O’FALLON, MO. – Liberty senior Gavin Hollowell had a disturbing flashback between the first and second overtimes Monday and wanted to ensure history did not repeat itself.
“I didn’t want us to go PKs. We lost to De Smet earlier this year in PKs, so we were looking to get going on offense quickly,” Hollowell said.
Hollowell scored the game-winning goal 30 seconds into the second overtime to propel Liberty to a 3-2 victory over St. Dominic in the Class 4 District 4 championship game at Fort Zumwalt West’s Hoekel Stadium.
Liberty (19-2), which captured its third district title in the last four seasons, advanced to play SLUH (15-6-3) in a Class 4 quarterfinal at 2 p.m. Saturday at Liberty High School in Lake St. Louis.
Hollowell’s goal came after St. Dominic did everything except score during the final minutes of the second half and through the first overtime.
Senior Charlie Lafata dribbled baseline and sent a cross through the box that senior Jacob Kuenne redirected inches wide. Senior Johnny Petruso, who scored both goals for the Crusaders, escaped down the right side and sent a soft pass through the box that somehow eluded the feet of his onrushing teammates.
“We missed a couple golden opportunities that could have been put away. If you’re not decisive and you don’t put it in, it comes back to get you,” St. Dominic coach Greg Koeller said.
Just before the first overtime expired, a long distance shot by St. Dominic senior Gavin Kleeschulte hit a foot, took an awkward hop and froze Liberty goalkeeper Aidan Brown momentarily before he recovered to make a full-extension, diving save to his left.
“It hit off the laces of our defender and bounced. It threw me off a little bit, I’m not going to lie,” said Brown, who made seven saves.
For Brown, the thoughts during both overtime periods remained the same.
“It’s either my last game ever in high school or it’s not, so the idea was to do whatever I can do to keep playing,” Brown said.
Brown did his part during the first overtime, Hollowell struck gold early in the second. He accepted a pass on the left wing from senior Dylan Handlan, made two quick touches to his right and blasted a shot that glanced off a St. Dominic defender and sailed into the upper corner of the net for the game-winner.
“I hoped and prayed it would go anywhere near the goal,” Hollowell said. “That deflection made it go about a foot higher, so that probably put it in for me, but good things happen when you shoot the ball.”
Hollowell was the first person who noticed the ball entered the goal. His teammates paused to make sure it was true before mobbing him with glee.
“I had the best angle of it. Everyone else waited a second, but I knew it went in. I’m super-happy that happened,” Hollowell said.
Liberty did not wait long to unleash its potent press upon St. Dominic. In the third minute, Hollowell drove to the goal and sent a cross that junior Gavin Moyers drilled inches wide. In the 10th minute, Moyers served a left-footed corner kick into a crowd that junior Corey Lynch headed into the goal to produce an early 1-0 lead.
“The first 10 (minutes) we played really well,” Liberty coach Tony Luedecke said. “The next 20 was them.”
St. Dominic (22-3-2), which won the inaugural STL Champions League in October, turned corner kick defense into 100-yard dashes and Petruso made the midfield his track. He accepted a pass in the defensive end, raced shoulder to shoulder with Liberty senior Brody Marino for 50 yards and then chipped a shot past Brown to even the score.
St. Dominic Champions League title story: https://metrosportsstl.com/2024/10/20/st-dominic-captures-inaugural-stl-champions-league-title-with-hard-fought-win-over-de-smet/“
“They are so dynamic and they attack so fast,” Luedecke said.
Liberty reclaimed the lead before halftime when junior Jackson Rocco found the far corner after gathering a long pass from Moyers, but any good feelings held by the Eagles during intermission were quickly erased.
Forty seconds into the second half, St. Dominic used a lightning quick throw-in to earn another fast break opportunity. Kuenne dribbled into the box, created a 2-on-1 situation and fed Petruso at the doorstep to tie the game at 2.
“We were big on transition moments,” Koeller said. “I thought how we responded to get back into the game showed the character of our team.”
But it was the defense of Marino, senior Maverick Davis and the Eagles that kept St. Dominic from running away. The Crusaders were called for four offsides violations in the second half alone, as the Liberty defensive corps used the speed of the St. Dominic forwards against them.
“They want to get through. Our guys were smart enough to hold up for a second, and the (linesmen) made some good calls,” Luedecke said.
For Marino, the Eagles’ ability to regroup after being scored upon early in the second half was a key component in the victory.
“We just had to take a deep breath,” Marino said of the defense. “We had to stay connected, stay on our guy and yell at every midfielder to drop back.”
One of those defensively responsible midfielders was senior Dylan Handlan, who was issued a yellow card 11 minutes into the game for a dangerous slide tackle but continued to bring the energy inspired from dueling, enthusiastic student sections.
“You could tell the emotions were high,” said Handlan, a captain. “After I came back in, I wasn’t even thinking about the yellow (card). All I could do was go out there, keep playing my hardest and hope it goes our way.”
And despite some harrowing moments during the final minutes of regulation and during the first overtime, the result did go Liberty’s way. It sets up a chance for redemption in a Class 4 quarterfinal – a playoff round that has not been kind to the Eagles in recent years.
“We’ve been unlucky in those, but we’re ready for another shot,” Marino said.
Brown added, “I’m just really excited for the chance to keep playing. For me, that’s what it’s all about, playing as long as I possibly can.”
Photo gallery at: https://benvessa.smugmug.com/Boys-Soccer/Boys-Soccer-2024/Liberty-vs-St-Dominic-C4D4-championship
Additional stories about Liberty High Soccer:
Champions League semifinal vs. De Smet: https://metrosportsstl.com/2024/10/17/keyes-stellar-goalkeeping-locks-up-de-smet-victory-over-liberty-trip-to-champions-league-final/
Aidan Brown feature: https://metrosportsstl.com/2024/09/24/libertys-brown-uses-agonizing-moment-as-fuel-for-senior-season/
Liberty vs Vianney- Champions League: https://metrosportsstl.com/2024/09/15/handlan-scores-twice-to-lead-liberty-over-vianney-in-champions-league-opener/–