Considering it?s been a decade since the Bel Air boys? soccer team advanced to the state tournament, the Bobcats didn?t mind having to work overtime to end 10 years of futility.
The fourth-ranked Bobcats (13-3-1) claimed the 3A East Region Tournament by beating Centennial in penalty kicks after defeating Fallston in the same fashion a few days earlier in the semifinals.
Bel Air will face Franklin (13-2-2) in the state semifinals at North Hagerstown on Saturday evening at 5, with the winner advancing to face either Bethesda ? Chevy Chase (10-3-2) or Calvert in the state final at South River on either Nov. 15 or 17.
Bel Air edged Fallston in penatly kicks after the teams played to a 2-2 draw after 80 minutes of regulation and two, 10-minute periods of sudden-death overtime. The Bobcats posted a 2-1 victory in penalty kicks against Centennial after each team scored once in 100 minutes of play.
The key to the team?s run in which it has allowed just three goals in three postseason games, has been senior goalkeeper Eric Stewart-Craig, who capped an impressive tournament by saving two Centennial penalty kicks ? the other two hit the post ? to send his team to the game?s biggest stage. Bel Air is trying to become Harford County?s first champion in boys soccer since Fallston won in 1992.
“I try and see how they?re lined up, if they?re righty or lefty. And how their body is lined up, you can tell which way they?re going to go,” Stewart-Craig said. “I know what I?m going to do before, and then I go. I don?t care as long as we keep winning, that?s fine with me. We work on it every day in practice, so we?re ready for it when it comes.”
Bobcats coach Dominic Rose, in his eighth season at Bel Air, credits Stewart-Craig and the rest of the senior class with holding the team together through adversity.
“We started the season losing the first two games. Since then we?ve gone 14-1-1,” Rose said. “It?s just been incredible.”
Because of renovations on the school?s campus, Bel Air hasn?t played a home game all season. The Bobcats played their regular season games at several local high and middle schools before using the field at Harford Community College during the playoffs.
“We have traveled to every single game, every single practice. Up until playoffs we had eight starters injured. I had four guys who have played every game,” Rose said. “They?ve come through adversity and injuries. At one point, all four forwards and two sweepers were injured. They?re a true team.”
