Faeth leads Boca Raton to 2-0 victory over Douglas

BOCA RATON — Mark Faeth got it done on both ends of the soccer field in helping host Boca Raton win the Class 5A boys regional semifinal 2-0 over Douglas on Tuesday night.

The Boca Raton High School senior forward scored a goal in the game’s first five minutes and then provided defensive heroics in the closing minutes of the first half when he cleared a ball off the goal line to prevent an Eagles’ score.

The Bobcats (23-4-1) grabbed a 1-0 lead in the fifth minute when senior midfielder Sam Ward took a shot from 25 yards out that Faeth redirected past Douglas goalkeeper Ryan Irwin from10 yards out for his 21st goal of the season.

In the 23rd minute, Boca Raton goalkeeper Alan Trani came out to close off a breakaway attempt by Julian Araujo. Trani has 11 shutouts this season.

Douglas (16-2-4) nearly equalized in the 38th minute when Trani dropped a corner kick and after the Bobcats were unable to clear the ball, Douglas’ Araujo pounced on the loose ball and blasted a shot toward the empty net that

Faeth cleared away.

“It scared the heck out of me,” Faeth said. “I saw the ball coming towards me and threw my body in front of it. We were ready for them. They are a really good team. We tied them and lost to them in the regular season and beat them in the district final. Today, we weren’t going to lose.”

Boca Raton made it 2-0 in the 55th minute when Wilian Arias hit a cross to Luis Roque, who scored past Irwin to the far post. Boca continued to press the action and Ward and Faeth both struck the crossbar from distance.

Boca Raton will face the winner of the Haines City/ Vero Beach game in Friday’s regional final.

Douglas didn’t make the postseason series last year, while Boca Raton fell in the regional final in overtime to Haines City. It snapped a string of three consecutive appearances in the State Final 4 for Boca Raton.

Tempers flared following the game as the teams were going through the handshake

line. Boca Raton coach Marcelo Castillo accused Douglas coach Phil Lamarre of slapping him in the face.

“It’s an unfortunate part of the game,” Castillo said. “We are supposed to be in a school type scenario andwe are supposed to lead by example. I think my boys held up to the end of that and unfortunately they didn’t.”

Lamarre said his team struggled to score.

“We had some chances and it is hard to get back into the game when you are not finishing your chances against a good team,” Lamarre said. “When you are 2-nil down and they aren’t going in, it’s frustrating.”

Lamarre said Castillo was mistaken.

“I don’t know,” Lamarre said. “He said I slapped him in the face, and all I did was tap him on the shoulder and said good luck in the regional final.… I don’t understand what happened. That’s Marcelo being Marcelo.”