MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - A game of inches.
The slightest of margins separated Boyd-Buchanan from its opponent in the Division II-A soccer state semifinals, Lausanne. It was going to come down to a play here or there - or a step here or there.
Boyd-Buchanan's Ayden Otero (11) gets to the ball before Lausanne goalie Sujeil Patel (1) and heads the ball into the goal for a Buccaneer score. The Boyd-Buchanan Buccaneers played Lausanne in soccer in the TSSAA Division II Class AA soccer tournament on May 23, 2018.
Lausanne's Kestrel Strom (2) clears in the ball in front of Boyd-Buchanan's Sam Bruner (5). The Boyd-Buchanan Buccaneers played Lausanne in soccer in the TSSAA Division II Class AA soccer tournament on May 23, 2018.Lausanne won the battle.
A goal by David Wakefield in the 71st minute proved to be the difference in the 2-1 victory at the Richard Siegel Soccer Complex, propelling the Lynx into today's state championship match against Battle Ground Academy.
Boyd-Buchanan finished the season 18-2.
How close was the match? On Wakefield's goal, he was barely able to get his right foot on the ball before Buccaneers keeper Harrison Van Eaton could corral it in. Inches away.
How close did the Bucs come to tying the game late? On their final effort, a throw-in by Asa Owens bounced past the goalkeeper, hit the side post and nearly was headed in by an oncoming Sam Bruner.
Inches.
"I thought we played really well," Boyd-Buchanan coach Dustin Walker said. "We played hard. Whenever we've gone down this season, we've fought to come back, so I knew we'd have an opportunity to score when they scored the second because that's the way we do it.
"It's a heartbreaker. As proud as we are, we just love these boys and the way they love each other. Heartbreaker is not getting this team to play in the next one."
Lausanne jumped on the board early, taking a 1-0 lead on a goal by Jordan Brown in the fourth minute on a shot from about 5 yards out. The Bucs answered about 10 minutes later when Ayden Otero headed in a Hayes Wood cross in the 15th minute to tie the match.
The Bucs lose three senior starters: Otero, Owens and defender Berkay Dean.
"We're disappointed we didn't win, but we're not disappointed in the boys at all," Boyd-Buchanan coach Jason Owens said. "It was a championship game; we just came out on the short end this time."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.
Boyd-Buchanan's Asa Owens (25) gets the Bucs fired up before their matche with Lausanne. Boyd-Buchanan played Lausanne in the TSSAA Division II Class A soccer tournament on May 23, 2018.