Boys soccer: Rockford Guilford denies Huntley regional title

ROCKFORD - For the second consecutive season, Huntley's boys soccer team traveled to Rockford Guilford with regional title aspirations, but came away empty-handed.

The second-seeded Red Raiders held No. 3 seed Guilford at bay playing against the wind during a scoreless first half Saturday afternoon, then opened the second half with a strong surge.

Despite a couple of tense moments, the Vikings escaped with a clean sheet and capitalized on a pair of chances in the final 21 minutes to secure a 2-0 victory and a repeat Class 3A regional championship.

Guilford (18-5) advanced to face Dundee-Crown in Tuesday's 5 p.m. Huntley sectional semifinal.

"I thought we worked hard throughout," said Huntley coach Kris Grabner. "Even in the last minute I didn't feel like we were out of it. I felt like if we get a goal that we have enough time to get the ball back down and maybe get a second and tie it."

"It was just one of those days where we have all of those things go our way until the very end with their goal," said Huntley senior captain Zach Witaker, who was involved in a handful of quality chances.

A basically even game through nearly 60 minutes turned on what appeared to be an innocent play.

Huntley defender Andrew Meyer and keeper Michael Parks collided tracking down a high bouncing ball off the turf and Guilford's Ricky Sarmiento got behind both of them and tapped the ball into the open net.

"The first goal is just a mistake on a part," Grabner said. "It was reading the ball one way to start and then changing your mind. If both of them change their mind, you might be OK, but if one does, it's not going to work out and that's what happened."

Parks kept the Red Raiders within a goal with an excellent save on Raul Pulido's point- blank chance a minute later, but Pulido extended the lead with 9:24 remaining, taking a long pass from Sarmiento and slotting it into the left corner.

Huntley (14-6-1) continued pressing and nearly cashed in with 6:35 left when Witaker's cross found Aaron Ruffner, but Vikings keeper Omar Diaz came up with a clutch save at the far post.

With 1:13 left, the Red Raiders had one last chance with an indirect free kick from inside the box after an intentional back pass to Diaz, but Ruffner's close-range shot over the Vikings' wall on the goal line caromed off the crossbar.

Grabner was displeased that the game and clock was stopped, allowing Guilford to set up the wall.

"If we can grab the ball and put it down and we just play a square ball to one of our guys running on, it's an open net and a tap in," Grabner said.