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soccer shirt120On Saturday, at Middletown High school, in the Class C state semi-final game, the Lansing Bobcats boys’ soccer season came to an end.  With 42 seconds left in a 1-1 game, the World of Inquiry Griffins headed a throw-in from the left sideline into the upper right corner of the goal for the 2-1 win. A heartbreaking loss for the Bobcats and fans, whose hopes had been to compete the next day for the state title, something they haven’t done since 2013.

"They had a really tough loss," Superintendent of Schools Chriss Pettograsso said Monday.  "It was tough to see, but they played a great game.  There was a nice presentation afterwards.  I would really like to thank our coaches Benji Parkes, Pat Pidgeon, Dave Schlesinger, and Jamie Saroka.  They did an amazing job.  They are a reall class act.  They pulled everybody together."

The Bobcats struck first in the game. A cross from the corner from Nick Parkes was headed into the goal by Carson Zuidema with 15 minutes left in the first half. The half ended with Lansing up 1-0. Shortly after the start of the second half, World of Inquiry tied it up. The two teams battled the rest of the second half looking like the game would go into overtime until with 42 seconds left, a header off the throw-in resulted in the winning goal for the Griffins of the World of Inquiry.

Lansing finishes its season with a record of 18-5, a section title and a regional title. First year head coach, Benji Parkes took over the reins of this team after a shocking and emotional beginning with the death of longtime head coach Adam Heck. With the help of assistant coaches Dave Schlesinger and Pat Pigeon he brought this team back to the state final four for the sixth time in the last seven years.

Heck was inducted posthumously into the New York State Soccer Association Hall Of Fame Saturday evening.

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