Both the boys and girls Pomperaug soccer teams have advanced in the South-West Conference Playoffs after tightly contested quarterfinal matches.
The Pomperaug boys soccer team won in dramatic fashion at Newtown High School on Monday night, with a clutch goal off a set piece by Eli Lounsbury in the final moments of the match.
Head coach Joe Mancini noted that it was an evenly-matched game, with a little bit of luck involved on a corner kick deflection. Playing as the sixth seed, the Panthers took down the third seeded Nighthawks to advance.
“They’re a really good team,” said Mancini following the 1-0 victory. “We just got a little bit lucky. The ball bounces and falls in the right spot. They could have easily scored some goals.”
The boys team will travel to Bethel High School for their semifinal matchup on Wednesday for a 6:00 p.m. match.
The girls team was victorious on Tuesday night against Joel Barlow, with a 1-0 win propelling them into the SWC semifinals.
In a tale of two halves, Joel Barlow came out on the offensive but couldn’t convert, with multiple shots saved by goalkeeper Madelyn Martino.
With just over 17 minutes left in the match, freshman Leila Romano converted for the game’s lone score, sending the Panthers to the SWC semifinals.
The Panthers have held their opponents scoreless in 12 of their 17 games this season.
“In the second half, we were just a different team,” said head coach Tony Viscuso.
The third-seeded Panthers will travel across the Pomperaug River to play second-seeded Newtown, on Thursday at 6:00 p.m., where they will seek to avenge their only loss of the year.
The Southbury Record 