CBA Advances in State Tournament Overtime Thriller
On Monday, CBA won one of their most exciting and nail-biting games since the Luke Pascarella golden goal winner a few years back.
It was certainly a great matchup in the south sectional semifinals for the state tournament. The Academy faced St. Augustine Prep, who was the four seed in the sectional bracket, but with CBA as the one-seed, the Colts had the important homefield advantage.
Even better, the seniors were let out early so they could attend the 2 p.m. game in full, but that didn’t stop the rest of the student body from attending after school. It was one of the biggest fan turnouts for the season, which made the stakes higher than ever.
After a defensive start to the game, St. Augustine struck first scoring at ‘36 and CBA went into the half down 1-0.
That didn’t stop the Colt Crazies from pumping the team up with the iconic Icky La Boomba chant coming out of halftime.
“We brought the house down with the Icky, truly a memorable experience,” one sophomore said.
The beginning of the second half was met with a huge cheer from the Crazies, which got the Colts energized and ready for the comeback. With the power of the Crazies on their side, Jack D’Eletto ‘23 sent the ball rocketing towards the goal which was deflected by a St. Augustine player into the net. Just like that it was all tied up in Lincroft at ‘61.
What followed was phenomenal defense by both sides which led to a tie at the end of regulation. The Colts were ready for overtime.
Shots were being launched left and right by both teams but neither team could connect with the net and at the end of the first period of overtime as it was still tied 1-1. Both teams were longing for the chance to advance in the state tournament and the way the game dragged out, the tension was rising every second.
The second period of overtime began with yet another roar of the Colt Crazies and Dylan Cupo ‘22 cemented his name in the CBA history books. After a misplay by the Hermits’ goalie, one swift kick by the senior was the golden goal the Colts needed and Cupo became a hero for CBA Soccer.
Scoring a few minutes into the second overtime period, Cupo and the Colts ran down by the line of frenzied Crazies along the fence.
“All I could think about at that moment was that I didn’t want this to be my last game at CBA. The team worked really hard and deserved to move on,” Cupo said. “The fans created a memorable experience as well, they got us hyped throughout the game. It was really special to celebrate that moment with not only teammates but with fellow classmates that came out to support us.”
This game will go down in CBA history. Many witnessed it live and it was not only a great win, but it was yet another great showing of the Colt Crazies who came in full Tuesday afternoon.
The Colts return to their home field to take on Notre Dame in the sectional final on Thursday afternoon. That showdown will advance the winner to the state championship against the north sectional winner.
