Cape soccer stunned by 'Golden Goal' in 99th minute
Cape soccer’s heroic comeback, blood-and-guts effort at Caesar Rodney Thursday night, Oct. 25 ended with a direct kick to the collective Cape noggin. A Riders fast break counter-attack in the waning seconds of a double overtime 100-minute game produced a "no chance" crossing shot by Austin Hayward that beat Griffin Kammerer to the far post for the golden goal 4-3 game winner. Kammerer got his hand on the ball but it spun into the net just inside the post.
Cape players fell to the turf, stunned and spent, experiencing the true meaning of the term “bitter end.” Caesar Rodney players stormed and surrounded goalie Kevin Sheehan, who had 15 saves on the game, including several in the second overtime.
Coach Gary Montalto spoke to his team afterward, "I am speechless,” he told his players. “You don’t deserve this. I am so proud of how you battled back. We’ve been hurt by restarts and counter-attacks all season, plus their goalie made about eight great saves, so give him credit.”
“Coach Mont,” as players call him, always preaches to his players to "respect the sport," and so he gave credit to Caesar Rodney for capitalizing on its blazing strike force forwards and stellar goaltending to give the Riders the victory. Coach Mont then asked if any players wanted to say something.
Goalie Griffin Kammerer, a cerebral and quiet student-athlete by nature, began to speak, “I want everyone here right now to remember what this feels like so it never happens again. We have to play hard every second of every minute of every game.”
Cape appeared gone and in “start-the-bus” mode when Austin Hayward scored at 62:17 to make the score 3-1.
“Two years when I met these boys, the game would have been over right there," Montalto said.
David Cespedes scored 25 seconds later, making the score 3-2. Cespedes took the ball out of the goal and ran it back to midfield and placed it on the ground for the restart. The officials warned him, ”Leave the ball alone and don’t do our jobs.”
Miguel Marino scored at 72:13, tying the game and setting up the dramatic double overtime golden goal finale.
The state tournament begins Wednesday, Nov. 7. Montalto gave the players four days off and told them to go out and enjoy homecoming weekend and their high school experience and get ready to shake off the disappointment and come back ready to win a state tournament game.
Scoring Summary:
First half - Cespedes C 38:00
Second half - Ikwuagwu (Cantu) CR 47:34; Aloe (Hayward) CR 51:55; Hayward (Aloe) CR 62:17; Cespedes C 62:42; Menno C 72:13; Hayward CR 96:45
Shots - CR-22; Cape-22
Corner kicks - CR-8; C-6
Saves - Sheehan CR-15; Kammerer C-11
