Calvary boys win MDCC championship, 2-0 over Shalom

Oct. 24—HAGERSTOWN — Sitting at 5-5 after 10 games, Calvary seemed in danger of seeing its conference championship streak come to an end.

Yet, with 12 wins in their final 14 — most important of which was a 2-0 triumph over top-seeded Shalom in the Mason-Dixon Christian Conference title game Saturday — the Eagles did it again.

For the third year in a row and fourth time in five tries, Calvary is the MDCC champion.

"Just extremely proud for this group to battle back," Calvary head coach Wes Reed said. "The focus, determination, rededication to winning the conference.

"To come back, compete and play hard like we did. Our All-Conference players showed up. We've had 24 games, and 14 were clean sheets. It was very impressive, the fact that we were able to hold Shalom to nothing."

Calvary scored a goal in each half Saturday against Shalom (17-4-1), with Luke Reed — the tournament and conference Most Valuable Player — accounting for both.

Reed found the back of the net in the 31st minute of the first half off a corner kick from Ben McGrew, and the Eagles went up 2-0 when Reed scored off an Austin McCleary assist 13 minutes into the second half.

Reed's MDCC Player of Year honor makes it four years in a row a Calvary player has won the award. Will Speis won it three seasons ago and Isaac Scritchfield won the last two.

"It wasn't as clear-cut who would win this year," Wes Reed said. "Four of five players this year could've won. His ability to play from the midfield position and be an offensive player for us was big, and for him to step up in the championship."

Goalkeeper Levi Carrington and defenders Eli Leith and Noah Robinette were also named to the all-tournament team. Leith was awarded an MDCC first-team honor, and Robinette and Carrington made the second team.

The efforts of Carrington and the Calvary defense were imperative against a high-powered Shalom squad, as the Eagles were outshot 10-5 Saturday. However, Carrington stepped up and made all 10 saves he was called upon to make.

Shalom keeper Tommy Horst made three saves. Calvary did have a 3-1 edge in corner kicks.

"Extremely proud of the kids and the season we've had," Reed said. "The kids wanted it. Go out representing God, and display that on the field with our talent and good sportsmanship. We were as complete as we could be yesterday."

Calvary, which split a pair of regular-season matchups with Shalom, essentially had four seasons in one.

After starting 5-5, the Eagles won eight consecutive contests, the biggest a 3-0 triumph over Bishop Walsh on Oct. 3, to improve to 13-5.

However, Calvary followed that with a winless week against Mineral County, as the Eagles lost a thriller to Frankfort, 1-0, and were stunned by Keyser, which finished 2-15, by the same score.

That week proved to be the wake-up call the Eagles needed.

"I felt like peaked at the BW game," Reed said. "We beat them 3-0 there, for us emotionally that was a climax for us. We played a physical game. That was our most complete game.

"After That, it was such a let-down. Felt like we should have won and out-possessed Frankfort and didn't do enough to finish. That led into the Keyser game, which there is no reason that we should have lost that game other than mentally we were in our own heads."

Two days after the defeat to Keyser, Calvary was able to get back on track with a 10-0 win at Hyndman, which gave the Eagles some much-needed confidence entering the MDCC tournament.

"We hit a wall," Reed said. "We were fortunate to have Hyndman on Saturday after Keyser. It gave us an opportunity to score a lot of goals early, so we could work and focus only on possession."

Following a 6-0 rout of Broadfording to open the playoffs, Calvary drew Cumberland Valley in the MDCC semifinals. It was a familiar opponent, as the Eagles battled CVCS in the title game four of the previous five seasons.

The contest was as advertised, as after 100 minutes the game was still level at 2-all. Calvary outlasted Cumberland Valley, 6-5, in penalty kicks.

"Playing them in semifinals was a big test for both of us," Reed said. "We shifted to play more physical and match their intensity. I knew once we got through that battle, I was very confident we had the mental and physical fortitude to beat Shalom. We were the better team at that point in time."

Following a scoreless first half Thursday, Calvary scored the first two goals of the second half. McGrew pierced the goalmouth first, assisted by Riley O'Brien, 7:45 into the second half, and Luke Reed doubled the Eagles' lead off a McGrew assist in the 19th minute.

Cumberland Valley battled back. Cort Stouffer cut the Calvary lead to a goal by converting a penalty kick in the 23rd minute, and Sam Hepler forced overtime with an unassisted goal in the 38th minute.

A pair of scoreless extra periods went by, and the penalty kick session was just as close.

The Eagles started on their back foot after missing the first PK, but McGrew, Reed, Robinette, Leith and Cory Vogtman scored in succession and Carrington made a save in the first set of PKs for Calvary to enter the seventh shot tied at 7-all.

Carrington came up with a diving stop on a kick from Cumberland Valley's Landon Kellogg, and Carrington then stepped up to the line and buried the game-winner to put Calvary in the title game.

"I was impressed by the kids mentally," Wes Reed said. "Especially after having your first one saved. For Ben (McGrew) to step up, Luke (Reed) then three defenders was huge.

"Four of our six scorers in penalties were defensive players and our goalie. ... Those guys not only did it defensively in the game, they stepped up in PKs and finished the game off for us."

Cumberland Valley finished with a 15-7 edge in shots, and Calvary had more corner kicks, 9-2. Carrington made 13 saves, and Cumberland Valley keeper Gabe Beckering made four.

With all the momentum entering the title game against top-seeded Shalom, Calvary would not be denied. Eighty minutes later, the Eagles were lifting their third consecutive title.