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Saxony Lutheran boys soccer fail to emerge from early hole, lose 3-0 to Maplewood in Class 1 quarterfinals
MAPLEWOOD, Mo. -- Less than six minutes, that's how long it took Maplewood-Richmond Heights boys soccer to jump out to a 2-0 lead Saturday afternoon.
Saxony Lutheran couldn't overcome that slow start away from home in 80-plus degree weather and fell 3-0 in a MSHSAA Class 1 quarterfinal, the program's third consecutive defeat on that stage.
Blue Devils sophomore Zach Barton scored two goals and assisted on the other, as the hosts avenged an early-season loss to the Crusaders.
"We were just slow to begin with," Saxony Lutheran coach Max Wieser said. "I don't think we were quite ready. We thought we got here in plenty of time and had time to prepare, but we still started out just a little slow.
"Outside of the first 20 minutes, I felt like the first half we controlled and had the better chances the last 20 minutes. They poured it on early and especially on a day like today -- it was hot -- it's hard coming back."
Maplewood's first two shots resulted in goals. First, Barton pounced on a poor clearance and used his blazing speed to blow by the Crusaders' defense before placing the ball into the bottom left corner of the net. With not even three minutes gone, Saxony (15-11) trailed by a goal.
Minutes later, the task got tougher.
This time, Barton turned creator. He dribbled down the right sideline before his partially deflected cross reached Dylan Boyd. The sophomore stretched out his leg to redirect the ball into the open net. His goal gave the Blue Devils (21-5) a 2-0 lead 5 minutes, 15 seconds into the contest.
"You're worrying about running as fast as you can as well as angles," Wieser said of defending Barton's speed. "I think he surprised us because they did not have that last game. I think that was a kind of a thing that caught us off guard at the beginning."
Barton played in the first meeting between the two teams, a 2-0 Saxony victory on Sept. 3 at the Hannibal Varsity Tournament, according to Maplewood coach Ryan Robertson. The difference was he, and his teammates, didn't falter in front of goal this time.
"We talked a lot about the last time we played these guys," Robertson said. "We thought we did a very good job of possessing the ball. We did not finish. We had a lot of scoring chances. We did not finish the scoring chances, so that was the focus this week. Making sure you finish the opportunities you get and finish them early, and that's what they did.
"First opportunity, first finish, and then that changes the whole dynamic of everything. You don't have to chase the game."
After the pair of early goals, Wieser's team was forced to try to come from behind, and the Crusaders switched to a more attacking formation. A defender was removed in favor of a third attacker, leaving Saxony with three in defense.
"You have to do it because you've got to get at least one goal to start making a comeback," Wieser said. "That's probably what created the third goal from them, but it's either you get lucky and you get that first goal, and you get to go back to what you were doing, or they score, and then you're really in trouble. But we had to take that chance and try to put them under pressure."
The visitor created scoring opportunities. The Crusaders had 13 shots overall and six on goal, one less and two less than the Blue Devils' totals, respectively. But the hosts weathered the pressure, including five shots on goal in the second half, thanks in part to goalkeeper Marlon Ramirez. The senior finished with five saves, and defender Jose Verdia prevented a goal with a headed goal-line clearance.
"Their keeper had how many great saves there in the second half," Wieser said. "It was two or three times that we thought the ball was going to go in, but he was there or just made the play."
Ramirez's saves included a sprawling denial just minutes after Maplewood scored its third goal. With around 28 minutes remaining, Saxony senior Jacob Wunderlich headed a throw-in toward the top of the net. Ramirez clawed the ball away with his fingertips, and his defense cleared the rebound.
Some of the Crusaders' best chances came off throw-ins. Using a somersault to generate power, sophomore Micah Mirly was able to heave the ball over 25 yards and within six yards of the hosts' goal.
The visitors threatened on other dead-ball situations, too. Minutes into the second half, forward Jakoata Walther beat Ramirez with a redirected header following a corner. But Verdia was standing next to the right post and cleared the ball with his head.
In the end, it was MRH that scored off a Crusader set piece. Off a goal kick, the Blue Devils won a header and Barton, who injured his right quad in the first half, latched onto the free ball. The attacker was again unflappable in a one-on-one situation, slipping the ball past Saxony goalkeeper Jacob Stueve and into the net at the 48:19 mark.
Barton, who had re-entered the game seconds before the goal, then limped off the field for good. By that point, Maplewood's spot in the semis appeared secure.
"I was like [MRH's] Isaac [Pearson], 'I got to get one before I get out' because my leg was dying," Barton said. "I don't know what was going on."
Stueve, a senior, finished with five saves. He's one of six seniors on Saxony's roster. All five healthy 12th graders -- defender Ben Daniel was injured -- started. They were freshman when Wieser started coaching Saxony four seasons ago. Along the way, they've won three district titles and gone from four wins as freshmen to 15 victories, and a winning record, this year.
"I've got some memories that I won't ever have again because they're the first ones that came in and were like 'Ok you're my coach,'" Wieser said. "Everyone else maybe had another coach before so they're like, 'Well this is my new coach and that was my old coach.' These are just my guys so there's definitely a bond there, and I know their stories more than most of the others."
Unfortunately for Wieser and the Crusaders, it was Maplewood that made history Saturday as it advanced to a semifinal for the first time in school history. Saxony was left to contemplate what might have been.
"We didn't bring our best today, but that happens," Wieser said. "It's unfortunate it was a postseason game."