Riverside’s best men’s soccer season in recent history ended with a 4-2 loss in overtime to Wakefield in the third round of the state playoffs.
While the stands weren’t as packed as they might be without suboptimal weather, the people who did make the journey were making sure their voices were heard with lots of chirping and trash talk being thrown in Riverside’s direction.
The game was a cold, wet slog. Both teams struggled to work through the rain puddles and mud, and the once pristine white Riverside jerseys were a dark, grayish brown by game’s end. Most balls not kicked in the air getting stopped way short of their intended target, which led to lots of frustrating moments.
About seven minutes into the game, the referees called for the game to be postponed due to the weather, but both teams were fired up and wanted to continue playing, to the dismay of a few parents.
Head coach Alex Ramirez said the weather forced his team to improvise.
“Any strategies, or any ideas I had before the game went out the window,” Ramirez said.
Wakefield kicked off the scoring early at about the 20-minute mark with a short and sudden drive into Riverside’s territory. Down but not out, Riverside continued to push through the conditions with some very tough and gritty play. Both teams received multiple cards, but Riverside senior forward Gustavo Lagos scored with a minute left in the first half to neutralize the game heading into halftime.
The second half began with tough back and forth action. A fantastic save by sophomore goalkeeper William Crutchfield kept the game tied at one.
Then the weather conditions became an even bigger factor. Two Riverside shots on goal got past the Wakefield keeper, but the mud stopped the ball inches in front of the goal line.
Instead of ending as a 3-1 Riverside upset, the Pirates and Wolverines remained tied 1-1 at the end of regulation. And while the weather kept the game a low-scoring affair during regulation, it was a completely different story in overtime.
Only a couple minutes in, the Wolverines chipped one in to give them a 2-1 advantage. Minutes later though, Riverside was able to tie it back up with a goal from senior forward Amir El-Tanany.
With the momentum seemingly shifting back towards Riverside, Wakefield took it back barely a minute later. Trailing 3-2 heading into the second half of overtime, Riverside wasn’t able to score, and a Wakefield goal with a minute and a half left effectively iced the Pirates’ season.
“[The game was] a coin flip,” Ramirez said. “Dumb luck kept us from taking another high-seeded team down.”
Despite the loss, the men’s varsity soccer team had its most successful season in recent history. The Pirates were one win away from capturing its first conference title in 18 years, made the state playoffs for the first time in two seasons, and went as team as any team in school history.
The Pirates entered the playoffs as the number-27 seed out of 32 teams, but the low ranking didn’t deter them from taking down sixth-seeded Lumberton and eleventh-seed Ashley in the opening rounds.
Both road wins ended 1-0. The winning goal versus Ashley came with only five minutes left in regulation by senior captain Isaac Arrowood, thanks to an assist from fellow senior captain John Feller.
Feller also said the postseason run was a team effort and that there will be a strong core of returning players that will help keep this team going strong next season.
“Everybody played an insane role,” Feller said.
Editor’s note: Wakefield won the NCHSAA 4A State Championship on Saturday.
