The teams needed extra time in the third meeting Tuesday in a Class C South quarterfinal, and Lisbon’s Bradley Boulet scored the golden goal 6:51 into the first overtime to lift the third-seeded Greyhounds to a 1-0 victory over the Rebels.
“I saw that pass coming through, I was so nervous,” Boulet said. “I knew I had to do something, it was it for us. I was pumped up, I knew it as soon as I put it in, and I heard my team coming behind me (off the bench).”
He had a couple chances earlier in the game that went over the crossbar.
Lisbon coach Dan Sylvester moved Boulet to forward late in the game to create offensive chances. He also knew he could frustrate the Rebels in other ways.
“At the end of the second half going into overtime, we talked about it,” Sylvester said. “My brother (assistant coach Mark Sylvester) and I decided to put Bradley up front and it ended paying off. Bradley is a very scrappy player. He’s like a little Brad Marchand (of the Boston Bruins). He can annoy people, but he when he get through (the offensive zone) he can tuck one in.”
Telstar (9-6-0) wouldn’t have reached overtime at all without the play of goalkeeper Boston Ludden. He made a key diving save with 14:50 remaining in regulation to keep the game scoreless. Telstar coach John Eliot thought that play may give his club the momentum as the clock wound down.
“If Boston didn’t make that save, we don’t make it to overtime,” Eliot said. “Boston has stepped it up in goal a lot in his first year in goal. I am looking forward to have him back next year. He will be good and solid in net for us. I think everybody could feel that. He made that save and you heard our fans get into it. You could feel the kids step it up a half a step up the field.”
Lisbon (9-3-3) peppered Ludden in the second half with eight shots, and he had to make five saves. It was a much busier half than the first, when he only had to make three saves — most of the Greyhounds’ shots in the opening half were either high or wide.
“In the first half I was a little down because there was not much going on,” Ludden said. “The second half with all the saves, the ball coming down my side of the field, it kept me in it, it kept me pumped. All the saves kept me going and they had some wonderful shots on me.”
His counterpart Jonah Sautter made three saves in the game
Telstar struggled in the first half, only mustering four shots on goal.
“The second half was much better,” Eliot said. “We were up to pace and I felt like it was a game. This was a really good game, but I thought the second half could have gone either way.”
Lisbon did a better job of stopping Telstar’s better players compared the two regular season games.
“I thought our a lot of guys stepped up to the ball,” Sylvester said. “We were first to the ball, and we limited (Avry Griffin) and (Kellan True’s) chances because everything goes through them. If we them out of the equation, it gives us a better chance and it did. I thought we dominated possession for 80 minutes.”
nfournier@sunjournal.com
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