Dragons earn 1st trip to Elite Eight

Pepperell gets two goals from Ramiro Alanis to beat Fitzgerald in the Class AA state soccer playoffs.

Only a week after winning its first ever state playoff game, the Pepperell boys’ soccer team set another program milestone, this time in a tough road match.

Facing Region 1-AA champion Fitzgerald on Wednesday, Pepperell pulled out a 2-1 upset over the Purple Hurricanes in the second round of the Class AA playoffs and punch their ticket to the Elite Eight.

The Model Blue Devils saw their season come to an end, however, as they lost to Thomasville 3-0 in Thomasville.

Pepperell forward Ramiro Alanis scored both goals for the Dragons, while Moises Ramirez and Ivan Sandoval each had an assist. Goalkeeper Rodrigo Mandujano recorded two saves as the defense above him kept the ball away most of the night.

The first half was played mostly in the middle of the field as both teams battled over possession but neither was able to get many chances. The Hurricanes finally struck, however, when they scored a goal in the 32nd minute and went to halftime up 1-0.

The Dragons (13-5-1) fought back and got more chances as the game wore on.

They finally broke through with Alanis’s first goal in the 52nd minute and then took their first lead with only eight minutes left on another Alanis score.

Pepperell will hit the road again when it takes on Oglethorpe County in Lexington this Saturday. The Patriots won Region 8-AA in the regular season, currently hold a nine-match winning streak and haven’t allowed a goal in the postseason so far.