After playing 100 scoreless minutes, Westminster put its championship hopes in the hands of junior goalkeeper Anderson Lee and he delivered. Again.
Lee faced the same scenario in the semifinal game at Dalton after the game ended in a 2-2 tie and stopped three of five penalty shots to help Westminster advance. On Thursday he blocked or forced Marist to miss three of its five penalty kicks, which gave Westminster the Class 4A championship on Thursday at Duluth High School.
“Exhilarating,” Lee said. “We work so much on this all season and it feels like we’ve done so much of this all season. I mean, Marist has a great defense and they were undefeated, but everyone played lights-out tonight.”
Marist (14-1) had recorded 11 shutouts and allowed only four goals all season but could not score. Westminster (17-6-1) didn’t scratch, either, but took advantage of its penalty kicks. Julian Weinstein, Will Stewart and Will Samady each made their kicks, giving the Wildcats a 3-2 advantage.
“It’s intimidation,” Lee said. “I try to make myself look big and just try to get it. Stopping that first one takes some of the pressure off the kickers. Obviously, kicking is one of the most high-stress things you can do. My job is to just take the pressure off. Save one and they make the rest.”
Westminster coach Scott Snyder, who earned his 11th state title at the school, felt OK when the game came down to penalty kicks.
“I thought it was a pretty tight game,” Snyder said. “I’d have to give them the edge in terms of creating more chances. But winning is winning and if we can win on penalty kicks … we train these every day. And we won last week on penalty kicks and I think that paid off.”
When the penalty kick round began, the sizeable Westminster contingent began to chant “Anderson! Anderson!” He heard the cheers and responded. When Marist’s final PK hit the bar and bounced away, Lee charged out of the goal and ran toward the stands to celebrate with his schoolmates.
“He’s a great kid,” Snyder said. “He does not play club soccer. I’ve got a great keeper coach that trains him and has shaped him into something. And he’s grown up, you know? I think this will be awesome for him going into next year.”
While the Wildcats were celebrating, the Marist players were a picture of dejection.
“It’s so much fun when you win and it’s horrible when you don’t,” said Snyder, who has been on both ends of the outcome.
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