The No. 3 seed Trinity boys’ soccer team secured a hard-fought victory against sixth-seeded South Harrison, winning 1-0 in the Region II Class AA/A quarterfinals held on March 15, 2024. In a tense match characterized by defensive prowess and limited scoring opportunities, Austin Porta scored the decisive goal in the 66th minute, propelling Trinity into the semifinals.
Trinity’s Tactical Approach and Defensive Strength
Throughout the match, both teams displayed a strong defensive strategy, making scoring chances difficult to come by. South Harrison, known for their compact and disciplined play, effectively surrendered midfield control while employing close-marking tactics to disrupt Trinity’s momentum. Despite controlling possession for most of the game, Trinity faced a well-organized defense that forced them to the flanks and congested the central areas.
Trinity had several near misses in the first half. In the 17th minute, Evan Knight found Jonathan Sheffstall, whose shot narrowly missed the far post. Shortly after, Parker Hopkins struck a loose ball near the top of the box, but South Harrison’s goalkeeper, Jon-Michael Radabaugh, managed to recover just before the ball crossed the goal line. Another attempt from Hopkins sailed over the crossbar, leaving the scoreline unchanged as the match progressed into the second half.
The second half saw Trinity intensify their efforts to break the deadlock, with three promising chances failing to find the back of the net in the opening ten minutes. Conversely, South Harrison nearly capitalized on a counterattack when Peyton Heckert’s shot from 30 yards struck the crossbar, keeping the score at 0-0.
Decisive Moment and Coach’s Reflection
In the 65th minute, Trinity finally broke through. Sheffstall executed a long throw that found Porta at the far post. With a composed right-footed shot, Porta secured a crucial 1-0 lead for his team. Reflecting on the moment, Porta expressed, “I’ve had that kind of shot on my foot so many times, but I was still pretty nervous as I saw it coming. This was one of those games where the first goal means everything, so I was glad I was able to put it in.”
In the aftermath of the goal, Trinity maintained their defensive strategy, utilizing effective clearances and strategic passing to manage the game clock. South Harrison struggled to penetrate Trinity’s resolute defense, with goalkeeper Parker Hopkins successfully dealing with any long throws and set pieces that came their way.
Trinity’s head coach, Dan Lohmann, praised his team’s performance and highlighted the improvements shown by South Harrison since their earlier matchup in the season. “We knew they were going to give us this kind of game. They were very compact, disciplined, and solid, and we knew we had to be patient and maintain our composure,” Lohmann noted. He also commented on the decision to place Hopkins in goal for the second half, emphasizing the need to protect a potential one-goal lead.
With this victory, Trinity advances to the semifinals, where they will face Moorefield, who triumphed over Notre Dame 4-0 in their quarterfinal match. The semifinal is scheduled for 15:00 local time on Saturday.