OT goal propels soccer

One day after Halloween, senior Alieu Terry pulled out a hat trick, treating the Blair crowd to a thrilling victory over Sherwood High School in double overtime. The win moved the boys' soccer team into the regional semifinals and improved its record to 6-2-1.

Outplayed for much of the first half, the Blazers took a 2-1 deficit into halftime. On the verge of elimination in Blair's first game since the sniper shootings, which caused the final four regular season games to be cancelled, Terry netted his second goal of the game and forced the game into overtime.

After 19 minutes of scoreless play, Terry touched the ball past Sherwood goalkeeper Brett Schoem, tapping it into the back of the net and setting off a wild celebration. If the game had not been decided in the overtime periods, the teams would have matched up in a penalty kick shoot-out.

While the victory kept Blair in playoff contention, it also served as revenge for a 2-0 loss to Sherwood earlier in the season. The team's only other loss came against Springbrook High School, which lost to Churchill High School in the regional quarterfinals.

The victory over Sherwood also enabled the team to show its resilience and ability to perform despite being down a goal. "The difference between champions and a regular team is their determination to persevere. We definitely showed our capability to be champions versus Sherwood," he said.

While Terry has been the team's leading goal-scorer, netting 11 goals in nine games, he has been supported by an excellent core of seniors, including midfielder Andrew Shoenfeld, stopper Matt Poness and goalkeeper Lincoln Fischer.

A few younger players have also found their way into the starting lineup. Junior Will Whitney, a back, shined against Sherwood, marking up tenaciously on defense. Joining Whitney is sophomore Jack Eisen-Markowitz, a midfielder, who has two goals this season in addition to consistently stellar play.

The highlight of the Blazers' regular season came in a Sept 28 victory over the formidable Walter Johnson squad. After senior Justin Craver headed in a second half goal, the Blazers let a 1-0 lead slip away in the final minutes of regulation. In overtime, Terry slipped through the back line and headed in a cross from senior Erik Coronel, giving Blair a 2-1 victory.

After Blair lost in its first game to Einstein High School but was awarded a forfeit win because of an ineligible player, the team went on a roll to earn the top seed in the division 4A West regional tournament. Despite having games against its greatest challengers cancelled, the Blazers gave a solid performance this season, continuing the program's positive trend. In the last two years, Blair has a combined 17-7-1 record.