Holy Cross conquers LCA in boys soccer clash

Holy Cross’ boys soccer team couldn’t contain its excitement after beating Virginia Independent Conference rival Liberty Christian Academy 2-1, in its regular-season finale, Thursday at home.

The Gaels’ gave unsuspecting coach Randy Turille the traditional Gatorade shower, only with water, moments after the inspirational win, clinched by Joe Bruzek’s late penalty kick.

“They’ve been wanting to do that and I told them, ‘You’re not allowed to do that until you win a championship,’” Turille said. “They did it anyway and I told them, ‘All right, because it was a huge game. It’s Senior Day, LCA’s obviously a huge rivalry for them and we haven’t beaten them in a long time.’”

The victory improved Holy Cross’ record to 17-4-1, 9-2 in VIC play, keeping them a game behind undefeated Blue Ridge and a game ahead of the Bulldogs (9-6-3, 7-2-2) heading into next week’s VIC tournament.

“They’ve worked their tails off and they’ve earned it,” Turille said. “You figure the last two years we were like 9-30 overall. To turn this around and win 17 games in the regular season is amazing. I’m so proud of them.”

Kenny Sterne put the Gaels on top just 5 minutes, 15 seconds into the game when he one-timed a long crossing pass from senior Will Hickey for a 25-yard score into the upper-right corner of the goal. LCA goalkeeper Chris Lawson never stood a chance.

“It was curving outside, away from him, he couldn’t do anything about it,” Sterne said. “It was a great feeling.”

Sterne estimated he has scored 12 goals this season, but “none that beautiful.”

“It was just a great goal,” Turille added. “For Kenny to score that goal … you could see it in the guys’ eyes, that gave us a lot of confidence.”

LCA’s leading scorer Seth Dorman tied the game at 1-1 11:30 before halftime when he flicked a ball over drawn-out Gaels goalkeeper John Cackowski, who crashed into the net trying to retreat to make the save.

With 11 minutes left in regulation, Dorman appeared to put the Bulldogs ahead by finishing a ball chipped over second-half Holy Cross keeper Nolan Mann, who also had charged out of the cage in an attempt to confront a breakaway.

However, LCA was ruled offsides, negating the goal and preserving the tie.

“We got very lucky on that call,” Sterne said. “If (Dorman) hadn’t touched it, it would have been a goal. If he’d have let it roll, it would have been a goal, because he was actually offsides when he touched the ball.”

Four minutes later, the Gaels capitalized on a hand ball in the box call by LCA sophomore Daniel Na. Bruzek tied teammate Cedric Anderson for the team scoring lead with his 22nd goal on the year, beating Lawson to the left side on the ground on the PK.

“It just happens,” LCA coach Steve Moon said of the penalty against Na, who had dropped back to play stopper after Dan Kappler dislocated his knee in the first half. “(Na) was where he was supposed to be and the ball just came in and hit him. It hit one of their players in front and came in and just took a bounce and hit him there (in the arm).”

The Gaels and Bulldogs had opened their season with a 1-1 tie.

“We knew this was going to be another tight one,” Moon said. “I knew it was going to be 2-1 or overtime (because) that’s how our games have been like all year — one-goal games. We’re used to it.

“They’re a good passing team if you leave them open,” he added. “The secret for us is to get to that ball first.”

LCA graduated 11 players, including three all-state selections, from last year’s Virginia Independent Schools Division I state semifinalist, and lost top returning player Seho Choi to injury and academic troubles.

“We lost a lot of kids from last year and these guys have come a long way,” Moon said. “They’ve jelled as a team.”