Hydrisko’s ill-time injury hurts more than ever in Radnor’s loss to C.B. West
RADNOR — Bobby Hydrisko had to watch in anguish from the sideline Thursday night.
Two minutes prior, he had to be carried off the field after suffering multiple cramps in his right leg. It was in that time span that Central Bucks West, the defending District 1 Class 4A boys soccer champion, jumped on the opportunity and closed things out as Jimi Leder buried the game-winning goal in overtime to lift the Bucks to a 2-1 victory over Radnor.
Hydrisko could only put his head in his hands as teammates like fellow senior captains Ben Engstrom and Jacob Lee lay on the ground thinking about what could’ve been. Hydrisko was injured on a play that the Raiders thought was going to send them to the district quarterfinals for the second straight year. He took a long ball down the left sideline, made one man miss and drew another defender to find sophomore Drew Warren, who took a shot from inside the six but booted it over the net. A sigh of dismay spread across the field from the sideline.
The senior had controlled the midfield for much of the game and had his fair share of opportunities. He thought that was the final one he had to make and he left it all out on the field.
“Our midfield had a good pace and I’m good when I’m isolated or one-on-one,” Hydrisko said. “Coach tried to isolate me and work their outside backs for crosses and good shots.”
After Hydrisko exited the game, Radnor (12-3-3) retained possession and tried to advance the ball but was called for offsides. The Bucks (9-6-5) pushed everyone forward and striker Bailey Moyer’s free kick from just outside midfield found Alan Zlotin, who played it onto Leder. He made one quick move, got in deep and he sent the defending champ’s bench into a frenzy.
Leder saw it all coming together and had his potential move set up from the moment the ball was in the air.
“I saw Bailey hit a half-space ball then one of our big guys, Alan pushed it on,” Leder said. “I flicked it in the air a little bit, took a touch and slotted it to the right. Right push, right foot.”
A year after making the quarterfinal but going on an improbable run to the PIAA Class 4A title game, the Raiders will not have the opportunity to duplicate last season’s success. Head coach Joe Caruolo saw his team make the most of one opportunity after the next during the state tournament last season.
This time, Caruolo’s team was on the opposite side of an ending it didn’t see coming.
“You can beat opportunistic,” Caruolo said. “We had a sitter on the six and ours didn’t even go on target. They get their set piece off an offside and make you pay, like they did on the first goal. It’s a matter of who takes advantage of that opportunity.”
Josh Savadove opened the scoring for the Raiders with a goal eight minutes into the match. Hydrisko and the Radnor offense controlled the pace in the first half, especially when his shot on goal in the 16 nearly gave his side a two-goal advantage, but Bucks goalkeeper Ryan Van Pelt (12 saves) redirected it away. Still, the Bucks trailed, 1-0 heading to halftime.
Central Bucks West dialed things up to begin the second half and four minutes in Ian Munoz evened things at 1-1 with a strike from inside the box. Munoz’s goal went right over Radnor goalie Cole Schwartz and it added to a pace that neither team displayed when playing to a draw Sept. 21.
Bucks head coach Stefan Szygiel noted how much more aggressive the Raiders were than the regular-season match.
“We knew when we played them about a month ago, neither of us were at full strength,” Szygiel said. “I think each side was only at 60 percent and it showed. They played better and did some things we weren’t prepared for.”
Hydrisko had four shots on goal in the second half including one in the 79th minute. He brought that play into the overtime period but wound up paying witness to the Bucks continuing their title defense, with a matchup against Lower Merion next.
