The Holy Cross boys’ soccer team got off to a slow start, but the turnaround came quick.
By the end of the regular season, the Crusaders were 11-3-2 and earned a No. 2 seed in the NVL tournament. Holy Cross won games against St. Paul and Torrington to earn a berth in the championship against top-seeded and undefeated Oxford.
The Crusaders lost the season opener, 3-1, to the Wolverines, who won 17 straight after that victory heading into the final. Oxford proved to be too much for Holy Cross again in the NVL final, claiming a 3-0 victory and a 19-0 record. The Crusaders fell to 13-4-2. Junior keeper Aiden Peterson kept his team in the game with some great saves, but the Wolverines kept on attacking and finally broke through.
GALLERY: Here are my photos from Thursday night’s final
Holy Cross is the No. 10 seed in the Class M state tournament. The Crusaders play the No. 23 Windham Tech Mighty Tigers on Monday at 2 p.m. at Municipal Stadium’s Ray Snyder Sr. Field.
Here are the seedings for the rest of the area’s state tournament teams, beginning with boys’ soccer:
BOYS SOCCER (Monday)
Class S first round
No. 18 Old Lyme at No. 15 St. Paul, 4:30
Class M first round
No. 29 Wolcott at No. 4 Nonnewaug, 2
No. 26 WCA at No. 7 Weston, 2
Class L first round
No. 24 Bristol Eastern at No. 9 East Lyme, 4
No. 19 Torrington at No. 14 Kaynor Tech (Snyder Field), 4
No. 27 Bristol Central at No. 6 Middletown, 6
GIRLS SOCCER (Tuesday)
Class S first round
No. 22 St. Paul at No. 11 Capital Prep (Quirk M.S.), 2
Class M first round
No. 20 Wolcott at No. 13 NW Catholic, 2
Class L first round
No. 18 Bristol Central at No. 15 Holy Cross (Snyder Field), 2
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL (Monday, Tuesday)
Class S first round (Monday)
No. 5 Holy Cross, bye
*plays winner of No. 12 Wheeler/No. 21 Bolton on Wednesday at 6
No. 23 Housatonic at No. 10 St. Paul, 6:30
Class M first round (Monday)
No. 20 Wolcott at No. 13 Weaver, 4:30
No. 21 Sacred Heart Academy at No. 13 Kaynor Tech, 6
Class L first round (Tuesday)
No. 26 Ledyard at No. 7 Bristol Central, 6
No. 19 Jonathan Law-Milford at No. 14 WCA (Monday), 6
No. 22 Windsor at No. 11 Bristol Eastern, 6
PHOTO CAPTION: The Holy Cross defense works to contain the potent Oxford offense during the first half of Thursday’s NVL boys soccer championship game. (Copyright, Sports on CT-69)
