Dukes end postseason losing streak to Raiders

Wellington played its best game of the season in the eyes of head coach Andrew Lara. Dukes also got a little luck to earn the win and the right to play top-seeded Independence on Oct. 23.

In a match pitting two programs with tremendous respect for one another, Wellington finally got the best of Columbia in a 2-1 victory in a Division III, Region 6 sectional final on Oct. 20.

After Wellington’s last three seasons came to an end against the Raiders, the Dukes played their best game of the season in the eyes of head coach Andrew Lara. They also got a little luck to earn the win and the right to play top-seeded Independence on Oct. 23.

Ben Skowronsky gave Columbia a 1-0 lead. Wellington answered with a goal off the foot of Garrett Kropff that bounced around the Raiders’ goal box and finally went in.

Wellington scored the game-deciding goal on an attempted ball clearing inches away from the Columbia goal. The ball was ripped off the boot of a Raider and bounced off the shin guards of senior Jeffery Bland and rolled into the net.

Keeping a cool, calm composure as the temperature dropped and storm clouds rolled in, the Dukes clamped down on defense as rain and hail started to fall and held on for the win.

“They played probably the best game they’ve played all season and we told them it’s do or die this time and we’ve always played Columbia very well, lost to them the last three times in the playoffs,” Lara said. “I said ‘Hey, we don’t wanna do that again. It’s our time.’ They gave me that raw determination that they didn’t want to lose. They said, ‘we don’t want to be done this year, we want to extend our season out, let’s do it’ and we talked about what we needed to do and we did it pretty effectively.”

Overcoming those close, but disappointing games to the Raiders, Columbia coach Corey Taylor had to tip his cap to Lara and the Dukes on a rivalry game built on respect and sportsmanship.

“I don’t chalk it up to luck, Andrew Lara does a really good job at Wellington over there, they were in the right places at the right time and they put the ball away, that’s all can ask for going out on the field and Wellington did excellent,” Taylor said.