Boys' Playoff Soccer: Westfield 1, South County 0

Story By Jeffery Gibert
West
Potomac Senior, DigitalSports Intern

Photos and Videos By Sam Briggs
West Potomac Sophomore, DigitalSports Intern

** Click the links to the left to access photos and video highlights from Thursday’s game!

In a match-up of the two best scoring defenses in the Northern Region, the more-eastbound team had the sun set on its season.

Bulldog senior forward Irvin Herrera put in only goal of the game as sophomore goalkeeper Kody Palmer outdueled Patriot District Player of the Year, Stallion junior Javier Hernandez, while leading Westfield to a 1-0 victory over South County on Thursday.

“We’ve just worked so hard to get this far,” Palmer said. “And it’s great to get a one-nil win, and especially the shut out.

“That’s what matters most.”

The Stallions came out strong to start the game and were the aggressors, but the tide shifted in the 19th minute. Sophomore forward Zach Crandall broke away from the defense for a one-on-one opportunity with Palmer, but Palmer stoned his shot.

“At first, I was like, ‘Oh ****, he’s coming after me,'” said Palmer, a former teammate of Crandall on MPS Hurricanes ’93. “I actually knew the kid because I played club with him, so I knew his tendencies, so I knew what to do on that play.

“I felt pretty good about the save and I thought that kept my team in it.”

Then, Bulldogs got the break they needed. In the 28th minute, Herrera scored off of a broken play to put the visiting side in front by a goal on an assist by senior forward Sean Murnane.

“Sean played me a through ball in the air, and I don’t know what happened to the defender,” Herrera said. “I think he slipped, and I just had to jump over him.

“I thought the keeper was going to come out and get it, but he didn’t, so I just put it in the net.”

Tensions rose substantially after Herrera’s goal.

Both teams pick up the intensity of their play and fought harder for the ball, which led to South County senior forward Max Kleess going down with a temporary injury in the 40th minute.

“The ref let us do what we wanted to do,” Herrera said. “He let us play and he really reffed a good game.”

Added Palmer, currently on the D.C. United Academy U-16 team: “[The game] is very physical. Both teams just want to win and they’ll do whatever it takes.”

In the second half, both teams manufactured scoring chances, but neither side got anything special going.

In the 52nd minute, Stallion senior defender Mojtaba Amin had a solid strike on goal, but it was Palmer’s night as he came up with the big save.

Herrera almost put in his second goal in the 64th minute, but Hernandez showed why he was the Patriot District Player of the Year, coming up with the spectacular save.

In the waning minutes, South County gave it all they had to try to send the game to overtime, but this time, instead of Kleess hitting the amazing shot in the 79th minute as he did in the Patriot District Championship game, he just missed wide left.

This is only the third time that the Stallions have been shut out, all season.

“They were coming pretty tough on us,” Palmer said. “It feels great to shut them out. A shut out is always good, no matter what team you get it on, but especially them.

“They were good.”