BOYS SOCCER: Vikings earn Class A crown

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DAN CAPPELLAZZO/STAFF PHOTOGRAPH

November 8, 2009

By Nate Beutel The Niagara Gazette Sun Nov 08, 2009, 01:06 AM EST

AMHERST — You’re not supposed to wake a sleeping giant. Apparently, Williamsville South didn’t get that memo.

After the top-seeded Billies scored on a penalty kick less than nine minutes into the second half, No. 2 Grand Island responded with two tallies over the next 20 minutes to earn a 2-1 victory in the Class A Championship game Saturday at Dimp Wagner Field.

“The PK actually woke us up. It was like a blessing in disguise,” 17th year GI coach Peter Kuehne said. “After that we just rallied together and started playing the kind of soccer we’re capable of.”

The title is GI’s first since winning the Class B crown in 2003. The Vikings (16-1-3 overall) will play the Section V champion in the Far West Regional on Friday at Spencerport.

“This is the greatest feeling of my life,” said senior Bobby Ross, who evened the game with 16 minutes left when he put in a header off a corner by Joe Fischer.

About six minutes later as the Vikings continued to apply pressure at the net, senior Eric Breier slammed home a rebound for the game winner.

“It’s probably the most exciting thing to ever happen to me in my entire life,” Breier said of the goal. “Coach always tells us to follow up every shot and that’s what I did. As soon as I hit it, I saw that no one was close to it and it was going in. It was awesome.”

Kuehne added, “If you follow the shots enough times usually the goalie is going to give one up and it’ll end up in the back of the net, just like it did.”

South had a few chances late, but all were turned away by a stingy GI defense, led by Division I-caliber goalkeeper Jeremy Figler.

“Even though basketball is supposed to start on Monday and we’re excited about that, there’s no better feeling than going to regionals and having a shot to go to states,” said Ross, whose father Greg is the school’s boys basketball coach.

Contact reporter Nate Beutel at 282-2311, ext. 2262.

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BOYS SOCCER: Vikings earn Class A crown

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