By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
LEXINGTON — Covington Catholic’s surprising run in the boys’ soccer playoffs came to a dramatic ending Saturday, but it didn’t turn out the way the Colonels wanted.
CovCath senior defender Michael Vogt was named to the all-state tournament team. (Photo by Victor Matos)
Daviess County defeated CovCath, 2-1, in a hard-fought championship final at Bryan Station High School that was decided in a sudden death penalty kick shootout. After the Colonels’ third attempt was deflected, Tommy Booker made the game-winning kick for the Panthers.
“Like I was telling some of these guys, soccer is a cruel game, but that’s why we love it so much,” said CovCath coach Jeremy Robertson. “Daviess County, they’re a good team, so my hat’s off to them. They played a great game.”
CovCath won last year’s state championship with nine seniors in the starting lineup. No one expected the Colonels to become a state contender this season after losing all those veterans to graduation. But the newcomers and returning players worked together so well that they nearly became the first Northern Kentucky boys’ soccer team to win back-to-back state titles.
The large contingent of CovCath fans who watched Saturday’s championship match showed their appreciation for the team’s efforts with cheering and applause after the season-ending loss.
“Nobody thought we would be here (in the state final),” coach Robertson said. “I’m pretty sure that (Daviess County’s) coach will say we gave them a pretty good run for their money, to say the least.”
CovCath didn’t give up a goal in eight of its first nine playoff games, but Daviess County took a 1-0 lead in the opening minutes of the championship final. Senior forward Isaac Amaya recovered a loose ball at the top of the penalty box and got a shot past CovCath junior goalkeeper Thomas Cody.
The Colonels tied the score with 21:51 left in the first half. After the ball was played into open space behind Daviess County’s defensive line, CovCath senior forward Cole Stava chased it down and poked a shot past Daviess County goalkeeper Tyler Croft as he was coming out to make a save.
The score remained 1-1 after 80 minutes of regulation play and two five-minute overtime periods. In the final seconds of the first overtime, Booker headed a ball into the net for the Panthers, but he was ruled offside by an official.
“I thought we had an extra life after that offside call,” said CovCath senior defender Michael Vogt said. “That’s the crazy thing about this game. You lose and it’s painful, but that’s why we love this game.”
CovCath missed its first two attempts in the first round of penalty kicks, but it ended in a 3-3 tie. In the sudden death round, the teams alternated shots and Daviess County prevailed.
The final stats were nearly even. The Colonels had seven shots on goal, six corner kicks and four saves. The Panthers had five shots, six corners and six saves.
“They were pretty much just like us,” Vogt said. “It’s fair to go to PKs and somebody has to win.”
Vogt and two of his senior teammates — midfielder Stephen Schutt and forward Griffin Lamb — were named to the state all-tournament team. They were key contributors in CovCath’s remarkable return to the state final.
“In mid-season, I didn’t think we were even close to state run form,” Vogt said. “After one game, it just clicked, and we just kept going until now. So, yeah, it was a great year, obviously.”
