Ellenville’s season ends with shootout loss

ELLENVILLE, N.Y. >> John S. Burke Catholic upset Ellenville High in a shootout Friday, eliminating the Blue Devils in a Section 9, Class B boys soccer play-in game.

The teams played to a 2-2 tie and (6-7-2) Burke won 3-1 in the shootout.

Gavin Baxter assisted on both goals for (12-3-1) Ellenville. He set Alex Pauley up for a score seven minutes into the match.

Chris Shust scored twice for Burke. He capitalized when the Devils failed to clear the ball to tie. Baxter, however, put Ellenville back on top with 12 minutes left as Titler Ferentheil scored.

Shust tied it again two minutes left on a shot that seemingly was stopped by goalkeeper Christian Stinehour.

“They played the ball in and Shust headed it. Stinehour got a hand to it, the ball hit the crossbar and dropped behind him and Christian turned and grabbed it,” Ellenville coach Maxwell Mead said.

“It looked like an amazing save, however, the linesman waved his flag and claimed that the ball had completely crossed the line,” he said. “Mentally, that took a huge toll on our confidence. We never really recovered from that.”

Ellenville outshot Burke 21-17 with Stinehour making seven saves and Burke’s Brendan Douthit 11. The Devils missed plenty of opportunities.

“This was a tough way to end our season. If we finish our chances, this game is completely different. We didn’t finish and didn’t play well enough in other areas to advance,” Mead remarked.

“What started so brightly for us turned out to be a very frustrating, disappointing and sad day. I honestly can’t believe that we lost that game, but I have to give a lot of credit to Burke, because they held on, kept themselves in the game and took their chances when they got them.”