East's Liam Taylor scores in OT to clinch spot at state

May 9—CHEYENNE — Liam Taylor was the hero for the Cheyenne East boys soccer team in the opening round of the Class 4A East Conference tournament Thursday at Okie Blanchard Stadium.

The senior scored a game-winning overtime goal to push the No. 4-seeded Thunderbirds past No. 5 Laramie in a tight 1-0 win. The goal also clinched a spot for East in next weekend's 4A state tournament in Rock Springs.

"There were way too many chances left on the field," Taylor said. "It was mainly me that struggled, and I'm glad I could come through in the final minutes."

The Plainsmen played some of their best soccer over the first two-thirds of the field, but were outplayed in the final third. East fought off consistent second-half pressure to force extra time after a scoreless regulation.

"We just didn't make enough chances," Laramie coach Andy Pannell said. "There could have been some things that went a different way. We knew without Sammy (Heaney), it would be difficult.

"We made a few (chances), but couldn't convert with them."

In the first half, both teams managed to fire three shots on net, despite East narrowly out-shooting Laramie 6-5 in total shots. With the season on the line, physicality was at the forefront on both sides of the field.

Laramie recorded five fouls, including a yellow card for junior Cooper Sweckard in the 38th minute. The Thunderbirds tallied seven fouls of their own to pair with multiple warnings from the officials.

"We changed our defensive rotation," East coach Alex Stratton said. "There were some guys on the backline that weren't there the last time we played. Eventually, we had to move Connor Kling to forward and get a little bit more dangerous."

Through the opening 10 minutes of play, the Plainsmen's backline worked hard to stop East's attack prior to shots being taken. Laramie's best chance to score in the frame came in the 21st minute.

A pass across the field found Laramie junior Paulo Mellizo in stride, but his shot attempt went wide left. A minute later, the Thunderbirds saw a golden chance of their own after a corner kick from Taylor was nailed into the box.

Senior Brenden Bohlmann climbed the ladder for a header, but the ball rolled out of bounds. East nearly scored again at the end of the half after a free kick from senior Armando Hernandez was drilled into the chest of Plainsmen goalkeeper Declan O'Connor.

"We've talked about all the success we've had in buildups this year," Stratton said. "Our focus today was to get more defensive in our backline. Our players are always connected and allow others to build up a dangerous attack."

Both teams fired shots on net in the opening two minutes of the second half, but it was Laramie that came out more aggressive and created chances throughout the frame. East played on its back foot for much of the period, but stingy defense and a strong half from senior goalkeeper Jaxon Miller kept the game tied.

"These guys played great," Pannell said. "They were very composed and connected well. They were super dangerous in the middle of the field."

Ten minutes into the second half, Thunderbirds senior Kael Lissman headed a ball forward at midfield and out-ran the Plainsmen backline, catching up to the ball and nearly scoring the game's first goal. Lissman shot off the side of his foot, but the ball sailed mere inches over the crossbar.

The Plainsmen had another scoring threat in the 63rd. Senior Tyler Ennist — who has scored two goals inside the box this season — was there to receive a corner kick from Karson Busch, but Miller punched the ball out of danger before Ennist got there.

East had another opportunity when a free kick from junior Owen Raymond found Taylor with eight minutes left in regulation, but Taylor's shot missed wide left, keeping the game scoreless. Neither team saw a better chance the rest of the second half.

East came out with a different intensity in the extra time, firing off a pair of shots on net over the first two minutes. The Plainsmen's best chance in the period came in the opening minute, but Miller came out of the net for the save, despite bobbling the ball.

Laramie had another opportunity with four minutes to play, but spent most of the frame fighting off East's attack.

Taylor's heroics came in the 86th after a free kick from eight yards out deflected off the hands of O'Connor and onto Taylor's foot. He snuck the deflection past O'Connor to break the tie and give East the 1-0 advantage.

"Putting (Kling) in the centerback spot helped a lot," Taylor said. "About halfway through, we switched back to how we played last time."

East (8-4-3 overall, 5-4-3 4A East Conference) moves on to play crosstown rival and No. 1-seeded Cheyenne Central (13-1, 11-1) in the regional semifinals at 5 p.m. Friday at Okie Blanchard Stadium.

"We struggled finishing today," Taylor said. "Coming in, we told ourselves that we can beat this team. Sometimes, it's the mindset that carries you through."

EAST 1, LARAMIE 0

Halftime: 0-0.

Goals: East, Taylor (unassisted) 86.

Shots: Laramie 13, East 14. Shots on goal: Laramie 6, East 7 Saves: Laramie 5 (O'Connor), East 4 (Miller).

Corner kicks: Laramie 6, East 5. Offsides: Laramie 1, East 1. Fouls: Laramie 10, East 13. Yellow Cards: Laramie, Sweckard 38, East, Bohlmann 59.

Austin Edmonds covers Laramie High, University of Wyoming and community athletics for WyoSports. He can be reached at aedmonds@wyosports.net. Follow him on X at @_austinedmonds.