Shootout unkind to the Vikings
Geneva loses to Leyden in sectional semifinal

 

By Gary Larsen

You don’t have to be a math teacher – which Geneva coach Ryan Estabrook is – to recognize the simple numbers that doomed Geneva on Tuesday.

“If you can only make three out of eight penalty kicks…” Estabrook said. “The pressure got to us, maybe, and we just didn’t connect. It’s a frustrating way to go out.”

The fifth-seeded Vikings (13-10-1) lost a shootout to top-seeded Leyden (17-3-2) in eight rounds, after neither team could manage a goal through regulation and four, 10-minute overtime periods.

The irony of the night was that Geneva brought the fight to the Eagles through the overtime periods, despite playing down a man due to a red card violation.

“It’s crazy how that happens,” Estabrook said. “I think the team playing up a man sometimes relaxes, feeling a little more confident, while the other team feels like they were slighted so they play a little bit harder.

“But during the course of play we just didn’t do enough to generate scoring opportunities, so we’ll have to live by that.”

It didn’t help that neither Seamus Kaminski nor Craig Hancock were available for either the overtime periods or the shootout. Geneva senior Brady Wahl did everything humanly possible during the run of play to get his side a goal, but it wasn’t to be.

And Vikings goalkeeper Steven Soderstrom did every bit as much as Wahl in trying to get his side the win.

Soderstrom made an outstanding reaction save at the post on a Leyden shot that was ripped at him from 8 yards away in the first half. During a second-half attacking spurt by the Eagles, Soderstrom stood tall throughout, and stuffed an attempted shot near the post in the 62nd minute.

“I think we controlled the action for a better part of the game, but Leyden had the better chances in the game. Steven came up big in regulation with two really big saves,” Estabrook said.

Soderstrom also stopped two Leyden penalty kicks, as each team went 2-of-5 during the first round of the shootout.

“It would have been nice to have another player in there. Seamus would have been nice to have for the penalty kicks, and Craig Hancock got a concussion and couldn’t play beyond the second half,” Estabrook said. “Those guys would have been taking penalty kicks for us, and Craig is a spark plug for us. We missed him in the middle.”

As Geneva fought for a goal for 120 minutes, Robbie Johnson and the boys in back were airtight in shutting down a Leyden attack that features a dangerous forward in David Wisniewski.

Geneva graduates 11 seniors from this year’s squad. Departing the program is the Ohio State-bound Wahl, along with Kaminski, Hancock, Johnson, Andrew Walton, Michael Henriksen, Brian Ruane, Tyler Filipiak, Matt Dashner, Carlos Gonzalez, and Matt Kimmel.

“The kids played hard for us. We lose eleven seniors and they’re a good bunch of guys,” Estabrook said. “Every year as a coach you hate to see them go. They did a lot for our program and they’ll be remembered for all the positive things, that’s for sure.”