Real Miracle On Fake Grass: Greenwich Shocks Hall In Boys Soccer

HARTFORD, CT — Most matchups pitting proverbial "Davids" against "Goliaths" don't end the way Saturday night's Hall High School-Greenwich High School state soccer Class LL title match went.

Usually there is no "miracle" on turf. The Philistine is not slayed. And the Giants don't beat the Patriots.

But at a frosty Trinity Health Stadium in Hartford, Rocky Balboa made an appearance wearing kits and boots colored in an exhausted Greenwich's white and red.

Greenwich High School, ranked 16, shocked Hall High School of West Hartford 4-3 via penalty kicks after a 2-2 draw in regular and extra time.

It was a real miracle played on the fake grass of Hartford Athletic's home field, a miracle that happened after senior Lucas Luzuriaga ripped his final penalty kick past Hall goalkeeper Nico Figueroa.

If the match were played a year ago, Greenwich and Hall would have been "co-champions."

Not so in 2022.

2022's tournament marked the return of penalty kicks being used to decide a title holder if necessary, ending an unsatisfactory outcome for teams battling on the field in full time, then extra time.

After an an excruciating 100 minutes were played with passion up and down the turf field, it was time to settle a championship in the most unfair of ways — PKs.

Hall had won its semifinal over Norwalk on penalties, while Greenwich won three penalty shootouts en route to the final.

And when Luzuriaga's ball dented the twine, pandemonium broke out and Greenwich fans rushed the field, to the chagrin of stadium officials who repeatedly warned such actions were prohibited.

But nothing was going to take this away from Greenwich fans.

On this night, Hall wasn't the "Titans" of Class LL, but, thanks to a brace from junior Maximo Ferrario, Greenwich's 16th-ranked Cardinals (and a roster light on available players) were tops.

The only man missing from the press box was Al Michaels to ask if anyone believed in miracles.

With the sun a distant memory, Hall and Greenwich competed in nearly freezing conditions, with nearby Hall fans packing much of main grandstands.

Last September, Hall blasted Greenwich 5-0, with onlookers wondering if the title game would be a similar blowout.

That was not going to happen tonight.

Considering the disparity of records going into the game, Greenwich with five losses and Hall having none, the Cardinals put up a game fight when they weren't winning.

Scoring began with 28 minutes, 42 seconds to go in the first half, with Hall junior Jack DeLoreto heading in a rebounded shot from senior Lucas Almeida (an all-American bound for the University of Connecticut) past Greenwich goalkeeper Nico Figueroa and into the net, putting Hall up 1-0.

Greenwich nearly tied the game, but senior superstar goalkeeper Tyler Fairchild leaped high with about 15 minutes left to push a goal-bound Cardinal screamer over the bar, the clean sheet still preserved.

While Hall dominated much of the play early, it only held a 1-0 halftime lead with a gutsy Greenwich attacking throughout and pushing the favorites.

With 34 minutes, 27 seconds left in the game, a game Greenwich became a title contender when Ferrario curled a shot from distance past Fairchild into the right, upper corner of the goal, evening the score at 1-1.

Game on. No. 16 was equal to No. 2. Then, it was better.

The equalizer caused significant concern for Hall's faithful, while it energized and emboldened Greenwich's fans.

Meanwhile, Greenwich pressed on and Hall and its talented posse of superstars desperately fought for a go-ahead goal.

That goal came, but not for Hall.

Ferrario scored a magnificent tally with 25 minutes, 29 seconds left, grabbing a cross and smashing a ball into the left side of the goal past Fairchild.

It was Greenwich 2-Hall 1 and anxiety for West Hartford's fans was intense while anticipatory jubilation was on the minds of the folks making the long trek from Greenwich to Hartford.

Ferrario's brace led to his being named most valuable player for the game.

Then, a deflected goal with less than 20 minutes to go by Hall senior co-captain Samuel Sandler off a Greenwich player took a freak hop over the Greenwich goalkeeper's head, looping into the net.

Hall 2, Greenwich 2.

Hoping to avoid extra time, Hall, and a frustrated Almeida, relentlessly pushed forward in a frantic quest for a third goal with an anxious, partisan West Hartford crowd in their corner.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

Then Greenwich threw themselves at the goal as the minutes trickled down in regulation and Ferrario just missed a heroic hat trick with about 2 minutes to go that would have given Greenwich a title.

That was the last shot in regulation and the clocked counted out to extra time, two 10-minute periods that are played in full to determine a winner.

Almeida nearly scored with 7 minutes, 28 seconds in the first extra time, but his mad dash ended off the body of the goalkeeper and a frustrating night continued for the star.

A similar run by Almeida later in the first extra time ended in similar fashion.

Then, another Almeida run with 34 seconds ended in the Greenwich goalkeeper's hands and the second extra time arrived with the score still tied at 2-2.

Play grew more frantic in a desperate bid to win before penalty kicks, but this game was, ultimately, going to be decided at the spot.

And Greenwich was spot on.