The third-seeded Holy Cross boys soccer team advanced to the state semifinal round of Class S with a 1-0 victory over sixth-seeded Coginchaug Regional-Durham on Friday afternoon at Crosby High School’s Jimmy Lee Stadium.
The Crusaders will face No. 15 Immaculate-Danbury on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at a location that is to be determined. Holy Cross improved to 16-3-2 with the win over Coginchaug. Luciano D’Amelio scored the goal, and Guiseppe Mongelluzzo had the assist, according to a result reported to The Zone.
To find a Crusader run this deep into the state tournament in boys soccer, you have to turn the clock back to 1985. Holy Cross was a Class LL school at the time in boys soccer, and it was the No. 5 seed in the state tournament. The Crusaders opened the tournament with a 6-2 win over No. 12 Wilton in the first round at Holy Cross High School. Holy Cross defeated No. 13 Brien McMahon-Norwalk, 2-1, in a quarterfinal game played at Joel Barlow High School in Redding. In the semifinal round, the Crusaders erupted for a 5-3 victory over top-seeded Xavier-Middletown at Conard High School in West Hartford. Holy Cross played second-seeded EO Smith in the final at New Britain’s Willow Brook Park, but lost, 2-1.
The Crusaders played in their first quarterfinal since 2011 on Friday. It was the seventh quarterfinal since that magical run in 1985, but Holy Cross had yet to reach a semifinal. That all changed on Friday afternoon.
NOTE: The third-seeded Holy Cross girls soccer team looks to join their counterparts from the boys team in the semifinal round. The Crusaders face No. 6 Coventry in a Class S quarterfinal match today at 2 p.m. at Crosby High School.
Photo caption: Holy Cross boys soccer qualified for its first semifinal match since 1985. (Copyright, Sports on CT-69, file)
