Boys Soccer: McKeel prevails in PK shootout to reach state semis for first time
LAKELAND — McKeel won its first playoff game in boys soccer last year but did more than improve incrementally this year.
When Adam Kheder hit the game-clinching shot in the penalty kick shootout, 5-3, over Tampa King on Wednesday night in the Class 4A, Region 3 finals, it gave McKeel its three playoff wins this season — four overall. More importantly, it sent the Wildcats to the state semifinals for the first time in school history.
McKeel will be on the road on Saturday night in 4A state semifinals.
"This is our first regional final, we're here and we win it, so it's great," McKeel coach Tanner Adams said. "The furthest we ever made previous was last year (to the second round), and we made it two steps further, so that's great."
McKeel's victory avenged the loss two weeks ago to King in the district championship match when the Wildcats outplayed King but lost 1-0. Adams said he felt this rematch was more evenly contested.
"It was a very tight game," Adams said. "I honestly felt we outplayed the first game better than we did tonight. We had more chances (in the first game) but didn't get the job done. They had the long throw-in. I do think we created a little more tonight, but they played better than last time. Tonight, we won, but it was very, very ugly."
With the score tied 0-0 after regulation and two overtime periods, the teams went to penalty kicks. Drew Snyder hit McKeel's first shot, and King followed by hitting wide to give the Wildcats an early one-goal advantage.
Calvin Steele, Jahir Villasenordiaz and Konnor Dobson followed with goals for McKeel, while King also made its next three shots.
Kheder then came on for the clinching shot and buried it to give King the win.
"I was running to my dad, celebrating my goal," he said.
Kheder took off running toward the McKeel fans, and hit teammates followed.
The Wildcats came out ready to avenge the earlier loss to King. Kheder was confident in his team's chances to win the rematch.
"I knew we had it from the beginning," he said. "We played good the whole time, we locked up on defense, we stopped their throw-ins, so I knew we had it. When we went into PKs, it was nothing but a win."
Both teams had chances in the match. McKeel had a couple of close calls on centering passes to Steele. King was determined to stop Steele as any time he got the ball, two defenders quickly converged on him.
McKeel also got good pressure from the outside. Zane Chisolm made a number of runs down the left side in both the first and second half.
Probably the best chance by the Wildcats came in the second half when Giovanne LaSalle got behind the defender on the right side and had a clear shot that just went wide to the far side.
Late in regulation, Alendro Araque got behind the goalkeeper chasing down a free ball and had a chance to chip it into the open goal, but the shot just went wide.
King's best chances came on corner kicks and throw-ins, especially a flurry of about five of the two combined midway through the second half.
McKeel did a good job clearing the ball, and goalkeeper Nate Miller was aggressive in getting to the ball first.
"We practiced this literally 45 minutes yesterday (Tuesday) only working on defending the long throw-in," Adams said. "We would punt it in the box."
1A-2: Pine 2, Lakeland Christian 0
Lakeland Christian's season came to an end one game short of the final four. The Vikings kept the game scoreless into the second half before Pine finally broke through with a pair of goals.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Boys Soccer: McKeel prevails in PK shootout to reach first state semis
