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The Galax boys soccer team celebrates after its Class 1 state semifinal win over Northampton on Friday at Roanoke College.
It took an overtime period to decide the winner, but Eddie Erazo’s goal in the additional period propelled the Galax boys soccer team past Northampton, 2-1, in the Class 1 state semifinal on Friday morning at Roanoke College.
“We didn’t play our best soccer of the season, but that’s fine,” Galax coach Francois Herbel said. “We’re only going to look at the scoreboard.”
With under two minutes remaining in the first overtime period, Erazo dribbled past his opponents and shot the ball into the net at Donald J. Kerr Stadium. Erazo, a freshman, began the season on the junior varsity team, allowing him to develop into a contributor for the Region 1C champions.
“He has not always been a starter, but he’s a hard worker and, today, he did the job at the right time,” Herbel said. “That’s how it is with those boys.”
Not that the Maroon Tide (17-2-4) controlled the game for much of it. In the 22nd minute, Northampton senior Diego Montalvo received a pass, sprinted into the 18-yard box and rolled a shot past the goalkeeper for a 1-0 lead. The Yellow Jackets (15-2) took 10 shots in the first half, holding Galax to just three in the period.
“We did not get many shots on their goalie … and I knew that was going to be the key of the game,” Herbel said.
But the second half was nearly a polar opposite from the first. Just over a minute in, junior Luke Cuellar received a pass and sent a shot to the right of the goal, past the sprawling keeper. All of a sudden, the Maroon Tide locked the game at one goal apiece.
“Within five minutes, they put a shot on target, just the way we needed, and we won,” Herbel said.
The Yellow Jackets still maintained a 9-2 shot advantage in the second half, but Galax goalie Kendal Llamas kept his team in the game. He finished with seven saves, including three in the final 20 minutes of regulation, which kept the game deadlocked.
“[Llamas] kept us alive,” Herbel said. “If — with 10 minutes left — he doesn’t make saves to keep us at 1-1, we probably would not be winning that game. He saved us today.”
The Maroon Tide kept their season alive for one more day, advancing to the state final at Roanoke College at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. West Point, which defeated Honaker 8-0 in the other semifinal, will be Galax’s opponent.
“We are going to try to rest as much as we can, because it’s going to be tough,” Herbel said. “We’re going to have to have the same kind of performance if we want a chance to win. I just hope we did not leave it all on the field today.”
Sam Mostow
540-777-6474
samuel.mostow@roanoke.com
SEMIFINAL
Galax 2, Northampton 1, OT
NEXT GAME
Galax vs. West Point
Saturday, 12:30 p.m.,
at Roanoke College
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The Galax boys soccer team celebrates after its Class 1 state semifinal win over Northampton on Friday at Roanoke College.
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