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Carroll boys soccer survives Fenwick in overtime match

Carroll advances in D-II regional championship with a 2-1 overtime win.

Photos: Carroll vs. Fenwick

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By Skip Weaver, Staff Writer Updated 12:10 AM Sunday, November 6, 2011

MONROE — It took overtime, but the Carroll High School boys soccer team is making a return trip to the state final four.

Junior forward Vonne Byrd scored a with 12:23 remaining in the first overtime to send the Patriots (21-0) to a 2-1 win over Fenwick on Saturday in the Division II regional championship at Monroe’s Hornet Field.

“I was just trying to put the ball across to my teammate, but it went in,” Byrd said. “I was very surprised.”

Byrd’s teammates knew what to think as they rushed the field and swarmed him in celebration.

“It feels great to be going back to state,” Byrd said.

Carroll is the defending Division II state champion. It also won the title in 2008 and made it to the regional finals in 2009.

“I’m so proud of these kids,” coach Scott Molfenter said. “We knew it was going to be tough. Fenwick is a good team. Credit them because they came out with guns blazing, but credit our guys for responding too.”

The Falcons (12-9-1) took the early lead when Mark Andrew scored with 37:26 left in the first half. Tanner Coffman earned the assist. It was the first goal any team had scored on the state’s No.1-ranked Patriots in the postseason.

“I think we really surprised them,” Fenwick coach Scott Walker said. “A lot of people counted us out early, but we made a good run and made it to the final eight.”

Carroll tied the game at the  37:29 mark of the second half when Mat Barnes squeaked a penalty kick by Fenwick goalkeeper Jeff Fiorenza. Carroll had two other goals erased because of penalties.

“It’s frustrating when you have goals taken away because of penalties,” Molfenter said. “I just hoped that our kids would respond and they did.”

Carroll advances to play the New Philadelphia-Columbus DeSales winner at 7 p.m. Tuesday, at a site to be determined.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2852 or sweaver@coxohio.com.

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