By Dean Jackson
WZBD.com
WOODBURN – It wasn’t revenge, but reflection.
Heritage advanced to the title game as they outlasted Canterbury 2-1, outscoring them 4-3 with penalty kicks in the Class 2A Sectional 23 semi-final round Wednesday at Woodlan High School.
The Patriots (9-4-2) will take on Leo (8-6-2) Saturday in the championship at 2 p.m.
After the win, there was little talk of retribution. Just fresh memories of Canterbury sneaking out a 1-0 victory in the final seconds in the second overtime in the sectional title game in 2022.
The seeds of victory sprouted from that setback. The sting of losing hurt, but Heritage coach Joel Bunnell didn’t forget the lesson in this meeting.
“I tried to push that in the last minute of the second half, and every minute of overtime, you know, we just had to. We couldn’t have a letdown. We couldn’t.”
And they didn’t.
“We build upon it, it’s in our DNA now to play every single minute. Because, you know, our seniors are not gonna get it back. So we kind of pride ourselves on that and have all year long.”
Canterbury (5-9-2) took the 1-0 lead in the 46th minute when Gabriel DeMarcus snuck a 15-yard header from the right side just inside the far post.
The Cavaliers clung to the slim margin for 30 minutes.
The Patriots’ persistence paid off. In the 77th minute, Alex Martinez made it 1-1 by taking a short pass from the corner from Ian Hale. He dribbled to the left edge of the box, curling it past the far post.
Bunnell called it grit.
“They never give up. They might not get many opportunities. But when they do, they try to find the back of the net, and they keep grinding.”
Before the goal, the Patriots had a handful of looks at the goal. None was better than a blast in the 68th minute when Ar Zit Cahn launched the ball for the right side of the net, but it sailed wide and out of bounds.
After an uneventful, even conservative first overtime period, Heritage became the aggressor, firing three shots in the final overtime.
The Patriots defense was equally stellar in that span. Goalkeeper Toby Henning thwarted a point-blank shot in the final minutes of overtime. Another came in the 91st minute when Christian Ramos Morales stepped in front of a shot off a cross from about 12 yards out.
Bunnell says the Patriots take pride in their defense.
“These guys are tough. We’ve said it all here: they are a tough bunch. They never give up.”
Henning finished with nine saves.
Thursday is a rare off day for Heritage, and Bunnell says it’s deserved.
“They’ve played 174 minutes of soccer in two days. They’ve earned it. So I’m giving it to them. Then we will go into Friday with a new mindset to play a sectional championship on Saturday.”
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