Byron boys eliminated in round two of playoffs

Byron played two games last week in the section playoffs. After being voted 4^th seed, the Bears hosted Kasson-Mantorville (5^th seed) Tuesday night, October 11, in the Section 1AA Quarter-finals. Byron had beaten K-M 10 days earlier, 6-2, and they had high hopes for a repeat performance. 

Bear’s Aydan Tye started the team in the right direction,10 seconds into the game, when Kaelin Hubert caught the GK outside of his box and sent a perfect crossing pass for Tye to finish. Four minutes later, Liam Schick made it 2-0, when he went one-on-one with K-M keeper, Lars Ingram, and snuck it by. Byron continued to pressure the KoMets’ goal for much of the first half, and Ingram made two, point-blank saves to keep the score 2-0 into half-time.

Kasson-Mantorville came out strong in the 2^nd half, commencing with a header goal 5 minutes in, by Maddox Knudson. Nels Carstensen added the equalizer at the 56^th minute, on a 25-yard blast into the upper corner. Josh Buchl scored one from 35 yards out to put K-M on top, 3-2. Both teams played extremely hard to get even or put the game away, but GK Ingram was called for an indirect free kick inside the goal box with 15 minutes left to play. K-M stuffed the entire team on the goal line to block the shot, which had to be touched by (2) Byron players before they could shoot. Tye touched the ball over to Ryan Boyken, who lifted the ball over the K-M defenders and into the top of the goal for the equalizer, 3-3. 

The teams fought hard, looking for the game winner through the rest of regulation and 2 overtimes of 10 minutes each. The outcome ultimately moved to a shootout. 

K-M got the first shot at Byron keeper Tommy Felty and buried it. Next up was Byron’s Noah Schrooten, who also was successful. The next KoMet player shot wide of the goal, while Ryan Boyken hit the mark. The ensuing K-M shot was successful and Byron’s Kevin Thomason’s shot was saved by Ingram.

Felty saved the next K-M shot and Kaelin Huebert buried his. Felty saved another K-M shot and the Bears won, based on the best of the first 5. The final scored was listed as 4-3 Byron.

The win sent the Bears to #1-seed Winona on Thursday night, October 13, for a showdown in the Section 1AA Semi-finals. Winona proved to be a handful, and both teams fought with high intensity to scrape out a goal. Winona struck first at the 24^th minute, when Ties Larson headed a cross past Byron GK Tommy Felty. At the 35-minute mark, Byron sweeper Ben Moreno-Zimmerman ran the ball into an open space and sent one from 35 years out that found the back of the net for the equalizer. 

The second half was just as intense as the first half, with both teams unable to capitalize on goal scoring chances. It was Winona’s Olin Overhaug, at the 61^st minute, who cleaned up a bouncing ball, to put the Hawks ahead, 2-1. He added another goal in a similar situation 6 minutes later, which sealed the win. Byron gave it all they had, but the previous double overtime win took its toll, and they were unable to come back. 

Byron ends its season at 6-9-2 and says good-bye to 6 great seniors: Ryan Boyken, Noah Schrooten, Tommy Felty, Kevin Thomason, Foxx Krzykowski and Oliver Suastegui-Cosio.