The last time St. Paul’s School won a MIAA soccer championship was 2000. Thursday afternoon, the Crusaders moved closer to ending their championship drought.
On a rain soaked Tullai Field, St. Paul’s knocked off Annapolis Area Christian, 2-0, in a B Conference semifinal match.
Will Ridgely scored twice in the second half to help the Crusaders advance to Sunday’s 2 p.m. championship game at Spalding. St. Paul’s will face either Friends School or Boys’ Latin in the finals.
Boys’ Latin plays at top-seeded Friends School in the other semifinal Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m.
Ridgely put the Crusaders up to stay with 21 minutes, 13 seconds remaining in the second half. Off a corner kick, Ridgely headed a shot that AACS goalie Bryan Butler tried to stop, but the ball slipped through his fingers and into the back of the goal.
With under two minutes remaining in regulation, Ridgely stole the ball from an AACS defender, dribbled the ball down the field. He went one-and-one with Butler and Ridgley kicked the ball into the net.
“Ridgely has been huge for us as a four year starter, and we got lucky on the corner kick, and their goalkeeper made some tremendous saves to keep them in the game.” said St. Paul’s coach Greg Schreiner. “Anytime we have the ball served into the box we have to have some pressure there. “
