30 years, fourth-seeded Lebanon could not match the fifth-seeded Cavaliers’ physicality and passion. The Raiders had at least a dozen scoring chances and Hollis-Brookline only two or three, but the visitors made one count during the second half.
“I don’t think we can say we left anything on the field,” said Lebanon coach Rob Johnstone, whose team lost at Hollis-Brookline, 1-0, on Sept. 10.
“The first time we played them, they controlled the ball 80 percent of the time. I’m going home sad because we tried so hard, but not because I could have asked more of anyone.”
Hollis-Brookline scored with 13 minutes to play. Lebanon didn’t fully clear a ball and its back line was a tad slow stepping upfield. The Cavaliers (13-4) played a pass wide right to Ronan Finnegan, who blew around a defender and ripped a shot inside the far post and past goalkeeper Easton Wykes.
Lebanon (12-5) protested in vain that the play was offsides, but the referee ruled that one fullback had lingered behind the others, putting Finnegan in the clear.
“The official said one player didn’t step up and was a yard behind everyone else,” Johnstone said. “One step and that’s maybe what determines the game. A single moment.”
The Cavaliers’ rearguard of center backs Nate McEvoy and John Paul Torgerson and wide defenders Tomas Anderson and Jesse Gertz were outstanding. Lebanon’s talented central midfielder, Otto Bourne, was held mostly in check, although he had a header and another shot on goal that came close to finding the twine.
The Raiders’ destiny may have been set when striker Domenico Pentella was cut down late and in dangerous fashion against visiting Pembroke on Sept. 24. The talented sophomore played short stints in his team’s regular-season finale and on Sunday with a heavily taped ankle, but wasn’t the offensive catalyst he’d been before.
Lebanon’s star forward, Nick Brill, remained a threat to score almost every time he possessed the ball, but the junior works best in tandem and the Raiders were unable to find him a reliable partner the rest of the way. Sunday, the Cavaliers mostly isolated Brill and fouled to stop Lebanon from quick transitions and bursts into open space.
“They were physical but probably got called for 12 fouls and we got called for two,” said Johnstone, noting that Hollis-Brookline scored on the one chance it created during the run of play. “They took a physical approach but we had opportunities because of that, including three after they scored.”
The most promising of those came with four minutes remaining, when the ball bounced to Bennett Hewett on the left side of the penalty area. The junior had the near side of the net open, but couldn’t get his feet set. His slow dribbler allowed goalkeeper John Sommer time to dive across and make a save.
A minute later, Brill broke in 1 on 1 with Sommer and with a defender on his heels. The big keeper turned the chance aside, however, and that was the end of Lebanon’s offense.
Lebanon’s seven-man senior class is one of the smallest to come through Lebanon’s program in recent years, but it is also one of the tightest. Three members, Wykes, Francis Calandrella and Angus Hall, began playing together in elementary school. Finn Ericson and Tommy Wolfe joined in middle school and Duncan Greene and Andrew Dannehy arrived as freshmen.
“There’s not a star in the bunch, but they truly care about each other and they listen and they’ve set an example by being willing to play anywhere in the lineup,” Johnstone said. “I didn’t have to sell anyone on anything with this group.”
Notes: Not including 2020’s abbreviated COVID-19 season, Lebanon has won 10 or more games in 17 consecutive campaigns. This year’s 12 victories were accomplished despite graduating seven seniors and four all-state players from the 2021 squad. In addition, rising seniors and potential starters Birhanu Harriman (cross country) and Will McGee (ice hockey) stopped playing soccer to concentrate on other sports … Tim Boyle, principal of Hanover’s Richmond Middle School, was one of the match’s two referees. .. Lebanon repeated as Division II’s goals-scored leader with 45, despite tallying 35 fewer times than last season.
Tris Wykes can be reached at [email protected].
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