Simsbury Outlasts Wethersfield In Thrilling Boys Soccer Title Match

HARTFORD/SIMSBURY/WETHERSFIELD, CT — It's been a while, but Simsbury High School boys soccer is a state champion once again.

And they did so improbably and thrillingly, defeating the favorite Wethersfield High School Eagles on penalty kicks after both sides went full time and extra time, even at 2-2.

When a Wethersfield penalty kick went awry late Sunday night on a chilly, wind-swept Trinity Health Stadium in Hartford, Simsbury earned a 4-3 PK advantage and the school's fifth state championship and first since 2006.

Going into Sunday night's CIAC Class L boys soccer final, the Trojans of SHS were the 14th seed in the tournament, entering with a stout 10-4-2 regular season record and four more tournament wins.

The fourth-ranked Eagles of Wethersfield were 11-2-3 in the regular season before a methodical march through the tourney.

For the Eagles, Sunday's heartbreaker marked the team's second straight OT game, as they defeated East Lyme High School 4-3 in extra time in the state semifinals.

Wethersfield, a longtime soccer powerhouse, looked poised to win the program's 17th state title (and first since 2021) in the second half Sunday when senior Tarik Alihodzic tapped in a rebound off the crossbar for the first goal of the game.

But Simsbury evened the score when senior Ryan Goodwin dribbled just inside the box and ripped a screamer past the goalkeeper to even the game 1-1, where it stood after regular time.

In extra time, Alihodzic intercepted an SHS defender's attempt to clear the ball in front of the net, slotting the ball into Simsbury's goal and giving WHS a 2-1 lead.

But the game wasn't over, as there is no golden goal in OT.

Then Simsbury High junior midfielder Michael Roche swung a set-piece free kick from distance into the box and, amid the chaos in front of the goal, the ball bounced off the chest of SHS sophomore Keegan McCullough to even the score at 2-2.

This led to the cruelest of ways to determine a champion: penalty kicks.

For Wethersfield, the final act was the cruelest as their final shot went wide, clinching a 4-3 advantage in penalties for Simsbury and resulting in a title.