U-32 senior Nik Killoran punches home a penalty kick goal during the second half of the Raiders’ playoff game against Enosburg on Friday. /Jeb Wallace-Brodeur, Times Argus
Two goals apiece from Nik Killoran and Noah Elmore helped the No. 2-seeded U-32 boys soccer team down No. 7 Enosburg 5-2 in Friday’s Division II quarterfinal. The Raiders pushed onward to the semifinals for the first time since 2011.
“A goal early on was to see where we could get to,” U-32 coach Steve Towne said. “The semifinals was one of those destinations. It took us a little bit to sort everything out, but I thought we held up pretty well.”
The win was the Raiders (14-1-1) fourth straight. They remained undefeated against D-II opponents as Elmore, Killoran and senior Ohan Fillbach combined to score all five goals, the teams’ highest output in more than two weeks.
U-32 got on the board in the 12th minute as Fillbach received a leading ball, chased it down and somehow slipped it past a lunging Zak Porter, the Hornets three-year keeper, in front of the net. Elmore was then able to connect on the cross, almost passing it in, for the 1-0 lead.
However, Enosburg had an answer against U-32 and keeper Derek Cote. After a foul set up a deep free kick for the Hornets, sophomore midfielder Noah Swainbank — the son of Enosburg coach Randy Swainbank — sent in a beautiful far-post ball.
Midfielder Cam Caforia was able to connect on the header, dropping the header into the bottom right corner over Cote. It was an excellent set piece from Enosburg, which were ultimately outplayed the rest of the first half.
Elmore and Fillbach had an answer just 2:00 later, with the sophomore forward sliding in on a well-placed cross from Fillbach’s second assist in just 3:00.
Fillbach then pushed the lead to two 3:00 later, earning his third point of the match with a perfectly placed, long-range shot that flew into the upper left. It caught Porter and the Hornets defense off guard, as they left the dangerous midfielder plenty of space.
Enosburg came out much stronger in the second half, sending U-32 reeling when forward Colby Greenia — who spent much of the game stationed right at the Raiders back line — earned a breakaway. He ended up in a one-on-one situation with Cote, calmly slotting it into the bottom right with his left foot to cut it to just one.
However, Killoran pushed the Raiders to the finish line with his pair of goals.
“Nik Killoran was just on today,” Towne said. “His ability to control the ball on a field with wet conditions is just great, he played really well. He was key in keeping possession and pressure on them.”
Killoran scored his first goal on a penalty kick that Russell Johnson drew in what became a very physical game. He sent a bullet into the upper right, freezing Porter before adding a second one on a breakaway down the left side that he sent directly over the senior keeper.
The penalty kick sealed the deal for the Raiders, who are looking to return to the finals for the first time since 2008 with a win over No. 6 Woodstock on Tuesday. The Wasps downed No. 11 Harwood, 2-1.
“We’re not just 11 players,” Towne said. The Raiders were without talented midfielder Seamus Beall, who was out with an injury.
“We have a solid bench, and numbers we can bring in and out,” Towne said. “Other players have stepped in and proved themselves, it makes us a solid team moving forward.Overall, it was a good team effort. We played well.”
Kickoff is at 3 p.m. Tuesday in East Montpelier.
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