Varsity boys soccer defeated the BCC Barons 1-0, Nov 10, advancing to the State semifinal game.Earlier in the season, the Barons beat the Vikes 3-2 in a close match that Whitman could have easily won.

Tuesday, the boys came out slow in the first half and allowed BCC to control possession, but defender Aaron May put out any chances that the Barons had near the goal. The Vikings also had a few offensive chances early but could not put a goal away in the first half.

The teams entered halftime tied 0-0.

In the second half, the Vikes came out strong with several offensive bursts that almost led to goals. Attacker Scott Gerfen took a shot just outside of the penalty box that was barely saved by BCC’s goalie, and Jonny Mehrez took a shot into the upper left corner that the goalie saved with a circus catch.

The boys continued to attack and eventually earned a corner kick with 15 minutes remaining. The initial try was unsuccessful, but holding midfielder Dominick Yin received the rebound and took a shot 25 yards out that snuck just inside of the outer post and into the back of the net.

The goal was Yin’s first of his high school career, as he usually dominates the back field and sets up his teammates, but rarely takes shots.

For the remainder of the game, the Vikes had to play defensively and fend off any chances that BCC had. The Barons had three straight corner kicks late, but the Viking defense denied them each time.

BCC did not give up and continued to push offensively. The Barons took a shot while goalie Zack Khalifa was not in position to save the shot, but defender Ryan Lee got to the ball just before it reached the goal and kicked it out of bounds.

The game ended 1-0.

The boys will play High Point who won the 4A South region on Nov 13 in an attempt to reach the State finals.