Morgan boys soccer defeated Shepaug Valley 5-4 on Thursday, November 6, in the Class S State Tournament quarterfinal, advancing to the semi-final for a second consecutive year. Senior Emiliano Miranda led the way with a pair of goals and assists, including the setup for the game winner in the final minutes. 

The Huskies traveled 90 minutes up to Washington, CT to play what would be the wildest game of their season, where they saw a 3-0 lead disappear before prevailing late. 

Shepaug entered the match as the second seed, while Morgan came in as the seventh. It was a rematch of last year’s state semi-final, when Shepaug ended Morgan’s season. However, the Spartans top goal scorer and standout goalkeeper graduated from last year’s team, while the Huskies returned their core that included three all-state selections, being Miranda, senior Jonny Gutierrez, and senior Liam Totten.

This year’s go around delivered a thriller of a game that truly had it all. The match featured scoring streaks, late drama, and enough momentum swings that led to a rollercoaster ride of emotion, one that left all parties in genuine disbelief well after the final whistle blew. 

It was a tale of two halves. Morgan was only able to get off a couple shots on target for the first 40 minutes, which resulted in a scoreless stalemate at halftime before both offenses came alive after the break. 

Less than five minutes into the second half, Miranda connected with Gutierrez to get Morgan on the scoreboard. Miranda gained possession after a deflection off a Shepaug Valley defender’s head, then laid it off to Gutierrez, who took one touch before firing a powerful right-footed shot from outside the 18-yard box that rolled all the way into the bottom left corner of the net.

Not even two minutes later, junior Esteban Orozco unleashed a low driven screamer from about 30 yards out that was well out of the goalkeeper’s reach. 

Just moments after, Miranda had control of the ball and was quickly advancing up the field when he suddenly laced a long-range, acrobatic shot that flew into the bottom right corner of the net. He proceeded to run around the field in triumph as his teammates chased after him, sensing the victory that would send them to the semi-final.

After all, the offense had seemingly caught fire after netting three goals, all from outside the 18, in a five minute span. 

With 31 minutes and change to play, Morgan had what they thought was a comfortable 3-0 cushion.

Yet in a sudden turn of events, Shepaug Valley stormed all the way back with 4 consecutive goals in less than ten minutes after changing to a more attacking formation to improbably take the lead with over 20 minutes still left to play. 

The sudden momentum shift left the Morgan team and faithful stunned. 

They continued to battle in search of the game tying goal until the final four minutes, when Gutierrez was able to break free inside the box and draw a foul to set up the penalty kick opportunity. 

With the season on the line, the players and coaches debated who should take the kick. In the biggest moment of the season, Miranda confidently took the ball. Despite the immense pressure, he was not rattled and sunk the kick to equalize the score. 

With two minutes now left in the game, Miranda gained possession, dribbled around his defender, and blasted a left-footed shot from over 60 feet out. The goalie fell to his knees attempting the save, but was unable to corral the ball, as senior Andrew Randi sprinted in to score the game winning shot. 

As the feeling of adrenaline rushed through his body, he sprinted to the corner and punched down the flag in celebration. “It felt like a big weight being lifted off the shoulders,” Randi said. Soon enough, the bench cleared and all of his teammates surrounded him as they let their emotions show. 

Randi’s game winning goal marks his fifth postseason goal in as many games. 

He and the team will look to continue their playoff success in their next match against Haddam Killingworth, with a spot in the State Championship on the line. 

The two last met in the Shoreline Conference Final, where Morgan fell short 1-4. “Playing HK is our shot at redemption. It’s a chance to prove that we are a different team from the Shoreline Finals,” senior Austin LaMonaca said. 

The semi-final match will take place at 4:00 PM at the Madison Surf Club tomorrow, Tuesday, November 11.