Hawks Lose to Heritage, 2-1, But What a Ride to State!!
Jorge DeLeon and Josh Szech on the offensive. (photo by Karen Holmes)
What a ride this year’s Canyon Lake Boys Soccer team traveled this season after suffering a tough loss in their Semi-Final State contest to Midlothian Heritage, 2-1 in Georgetown on Wednesday.
This Hawk team has set a new standard for the future sports in reaching the Final Four and finishing with a 5-1 post-season record. In fact, The Lake’s, Soccer crew has formulated many more firsts this year.
How about traveling, 1245 miles round-trip to cities to play each stage of that play-off ladder.
TOP 10 Mileage Jaunts (for the casual fans) 2019 Hawk Boys Soccer 1245 miles 6 rounds Final Four 2017 Hawk Boys Soccer 883 miles 3 rounds 2010 Hawk Baseball 575 miles 2 rounds (5 games) 2018 Hawk Softball 438 miles 2 rounds (4 games) 2017 Hawk Football 390 miles 3 rounds 2018 Hawk Lady Basketball 271 miles 3 rounds 2018 Hawk Volleyball 269 miles 2 rounds 2014 Hawk Football 261 miles 2 rounds 2013 Hawk Football 254 miles 2 rounds 2015 Hawk Volleyball 218 miles 2 rounds Other Firsts ** 7 Game Winning Streak ** 19 Wins, the most in the Program’s History ** 7-4 Playoff Record ** 27 Game Schedule ** Winning District Record ** Finished 2nd in District ** Beat Boerne & Fredericksburg (a sweep)
CL’s Trophy Case will need more room after Semi-Final Soccer Contest. (photo by Karen Holmes)
The ReSporter hopes you are enjoying the scenery, so far, on this Drive that came from a team that had it’s largest attendance ever and could, in some of those years, be more fans in that one game than Soccer would have for a year.
Canyon Lake was able to seize the lead first when Joshua Szcech scored in the first half, with 18:32 remaining before that halftime break. This fete had the Hawks leading for 10 minutes which was accomplished just once during this post-season drive when CL had a, 1-0 lead over Bellville.
Midlothian Heritage would tie the game and then took their lead 13 minutes into the 2nd half, which would stand to the final horn.
Canyon Lake did stage a frantic last 10 minutes with several close calls but in the end it would not result in one final incredible ending to this day like so many other battles on this road trip.
The Hawks had come back in 4 of their 5 playoff wins and thinking it would happen again was certainly on the minds of the CL faithful that had been along for the ride these past 3 weeks.
“To get to a game like this….you just have to take a step back and take it all in,” Head Coach Ryan Tierney said. “We went down swinging…as a coach I believed we could go toe to toe with Heritage.”
Coach Tierney continued, “The kids did not know what to expect, but look at this group (of players), we got to score first.”
On the Hawk crowd, “I have never seen that many fans and they were crazy and amazing….I wish every soccer game was like that, the fans were so loud that the players could not hear me.”
Senior Matt Bell prepares for one of his patented throw-ins. (photo by Karen Holmes)
Good times on a ride that was non-stop with great places to see and experience. The double overtime win over Austin Memorial that culminated with a shoot-out was a great stop.
How about the destination to McAllen where two wins had a Hawk score with no time left in the first game and then a penalty kick beating the same team that stopped CL’s last bid in McAllen two years later, in the exact same manner. In losing that game by a penalty kick.
“We were going on, this season, and finished 2nd place in district and those were good feelings. Having the ability, as a team, to overcome everything and how mentally stronger those games made us,” Senior Matt Bell said. “The aggression was not there today and we got to cocky after scoring that first goal,” Bell said when recalling the game. “It feel’s inspiring in winning 5 of our last 6 games in the last 10 minutes and that gave us a, ‘We can’t lose feeling and kept us fighting.’”
Canyon Lake did get back in this game as time started to slip away, “We tried to keep our heads up and we responded and got our shots in,” Bell closed.
Those shots were close but no goals and this would still be a great ride. The ReSporter, thinks, if a Hawk fan had asked which Hawk Sport would be the first team to make the Final 4, five years ago…that answer would not have been Boy’s Soccer.
Goal by Josh Szech for Hawk lead in first half. (photo by Karen Holmes)
Five year’s ago there had been just two sports that had not made an order for Play-off shirts. Boy’s Basketball and Soccer.
Since that time the Soccer crew had gone from ordering T-Shirts to having their last two destinations on this trip, actually making T-Shirts for this team. That is the ultimate accomplishment, respect in earning and allowing the coming together of the Hawk Nation with a chance to go to a State venue as a team and leaving everything on the field of play.
That gives memories and those good feelings a way to continue as the ultimate first, that now all other Hawk Sports can aspire too.
Thanks for the ride, all 1200 miles of it, as the Hawk Nation, now has two extra T-Shirts that will give the fans an extra two days of clothing for the round-trip excursion back to the beautiful Hill-Country.
Way to GO HAWKS!!
Stats from Official State Statistician.
Goals 1 2 Final
Midlothian Heritage 1 1 2
Canyon Lake Hawks 1 0 1
Pos # Player Sh SOG G A Minutes
MF 4 Matt Bell 4 3 0 0 80
D 6 Michael Carpenter 1 1 0 0 80
MF 8 Jorge DeLeon 2 0 0 0 72
MF 9 Josh Sczech 1 1 1 0 80
MF 10 Josh Nelson 0 0 0 0 31
MF 12 Nash Young 2 0 0 0 79
D 15 Andrew Pipkin 0 0 0 0 80
F 21 Trenton Lorett 0 0 0 0 80
D 22 Mason James 0 0 0 0 80
D 25 Trenton Butler 0 0 0 0 80
Substitutes
3 Aaron Allmon 1 0 0 0 52
17 Austin Stahura 0 0 0 0 10
Totals 11 5 1 0
Goalie Minutes GA Saves
GK 0 Shawn Bell 80 2 6
Cautions
CL’s Aaron Allmon Yellow Card 36:36
CL’s Nash Young Yellow Card 79:16
MH’s Mark Amber Yellow Card 79:36
Shots by Period 1 2 Total
Midlothian Heritage 6 8 14
Canyon Lake Hawks 2 9 11
Corner Kicks 1 2 Total
Midlothian Heritage 3 2 5
Canyon Lake Hawks 0 2 2
Saves by Period 1 2 Total
Midlothian Heritage 0 4 4
Canyon Lake Hawks 3 3 6
Scoring
21:32 Hawks Josh Sczech unassisted Shot to right post 18 yards
31:58 Heritage Duggins Shot from 20 yds out far upper post from right side.
52:11 Heritage Hunter Garvin Beat GK one on one from 15 yards out.
