Momentum in sports can be a fickle thing. In the Eighth District boys’ soccer semifinal Tuesday, Christian County had it early in the first half, University Heights Academy had it late in the first half, and then grabbed hold of it early in the second half on their way to a 3-1 win.
The Blazers will play Hopkinsville in Thursday’s championship game. Hoptown beat Fort Campbell 7-0 in the other semifinal.
Emmanuel Ixcol got Christian County on the board seven minutes into the game with his 22nd goal of the season. Both teams had several chances to score throughout the first half, but strong goalie play by Christian County’s Ben Settle and UHA’s Dan Johnson kept both teams off the scoreboard.
The Blazers got their first goal in the 34th minute when Will Bryan was fouled in the goal box. Ian Calvert converted the penalty kick to tie the game at 1-1.
It appeared that Christian County would take the lead late in the first half, but a laser shot by Ixcol was knocked away by the Blazers’ Johnson, and the game went to intermission tied at 1-1.
University Heights grabbed the early momentum in the second half when Calvert took advantage of a misplayed ball in front of the net and banged home the go-ahead goal in the 51st minute for a 2-1 Blazer lead.
Both teams’ inability to control midfield midway through the second half appeared to take both squads out of their offensive rhythm. Christian County had two solid chances inside the final 10 minutes to tie the game, but both shots went awry.
University Heights put the game away in stoppage time when Isiah Pantiere was fed on a breakaway and just got a shot past the outstretched arms of Settle for the final 3-1 score.
Christian county, looking to advance to their first district championship since 2014, sees their season and with a record of 8-12-1. The eight wins are the most for the Colonel program in four seasons.
University Heights Academy improves to 12-4-1 on the season, and they will look to snap an eight-game losing streak to Hopkinsville when the teams meet in the championship Thursday at Fryar Stadium at Fort Campbell.