By Christopher Shaban
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
CLAREMONT — The Stevens Cardinals boys soccer team advanced to the quarterfinals after shutting out ConVal 2-0 under the lights at Barnes Park on Tuesday in the first round of the New Hampshire Division II tournament with a big crowd on hand.
“Man does this feel good,” said Stevens coach Jason Stone after his team just kept at the Cougars and played a great game all around.
The Cardinals came out flying high and kept pressure on the outstanding ConVal net-minder Wyatt Beaulieu. The Stevens offense was hunting a quick goal with Dylan Chambers, Luke Belisle, Scott Campbell and Jason Demars all looking to put a number on the scoreboard. It was like a mixer at times in the ConVal goal area with deep throws, crosses and just old fashioned solid hits that echoed around the neighborhood.
“We came out just the way I wanted us to,” Stone said. “Good things happen when you are aggressive.”
The aggressiveness gave the Cardinals a lead when Connor Miller’s rocket had eyes for the net, a defender stepped in to deflect it but the shot still found the twine for a 1-0 Cardinal lead.
“Yeah, it had some pace,” said Miller after the game. “I hit it really well.”
That score woke up the Cougars who began controlling play and peppered Cooper Moote with shots. The continued barrage forced Moote to make a spectacular one hand save to keep the Cards in the lead as he matched Beaulieu’s brilliant play a bit better into the second half with the Cardinals still ahead. Conval was being forced to take their shots from a safer distance with the outstanding play of the Cardinal defense. Sam Dalke, Trystan Lane, Matt Wilmont and Austin Jones were just a wall all evening.
As ConVal went to a 4-2-4 set, the midfield play of Chambers emerged and favored the Cardinals with Chambers non-stop hustle and never quit attitude. A brilliant feed off the foot of Campbell almost resulted in a beautiful goal by a slicing RJ Raymond but the pass trickled harmlessly into the corner but the pressure was building. Moments later it was Campbell on the hunt with some space between himself and Beaulieu with a defender closing fast. Campbell blistered a shot and grabbed the rebound and he didn’t miss again to give Stevens a 2-0 lead with 28 minutes showing on the clock.
“I saw where I wanted to shoot it but he made a great save and when I tracked down the rebound,” Campbell said. “I wasn’t going to miss again.”
That goal was huge for Stevens as the plan going forward was to send the ball deep into the corners to take time off the clock. Urgency was on the mind of ConVal as they began to push players forward but Moote was smooth in net to earn the shutout.
“We just couldn’t create the pace we needed. Maybe we were just impatient or rushed things too much but Stevens is a good team,” said ConVal coach Josh Smith. “They earned tonight’s win.”
This was the first Division II playoff win for the Cardinals since being pushed up a division.
“We grabbed back the momentum when we lost it for a stretch tonight,” said Stone after the game. “Our defense played great and stayed tight on their attackers. I think that early goal lit a spark and gave us some reassurance that this was our night.”
The Cardinals will head face top ranked Oyster River on Friday in quarter final action.
“Anything can happen,” said Moote after the game. “Anything.”
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