Corder scores late winner for De La Salle

Warren De La Salle advanced to the Division 2 regional final after a second-overtime goal by Andrew Corder secured a 2-1 win over U-D Jesuit on Tuesday. The match concluded with 8:32 remaining in the extra period, capping a physical contest between the Catholic High School League Central Division rivals at New Boston Huron.

Coach Thaier Mukhtar approached his star forward before the second overtime to ask for one final burst of energy. Mukhtar told Corder to find the playmaking instinct that defines his season. Corder responded by turning away a defensive clearance and sprinting toward the goal.

"I was exhausted," Corder said. "I don't know. It just kicked in. I beat the first guy so I knew I was going. I saw the hole, I took the shot, scored and celebrated. That’s what I do."

The goal is the 29th for Corder this season. His production has helped lead De La Salle to an 18-3-4 record. Mukhtar noted that the performance reinforced Corder's status as a Mr. Soccer candidate.

"That’s what great players do," Mukhtar said. "That’s why he’s a Mr. Soccer candidate. He has 29 goals and none are any bigger than this one."

U-D Jesuit took an early lead on a goal by Vasco Marra with 4:30 left in the first half. The Pilots tied the score at 1-1 when defender Rivard Nilaj scored with 4:30 remaining in the first period. Neither team could break the deadlock during regulation or the first overtime despite chances on both ends.

Goalkeepers Owen Bishop for the Cubs and Dominic Baldarotta for the Pilots kept the game scoreless until Corder's breakaway. Bishop and Baldarotta made key saves to preserve the 1-1 tie entering the extra time.

De La Salle played the final 6:18 of the second overtime with one fewer player. Settimo Leone received his second yellow card of the game, leaving the Pilots short-staffed. Mukhtar credited his back line for maintaining intensity despite the numerical disadvantage.

"I give a lot of credit to my defense," Mukhtar said. "Tanner (Mahaffey) was awesome, so was Kayden (Risch) and Rivald. They were solid even with a man down. It seemed like with a man down they picked it up even more. The energy level was higher."

The result ends a recent run of close matches between the two programs. De La Salle has defeated U-D Jesuit in the playoffs the last two seasons. U-D Jesuit finished the regular season with a 13-5-5 record. The Cubs had previously beaten the Pilots 3-0 and drawn 1-1 this year.

U-D Jesuit coach Aaron Pfeil acknowledged the difficulty of facing a familiar opponent so early in the postseason. "Unfortunately, we had to meet this early in the playoffs," Pfeil said. "It’s hard to be successful against a team three times. We know each other so well. It came down to who made the least amount of mistakes and we made a mistake at the end."

Pfeil added that his team must continue to improve. "We have to keep working," he said. "The last two years we’ve had two wins and two ties (against De La Salle) but we lost when it matters the most."