U-32 celebrates Drew Hepburn’s second half goal to tie it at one apiece. Photo by Jeb Wallace-Brodeur
Despite playing almost 40 minutes a man down, U-32 turned frustration into pure joy on a cold and windy day, courtesy of sophomore Gus Obeldobel. Obeldobel sent a bullet, a beautiful 86th minute left-footed volley into the upper right corner to power the Raiders to a 3-2 overtime boys soccer win in a competitively-charged meeting with GMVS.
“From my angle, I could just see it take off,”an elated U-32 coach Steve Towne said. “It was one of those shots you just hope and hope and hope. It was obviously a beautiful shot and you can’t ask for a better finish.”
It followed 85 minutes of back-and-fourth, rugged soccer as the two teams tangled all over the field. Every shot, pass and through ball was fought for as two of the top teams in Division-II squared off.
“There was no stop. We didn’t back down even with a man down,” Towne said. “We battled and stuck with them all the way to the end against a high quality team, which is difficult to do at any level.”
The two teams were very evenly matched from the very beginning. Many runs were halted by solid defensive efforts from both squads, as U-32’s back line cleared many attempts. A senior-heavy Gumbies squad let in a few opportunities through. Erik Silbernagel made a two-handed leaping save from an Ohan Fillbach shot, batting away the well-struck free kick for one of four first-half saves.
However, GMVS found the back of the net first. In the 13th minute, a defensive miscue from the Raiders handed Sebastian Gonin a goal. After a free kick into the box deflected around, nobody was able to clear it and Brian Chambers was able to tap it over to Gonin, who slotted it into the bottom left past a diving Derek Cote.
After halftime, U-32 surged and looked like a stronger, different team. The Raiders netted two goals in a span of three minutes to jump ahead 2-1. Drew Hepburn scored the first goal, sending a rebound from a Russell Johnson shot that was batted away into the back of the net with an acrobatic, wrapping-around volley.
Then, the Raiders caught a break. Fillbach chased down a ball into the corner of the box on the goal line, but was tripped up by Chambers. He couldn’t break free from the senior defender’s foot, who pulled him back and was whistled for the trip. Sophomore Seamus Beall stepped up to the penalty spot and buried it into the bottom left.
The Gumbies came flying back, as Cote wasn’t able to make a save and it cost him off of a deep free kick from Chambers. A long, soaring ball aided by the wind deflected off the junior goalie and fell in front of the waiting feet of a pair of GMVS forwards, with Logan Slattery pounding it into the back of the net from point blank for the equalizer.
The intensity went up a notch after Hepburn’s red card with 33 minutes remaining. In a controversial call, Hepburn was carded instantly after attempting to kick a loose ball in front of Silbernagel and instead connecting with the senior keeper’s face.
Silbernagel was taken off, the second straight game the Gumbies have lost a goalie. Normal starter Alex Miyashiti-Marcil left after a collision in the Woodstock meeting. Forward Phil Ratte moved in net, rarely seeing much action.
It changed the dynamic as the game was at risk of boling over after several rough tackles. Both teams dueled, with the Gumbies taking advantage of their one-man advantage and hammering shots on goal.
Cote withstood the pressure, making nine saves in the second half alone. He turned away many opportunities, including a one-handed punch over the top of the bar after a well-placed shot from Jack Armstrong. Cote was able to keep it even after a fast-paced final 10:00 of regulation.
Four minutes in, U-32 forward Sam Thompson received a well-placed through ball and sprinted into the box but was run down by a pair of Gumbies from behind. The referees hesitated to make a call, originally pointing at the penalty spot before changing it to an indirect free kick.
Fillbach lifted it over the wall, and it deflected to Obeldobel where he sent it home with a bullet off his left foot. The Raider bench exploded upwards, flying out to greet the grinning sophomore who pumped his fist triumphantly.
“Honestly, it still hasn’t sunk in yet,” Obeldobel said afterwards, beaming. “We’re just getting ready for the next game, the season’s not done yet and we got a long way to go.”
The Raiders face another stiff test with D-III powerhouse Stowe on Saturday. They sit at 8-3, with one loss coming to the Gumbies, a 1-0 defeat.
“We’re very happy to come out with a win,” Towne said. “It’s momentum, but we’ve played well the whole season. Stowe is equal to this team right here so it’s going to be another battle.”
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