Greenwich tops Prep, advances to Class LL title game on PKs
FAIRFIELD — Three times in the CIAC Class LL boys soccer tournament Greenwich has gone to penalty kicks, three times they have kicked second and three times they have won.
The No. 16 seeded Cardinals did it again in the semifinals, converting three penalties to advance to the Class LL title game with a 2-1 (3-2 PKs) win over No. 13 Fairfield Prep at a cold and rainy Warde High School.
Greenwich will face No. 2 Hall in the championship game at Trinity Health Stadium in Hartford either Saturday or Sunday.
Greenwich will be making its third championship game appearance, losing in the 2019 final to Hall and last winning a state title in 1961.
“This is great. There is no other feeling. It’s crazy and it had to be on penalties and I couldn’t be happier,” Greenwich senior forward Lucas Luzuriaga said. “We like to go second and we like to have our keeper make a save first. I can’t look when they are kicking. It’s nervewracking but we have a really good keeper who is good at penalties.”
That keeper, Nico Figueroa, stopped two of the first four penalties and with Greenwich up 3-2, the final shot by Prep sailed over the net, unleashing the Greenwich fans onto the pitch for the celebration.
“They are just playing with such incredible resilience, guts and determination and they are fighting for every ball,” Greenwich coach Kurt Putnam said. “It literally is a completely transformed team. It has always been there that they can play but since halftime against Trumbull (FCIAC quarterfinals) we came off the field humiliated. Once we got into the state tournament, we switched some things around and the kids are just working so hard for each other. This is three overtime games now and we have let two goals in.”
After a scoreless first half, Prep struck first with Brandon Savi scoring with 30:25 to play.
Greenwich answered right back, tying the game with 29:38 to go on a goal by Maximo Ferrario.
“That was a fantastic finish from Max,” Putnam said. “That has to happen fast because the longer you are trailing, the more tense you become and the more the other team believes they got you. Max’s strike was an incredible strike against a really good goal keeper.”
Fairfield Prep coach
Brian Neumeyer said his team left everything on the field.
“Our guys have been awesome all year and I couldn’t be prouder of them,” Neumeyer said. “It’s unfortunate that it ends here. We won on PKs, they won on PKs three times in this tournament. Good game but we just came out on the short end of the penalties.”
Greenwich had a chance at the end of regulation on a direct kick from 25 yards out but Prep keeper Nicolas Vittoria made a diving save with under 10 seconds to play, preserving the tie.
Greenwich got converted penalties from Charlie Fiore, Andre Meier and Franklin Sousa-Filho.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Nico Figueroa, Greenwich: Figueroa’s two saves in the shootout were the difference for the Cardinals.
QUOTABLE
“We woke up (entering the tournament),” Luzuriaga said. “We are Greenwich and we are a winning team. People started sleeping on us and we have to prove people wrong and let’s do it.”