On Wednesday, Oct. 22, the Wildcats lost to the Gaithersburg Trojans 3-2 in a penalty shootout. After beating the Trojans 1-0 earlier in the season, the Cats were confident they would be able to start off their playoff journey with a victory, which was evident in the way they started the game.
Both offense and defense played well, and didn’t give Gaithersburg any room to take the lead. The opening 20 minutes of the game stayed very close, with both teams having scoring chances. Despite the Cats’ best efforts, Gaithersburg was able to find the back of the net after a long throw was flicked on and then tapped into the goal. The Trojans used this momentum to remain on the offensive for the rest of the half, but were unable to score again.
The second half was a completely different story. The Cats were in full control, constantly taking chances on goal, but were repeatedly stopped by the Trojan goalkeeper. Hope came for the Cats when senior Lucas Brenowitz headed in his fourth consecutive goal of the season, another corner assisted by junior Ryan Lindsey. This goal gave the Cats even more energy and determination, but after many offensive chances, they were unable to take the lead.
“I think overall we were the better team and they kind of just got lucky on some plays,” Lindsey said. “If we made some different substitutions we could have won the game.”
The game ended 1-1 in regulation time, and the overtime period that followed continued the stalemate. With the score still level at the end of overtime, the winner would be determined by a penalty shootout. The shootout started off strong for the Cats, with senior Nico Cornejo and junior Hunter Parler each converting from the spot. Gaithersburg similarly scored their first, but a save from senior Parker Lamoureux gave the Cats a 2-1 lead heading into each team’s third attempt. However, the joy was short-lived. Two successful spot-kicks from the Trojans and three saved Wildcat penalties ended the game in heartbreaking fashion.
While the season ended earlier than players and fans would’ve liked, this loss shouldn’t overshadow all of this year’s positives. From upsetting the state-champ favorites Northwest in overtime to defeating their rivals the Barons and 5-0 victories over Magruder and Richard Montgomery, the season didn’t lack any excitement.
“My favorite moment of the season was beating Northwest on senior night,” Lamoureux said. “It was a great feeling to beat such a highly ranked team in overtime.”
Though the immense talent of this year’s senior class will be missed next year, juniors such as Jack Fiening, Eddie Vanhorn and Lindsey have already proven themselves on the field and look forward to leading WJ to another great season next year.
“I’m feeling excited about next year,” Vanhorn said. “I know a lot of the guys are excited and we want to come back harder and stronger next year.”
