On one play yesterday, Loyola sweeper Scott Diggs went from hero to goat, and No. 3 Calvert Hall's keeper Scott Simmons went from goat to hero.
With the visiting Dons trailing, 4-3, in the five-against-five format of penalty kicks, Diggs, the fifth and final shooter, floated a chest-high shot which a diving Simmons easily blocked to his left.
Simmons' effort prevented a tie and a possible continuation of the shootout into a sudden-death series. It also touched off a frenzied celebration by his teammates after 100 minutes of soccer, including 90 minutes of regulation after which the game was tied at 1.
The victory earned the Cardinals (18-2-3) a rematch with No. 2 Curley on Saturday at UMBC for the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference crown. Curley, a 2-1 winner over Gilman in the other semifinal, beat Calvert Hall, 3-2, for last year's title.
It seemed an unfair ending for Diggs, who spent most of the day redirecting Calvert Hall's offensive attack into counterattacks for the Dons (11-7-1).
"I was aiming for the upper right-hand corner," said Diggs. "Now I know how Baggio feels," referring to Italy's World Cup final loss to Brazil.
The Cardinals had an 18-12 advantage in shots, finally getting Dave Federline's goal with 12:26 left in the first half off one of five somersault throw-ins used by Ryan Lachowicz.
Lachowicz reached Federline eight yards from keeper Brian Zeller (eight saves), where Federline juggled it from his right knee to his left foot before chipping it in.
Loyola had made a habit of winning games late. In its first 12 games, 12 of its 25 goals were scored in the final five minutes, including four in overtime, where the Dons are 3-0-1.
Though Simmons called his game-saving stop "the best save of my life," his finest hour was preceded by his most forgettable instant. Simmons allowed a 16-yard header by Sean Doyle to float in for the game-tying goal with 4:48 left in regulation.
Doyle's shot was set up by Ashton Valente, who lofted a high pass toward Doyle near the top of the penalty area. With a defender on his back while facing away from the goal, Doyle jumped, bounced the ball off the back of his head and over a flat-footed Simmons.
"There was no way, if he's positioned right, that the goal ever gets by Scott," said Cardinals coach Bill Karpovich. "But, hey, in the end, he came back all right. And he wound up being the hero."