By MICHAEL PRUNKA

Washington Daily News

 

SANFORD — The Terra Ceia soccer squad etched its name in the history books Saturday when the Knights made their fist-ever foray into the NCISAA 1-A state playoffs. It was a long time coming, too. The program overcame nearly two decades of challenges, culminating in its first postseason berth.

It marked the accomplishment of an objective head coach Nate Burns and his team set aside before they took the field for the first time back in late August. The dream became a reality when the Knights, competing independent of any conference, were awarded an at-large bid and the No. 9 seed in the playoffs.

The energy was palpable. Fans accompanied the team on its two and a half hour trip to Sanford.

“It was a big deal,” Burns said. “We were all excited. We had a large group in attendance and it made for a great atmosphere.”

They traveled to No. 6 Lee Christian School on Saturday and took the hosting Falcons to the limit. The Knights drew first blood and, playing behind a defense that has excelled all season, maintained a 1-0 lead throughout much of the contest.

The Falcons were awarded a late penalty kick that helped them equalize with about 15 minutes left in regulation. Naturally, a dramatic overtime finish would decide the outcome of Terra Ceia’s inaugural postseason match.

The home side was able to net one in overtime to knock Terra Ceia out. The Knights, who had five middle-school players on the squad, didn’t have any high-school players to bring off the bench. That put Burns in a bind when it came to late-game substation decisions.

“They gave it everything they had,” he said. “(Lee Christian) was very good and athletic.  In an overtime game, it almost felt like the depth was the difference. I believe in all my kids, but the bench was all middle-school players. Physically, we didn’t matchup, but we believed we could win.”

The postseason may have ended prematurely, but the Knights have plenty to be proud of moving forward. They accomplished great things on the field this season. Their success is a foundation for the program to continue building on.

“There’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Burns said. “We only had one winning season and improved to an unbeaten regular season. It’s a huge statement for the program. They changed the program’s culture.”

Terra Ceia may experience some more growing pains moving forward. Five of the team’s 11 starters — Kendal Bowen, Chase Furlough, Ben Hubers, Colin Van Staalduinen and Noah Williams — are set to graduate in the spring. The post-game scene was most emotional for them as they not only watched their season end, but also enjoyed seeing a program’s vision come to fruition.

Losing them will demand a sort of rebuilding period come next season. To some degree, it’s already in effect in that three middle-school players started this season.

“The effort you put in when you’re young pays off when you’re older,” Burns stressed. “Right now, we’re going to have middle school kids playing against high-school age players (next season).”

That’s still a far cry from the days when Terra Ceia struggled to field a team. Players would have to ask friends to come out and play so that they would have enough bodies on the field.

Quentin Van Essendelft and Austin Roscoe will be two of the team’s key leaders next year. Both will be in their senior campaigns. Van Essendelft finished this season with 19 goals, which ranked second on the team. Roscoe, the team’s goalkeeper, backstopped a formidable defense that played a vital role in Terra Ceia’s undefeated season.

Burns said that not only will they lead the team on the field, but will also be like big brothers to the younger Knights.

The winds of change are blowing for Terra Ceia. This first playoff appearance is a hallmark moment for the program, but is far from its zenith.