Sometimes it simply does not go your way.<\/p>\n
That was among the several things Jacksonville second-year head soccer coach Joey Mahouchick said to his Cardinals Thursday night following a heartbreaking 3-2 home fourth-round playoff defeat to East Chapel Hill.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s soccer,\u201d he said. \u201cI also told them I was proud of them. I couldn\u2019t be prouder of a group of guys.\u201d<\/p>\n
Unfortunately for the second-seeded Cardinals (16-5-2), their quest of returning to the East Regional final for the first time since 2022 came short in extra time against the third-seeded Wildcats (17-3-2).<\/p>\n
The deciding goal came with 6 minutes, 24 seconds remaining in the second 10-minute overtime when senior Eli Woods scored on a 20-yard free kick.<\/p>\n
It was a tough way to end for Jacksonville, which leveled the match at 2-2 with 3:40 left in regulation when senior Jude Sawyer scored off a rebound off the goalkeeper.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur guys don\u2019t quit, and that\u2019s how they train, too,\u201d Mahouchick said. \u201cIt could have been easy to fold the tent, but they kept grinding, and holy cow, they made it exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Cardinals were certainly excited when junior Landon Adams scored off an assist from Sawyer to give Jacksonville a 1-0 edge with 17:59 left in the opening half.<\/p>\n
However, the lead was short-lived.<\/p>\n
East Chapel Hill senior Peter Mann evened the contest at 1-1 just 42 seconds after Adams\u2019 goal. Mann then scored again 31 seconds later to give the Wildcats a 2-1 lead.<\/p>\n
East Chapel Hill held onto the advantage until Sawyer scored late in regulation.<\/p>\n
And while he was disappointed in the result, Mahouchick was not disappointed in the Cardinals\u2019 effort in this game or throughout the season.<\/p>\n
Thanks to the leadership from Sawyer, and other seniors like goalkeeper Braden Colley, Parker Hansen, Greyson Deupree, Chase Crawford and Ryan Hanks, Jacksonville won the Big Carolina 6-A\/7-A Conference title for their ninth consecutive league crown.<\/p>\n
The Cardinals entered the fourth round on a nine-game winning streak.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was a fantastic group. I couldn\u2019t ask for a better group of guys,\u201d Mahouchick said. \u201cThey did everything we asked them to do. The last month and a half has been phenomenal. It was a really good season from where we started to where we ended.\u201d<\/p>\n