Cardinal Gibbons boys soccer reverses recent playoff trend by shutting out Gulliver
Grant Rodriguez didn’t want to end his high school career with a fourth consecutive year of playoff disappointment.
This time was different.
Instead of walking off the field in defeat, Cardinal Gibbons’ senior goalkeeper found himself at the bottom of a pile of happy teammates shortly after the referee blew the final whistle on Saturday in the Chiefs’ 1-0 victory over host Gulliver Prep in a boys soccer Region 4-4A semifinal.
With the help of their typically stingy defense, Rodriguez completed his eighth shutout in 15 starts this season and helped Gibbons (16-2-2), the No. 5 seed in the region, advance to its first regional final since 2009 where it will host No. 6-seed St. Brendan on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
The Chiefs, who advanced to Saturday’s semifinal via a forfeit by Mater Lakes, won their first regional playoff match since 2014.
“I’ve been on this team for four years and experienced all those losses. It’s mesmerizing the way we got to this point,” Rodriguez said. “I think it’s our year to go and win state. The team has come together and been the most efficient it’s been.”
The Chiefs upended top-seeded Gulliver (13-2-3), which advanced to the state final in 2021 and won a state title in 2020.
Another senior, Danny Perret-Gentile provided Gibbons with all the offense it would need when he tapped home the match’s lone goal in the 21st minute. Perret-Gentile leads the Chiefs in scoring this season with nine goals.
But Gibbons’ strength all season has been its defense.
The Chiefs have allowed only 10 goals this season overall and only one in their past six matches.
“That’s one thing we’ve always had for the past decade,” Gibbons coach Rafael Ferreiro said. “We’ve been, for some time, the No. 1 or 2 defense in the state and we pride ourselves on getting shutouts, frustrating teams and making them do things they’re not used to. That’s where we find our gaps and attack to win.”
Rodriguez, a first team All-Broward selection last season, has been a major part of that effort with a 0.70 goals against average this season.
“It was great to keep a clean sheet,” Rodriguez said. “Our team is built on a great defense and I think that’s what would get us to state. Everyone was talking about Gulliver, but we came in with the mindset of win or go home.”
This story was originally published February 13, 2022 at 12:22 AM.
