Kent soccer beats Hotchkiss, loses to NMH in finals

KENT — The Kent School boys soccer team scored a 3-2 victory over Exeter in the first round of the New England tournament. They went on to beat The Hotchkiss School 4-2 in the semifinal game Saturday, Nov. 20.

The Hotchkiss game Saturday, Nov. 20, featured tough, physical play and dramatic momentum shifts for both teams.

The Kent Lions struck first near the end of the first half on an unbelievable goal from midfield. Coming off a free kick, the Kent attacker lofted a high shot that sailed high into the air and just cleared the outstretched fingertips of Hotchkiss goalie T.J. White.

It seemed as though that one goal might prove the winning margin, given the intense play on both sides and the fact that the two teams had played to a scoreless tie earlier in the season. Few in the stands could have imagined that Hotchkiss would take the lead less than 10 minutes into the second half, and then concede three more goals to Kent.

The Bearcats came out of halftime with renewed energy, earning four corners in the first five minutes of the half. The fourth corner would prove critical, as Kyle Baier was able to score the equalizer off a header into the top left corner at the 51-minute mark.

Buoyed by the tying goal, Hotchkiss kept the pressure on and was rewarded with the go-ahead goal less than four minutes later. John Kelly ripped a hard shot from the top of the box into the top left corner of the net at the 53-minute mark.

All the momentum seemed to have shifted back to Hotchkiss, and it would take another improbable sequence to get the Lions back into the game. After White was forced to come out of the goal to play a Kent shot, the Lions regained possession and buried a shot into an open net to tie the game once again.

Despite several chances, Hotchkiss was unable to retake the lead, and it was Kent who scored the winning goal at 61 minutes off a Bearcat turnover just outside the box. The Lions added another goal at 87 minutes off a counterattack to salt away the victory.

Kent traveled to Middlesex School in Concord, Mass., Sunday, Nov. 21, to face Northfield Mount Herman.

NMH scored the first goal about 20 minutes into the game, but Kent came back about 10 minutes later. NMH scored again off a corner kick and the score at the half was 2-1.

Kent started off the second half with a quick goal to tie the game. Despite exciting play from both teams, the game remained tied at the end of regulation play.

Two 10-minute periods of overtime followed. The first period ended scoreless, but NMH scored in the second for a final score of 3-2 and a New England championship for NMH.

Roger Wistar is the sports information director at The Hotchkiss School. Jennifer L. Kronholm contributed to this story.