St. Paul's completes a three-peat in MIAA B Soccer

by James Peters

Once, twice, three times a champion.

Ok, it’s not quite the same as the 1978 Commodores hit song “Three Times a Lady,” but it has a nice ring to all those involved with St. Paul’s boys soccer team, which captured its third consecutive MIAA B Conference title through a dramatic 2-1 double overtime victory over top-seeded Boys’ Latin Sunday at Loyola University’s Ridley Athletic Complex.

“It’s incredible,” said Crusaders coach PK Fisher of his team’s championship run. “We had a vision when I took over this program five years ago. We had to move down (from the A Conference) and gain some confidence. Honestly, I’m still kind of in shock. These guys just rose up to every occasion, so really, really proud and happy for them.” 

With the match appearing headed to a penalty kick shootout, Ale Estrada, the match’s most valuable player, dribbled the ball toward the Boys’ Latin penalty area in a quick transition attack. That’s where he flicked a pass onto a streaking Adler Dodson, who beat the retreating defense to the ball and slotted a shot just wide of Lakers goalkeeper Max Gray with 3 minutes, 34 seconds  left in the second overtime.  to equal Severn’s threepeat run from 2014-2016 in B Conference play.

“We work on finishing in practice, and we struggled with that at the beginning of the year,” Dodson said. “My guy Ale, one of the best soccer players ever, passed it through, and I’m there. Wide-open goal. The goalie was in the middle. I kind of hit it to the left. It went in, and it feels great. I love my guys. We’re part of history now.”

Estrada was the title game’s Most Valuable Player for St. Paul’s, which became the first team to three-peat since Severn (2014-2016). 

St. Paul’s (10-3-3 overall) also posted the opening goal of the match on a long shot by Jacob Yishak on an empty goal as Gray came out of the penalty area to clear a lengthy through ball, but Gray mishit the ball to the middle of the pitch. Yishak corralled it there and chipped in a shot into the goal about 31 minutes into the match.

The Crusaders held that lead until the final minute when Aiden Kenney blasted home a close-range shot during a flurry of activity in front of the net. His goal came with 38.2 seconds left in the half and ended some frustration for the Lakers, who produced double the amount of quality goal-scoring chances as their opponent in the opening 40 minutes.

“I think the whole program is going to look back on the year as a huge success,” said Lakers coach Jon Becker, whose squad fell to 11-4-3 in what was the team’s first loss in league play this fall. “I just really wanted it for those boys today. I’m hurt for my team; I’m hurting for my seniors. They put four really hard years together. We put something special together this year and just couldn’t quite get it done.

“I think nerves kicked in a little bit (in the first half). All of our guys were playing their first championship game, and that final touch or final ball just wasn’t there. I’m really proud of my team, but credit to St. Paul’s. They’ve been there and done that.”

Estrada had a chance to perhaps end the contest with about 18 minutes left in regulation, as an excellently placed through ball by Yishak put his teammate on a one-on-one with Gray, but the Lakers goalkeeper charged off his line and made a sliding save to deflect the ball out of harm’s way.

St. Paul’s goalkeeper Finn Lake-Goldstein worked similar magic with about 13 ½ left in regulation, as he smothered a loose ball amidst a hard-sliding forward coming at him. Estrada had another quality look go just wide on another counterattack with about six minutes remaining in the second half.

“I wanted those so bad but couldn’t finish it, but I’m just glad we won,” Estrada said. “I saw (Dodson) make a run behind. I had to play him. I trusted my player, and he scored, and we won the game.”