Owen Cheney had found his way forward many previous times on this day, only to get turned back. Now, though, he made one more venture through the defense, sized up goalkeeper Colin Raupp, and slipped the ball past him into the net.
And with that single play, Cheney had delivered the Skaneateles boys soccer team the state Class B championship, gained through a 1-0, double-overtime victory over Center Moriches in Sunday’s title game at Middletown High School.
More than 103 minutes of action had gone without a goal before the Lakers sophomore delivered the decisive blow that allowed his side to begin and end this decade atop the state Class B ranks.
When the Lakers won its only other state championship in 2010, it was an undefeated team full of experienced players that fully expected to end the season on top.
That same confidence was present on the 2019 Skaneateles squad, but it was a younger group that experienced plenty of ups and downs, and had lost its last two regular-season games, giving no hint that it would go on a memorable post-season run.
But then the Lakers routed Vernon-Verona-Sherrill (7-0), vanquished archrival Marcellus and no. 2 seed Clinton by 1-0 margins, and then survived a tense 2-1 battle with reigning state champion Westhill to reclaim the sectional Class B title.
Then, after edging Oneonta 1-0 in the regional final, it was on to Middletown, where in Saturday’s state semifinal Skaneateles went up against undefeated, state no. 1-ranked Haverling (Section V) and proved that it could overcome a deficit in earning a 3-1 victory over the Rams.
Perhaps what helped the Lakers was that it didn’t trail for long. In the 15th minute, Haverling inched out in front 1-0 thanks to Kiefer Calkins’ goal, but less than a minute later Tylar Moss curved a corner kick that eluded Rams defenders and found the net, tying it.
And it stayed 1-1 for a while, despite Haverling having all kinds of opportunities. The Rams took 11 shots and had 11 corner kicks, but were constantly turned back, Andrew Neumann making a series of great stops.
That defensive work was rewarded when Owen Cheney scored in the 54th minute, pushing Skaneateles in front. with 12 minutes left, Haverling nearly tied it, but Neumann smothered Teddie Robbins’ point-blank attempt.
Not sitting back, the Lakers sealed its trip to the state final when Cheney found the net again with 4:54 left.
Then Skaneateles watched as Center Moriches, the 2017 state champions from Long Island, survived penalty kicks with Schuylerville, a long and tense battle that, theoretically, would give the Lakers an edge when it met the Red Devils in the title game.
Brendan Powers nearly scored in the opening minutes, the first of many opportunities on both sides. Alex Arefyev’s free kick late in the first half got close, too, but was turned away by Raupp, whose aggression would test the Lakers throughout the day.
A wild sequence early in the second half saw Center Moriches twice nearly go in front. Minutes later, Moss had a possible go-ahead goal negated by offsides. Then the defenses dug in, making it clear that whoever did convert would claim the state title.
The Red Devils nearly did so with three minutes left, the rebound of a long free kick by Anthony Sundermann deflected just wide, and regulation ended 0-0. Now, either 30 minutes of overtime would settle it, or Skaneateles and Center Moriches would share the title.
All through the first 15-minute extra period, Cheney had threatened, including a shot from the left side that just missed the right side of the net.
Then the second OT started, and with 8:39 left Cheney again found his way into an open spot, beat all the Center Moriches defenders – and then delivered a goal that touched off a state championship celebration that continued all the way back home to Skaneateles.
