Generally, when you outshoot an opponent by more than four to one, you are in good shape to win your match. The University Heights Academy Blazers used a huge advantage in shots to carry them to a 4-2 win over the Lyon County Lyons in the semifinal round of the boys’ soccer 2nd Region All A Classic.
On the night, the Blazers took 46 shots, compared to only ten for the Lyons. Yet, UHA could not get the Lyons put away until the waning moments of the contest.
Early on it appeared as if the shot differential would not matter at all. The Lyons converted on two of their first three shot attempts to take a 2-0 lead in the first half. The Lyons got a breakaway goal from Timothy Stewart at the 8:50 mark and then a goal off a corner kick from A.J. Padilla at 23:30.
The Blazers battled back and evened things up over the next ten minutes. Ethan Hale found the lower-left corner of the net at 28:30 to cut the lead to 2-1. Less than five minutes later, Connor Dill tied the match when he scored off a corner kick from Hale to even the match at 2-2.
The second half was all UHA. The continuing offensive pressure and shot differential began to wear on the Lyons over the final forty minutes. And, the Blazer defense only allowed Lyon County four shots in the second half.
Connor Dill found the net on a direct kick at 54:00 to put UHA ahead at 3-2. The Blazers would add an insurance goal when a corner kick deflected in off a Lyon County defender at the 66:00 mark to push the lead out to 4-2. From there, the Blazers were able to hold the tiring Lyons at arms length for the final 14 minutes to pick up the win.
UHA evens its record at 2-2 with the win and advances on to the All A regional championship game against Caldwell County Thursday night in Princeton.
The Lyons fall to 0-5 on the season and are set to host Webster County Saturday morning.
