CCHS player runs the ball downfield. The Cowboys lost to Cypress Bay 2-1. Photo Credit JOSH ELHERS
BY JOSH COHEN
The Cooper City Cowboys Boys Varsity Soccer team traveled to Cypress Bay High School to for their Region 4-6A semifinal game.
Goalie Simon Shuham made plenty of great saves in the first half . In the 26th minute, Cypress Bay came close to scoring a goal, but Shuham made a fantastic save to prevent this shot from going in. With the help of the cowboys’ strong defensive field players, Shuham and the Cowboys were able to hold the Lightning from scoring in the first half of the game. At halftime, the score was 0-0.
Cooper City came out in the second half with reckless intent and a high energy level. In the 42nd minute, the Cowboys began to apply the pressure onto the Cypress Bay goalie, forcing him to dive in order to block a shot. In the 43rd minute, Armando Acosta scored a goal from a pass by Myles Notkin. The Cowboys were in the lead 1-0.
Now, with the lead, the Cowboys had their minds not just on maintaining it, but building on it. In the 48th minute, a Cooper City penalty led to a goal from the Cypress Bay penalty kick. Cypress Bay tied the game up at 1-1.
With the game on the line, the Cowboys kept the pressure on and substituted in some players to build some momentum. In the 64th minute, Cowboys’ Randy Milliken took advantage of the Cypress Bay’s goalie falling onto the ground and shot the ball into the empty net. However, the referees called back the goal. The score remained 1-1 with 16 minutes left in the game.
In the 68th minute, Cooper City got called for another penalty, leading to a successful penalty shot for the Lightning and giving them the lead 2-1 with the time winding down.
Things began getting physical late in the game with a few yellow cards being handed out. Along with the yellow cards was a red card for Cooper City’s Brandon Cook in the 70th minute, leading to him getting kicked out of the game and forcing the Cowboys to finish out the game with a one man disadvantage, playing only 10 men against Cypress Bay’s 11.
With the game on the line, the Cowboys couldn’t produce a goal and the game ended with Cypress Bay winning 2-1.
