It’s reaching the point where opponents will have to avoid fouling Guilderland or allowing corner kicks because sooner or later, Connor O’Brien will find a way to make them pay.
The senior defender sent a free kick on net, and teammate Chris Connolly knocked the ball over the goal line less than five minutes into the first overtime period to give the Dutchmen a 2-1 win over Section III’s Baldwinsville in Saturday’s Class AA boys soccer regional final at Colonie Central High School.
`I like to think about it as my specialty,` said O’Brien.
`We’ve been just riding the restart wave as far as we can,` said Guilderland coach Mike Kinnally.
O’Brien was closer to the midfield stripe than he was to the penalty box when he launched the free kick into the penalty box. But, he could see where he wanted to place it.
`I saw them (the Baldwinsville defenders) on the back post, so I knew if they could get past their defenders and they could lay it across for one of our guys down the middle, it would work,` said O’Brien.
Connolly saw the ball arcing towards him, so he got to it and knocked it past Baldwinsville goaltender Nicholas Lindovski for the game winner.
`I just knew I had to hit it,` said Connolly. `Great ball by O’Brien.`
O’Brien was a big part of most of Guilderland’s quality scoring chances. Whether from the corner or from the middle of the field, O’Brien’s kicks consistently landed in places where his teammates could generate shots on goal.
`They had maybe one poor service all day,` said Baldwinsville coach Tim Scheemaker. `They were just so good on services all day.`
O’Brien’s first service led to Guilderland’s first goal. O’Brien sent a corner kick into the penalty box, and Chris Czekay sent it on to Connor Rubin, who knocked it past Lindovski for a 1-0 first-half lead.
Scheemaker said he was surprised by the way his team reacted to the play as it unfolded, especially since Baldwinsville had been on a six-game shutout streak entering Saturday’s regional.
`There was no reason for that goal to be scored,` said Scheemaker. `We just stood around and watched it happen.`
Baldwinsville didn’t pull even until the 64th minute, and it too was off a corner kick. The ball came out to Braden Miles, who launched a long shot that bounced off Guilderland goaltender Kedrick Weeden’s hands. Connor Ross was there to knock the rebound in to tie the score at 1-1.
`We don’t go to the net well, but he’s one of the few that does go to goal,` Scheemaker said of Ross.
Guilderland slowly took control of the game after Ross’ goal, and it resulted in Connolly’s tally with 10:57 left in the first 15-minute overtime period.
`It’s the best feeling in the world,` said Connolly.
Guilderland advances to next Saturday’s state semifinal against Section V champion Fairport in Middletown, a place Kinnally knows well.
`I used to live in Middletown, so I’m going to see some friends down there,` said Kinnally.