Randolph’s Cooper Freeman is eyed by five Portville defenders during Friday’s CCAA Division II boys soccer game at Raymond Van Wie Stadium in Randolph. Photo courtesy of Mike Frame

RANDOLPH — The Portville boys soccer team was 45 seconds away from victory Friday night, but Randolph showed how quickly a game could turn.

After winning back the ball off a Portville throw-in, Randolph had 30 seconds to get down the field and score a goal. Cody Slade dribbled as fast as he could down the left wing before sending a cross to Cooper Freeman and the Cardinals’ top scorer took over from there.

Receiving the ball on the right side of the box, Freeman cut into the middle while dribbling past two Portville defenders and then ripped a perfect ball just inside the right post to bring the game level at 1-1 with 15 seconds left.

Randolph snatched a win from Portville and all the momentum heading into overtime and it didn’t take long for Freeman to strike again.

Just three minutes into the overtime, Freeman received a short pass off the corner kick from Gavin Senn and cut in from the left side this time with another flurry of dribbles before firing home the golden goal at Ray Van Wie Stadium.

“Momentum is such a big thing in sports,” Randolph head coach Dave Pihlblad said.

“As soon as they scored that goal you think in your mind that it’s over and they won the game,” Pihlblad added. “We tell our guys to just fight until the end, but you don’t think you’re going to score a goal with 15 seconds left. That’s just Cooper being the best kid around. He took over, beat a bunch of guys, finished and that momentum carried into the overtime there. Then Cooper just did what he does and finished the game for us.”

The victory puts Randolph in the driver seat for the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division II title, setting up a clinching opportunity against Ellicottville/Franklinville on Tuesday at home.

“JJ (McIntosh) is an awesome coach,” Pihlblad said about Portville. “They have a great program there, every game, every year is a dog fight. We’re two good programs, two well-coached teams and it usually comes down to one special play or one special moment and fortunately we won that one tonight.”

Last month when the teams faced off it was Portville with the late goal that sent the game to overtime, but that contest ended in a tie.

Friday’s game appeared to be heading the same way, but without a goal on the board as both goalkeepers stood tall and defenses made sure there were few chances.

However, in the 69th minute Portville’s best player, Colin German, finally broke through after having the best chances all night long.

Missing opportunities just minutes before, German elected to go low on a free kick from long range and his strike perfectly blazed into the bottom left corner for a 1-0 lead.

“It felt like a playoff atmosphere tonight,” Pihlblad stated. “It was going to take something special. Colin German scored a really nice goal for them, special on that free kick. Against two great teams, you’re not going to let in a weak one. Just really good players across the board, just fun good soccer tonight.”

After the German goal, Randolph needed an answer and it was likely to go through Freeman.

Battling through a physical Portville defense that took two of the team’s three yellow cards, Freeman started to play at another level in the final 10 minutes of the game when his team needed him most.

“When we need a goal, I tell Coop he just needs to take over the game,” Pihlblad stated. “He’s fast, he’s quick, he has two guys on him because they’re double teaming him the whole game. It only takes one moment for him and he stepped up big tonight.”

Just three minutes after the goal, Freeman dribbled into the box and released a quick shot that rang off the post. Randolph had numbers in the box, but Portville managed to clear the ball before the Cardinals could slam home the rebound.

Then just a couple minutes later, Randolph had its opportunity from a free kick and it, along with the overall chances, appeared to have sailed away.

As the game wound down it was apparent on the Portville faces they would win the game as long as they drained the clock.

Randolph had other plans as its defense created the biggest turnover of the night in the final minute that sprung the final counterattack by Slade.

Slade’s run was the perfect combination of patience and urgency as he found Randolph’s best player on the other side of the field and Freeman did what he has done all year netting his 39th goal.

“It really comes down to the team,” Freeman stated. “Coach trusts in the players in the back, in the midfield to get me the ball up top. They do a great job and without them I wouldn’t be able to do it.”

Randolph (12-1-1, 7-0-1) began the overtime period with the ball and all the momentum after stunning the Panthers (10-1-3, 6-1-1) with 15 seconds left.

Instead of electing for chaos in the box off the corner, Randolph knew just to get the ball to Freeman and before you could blink he had his 40th goal of the year and the Cardinals were one step closer to the league title.

“Beginning of the season this was one of our goals,” Freeman said about winning the league. “This is what we wanted to happen, this and a sectional title. Everyone has bought in, there is not one person who is not giving their all in practice, warmups, it’s everything. The coaching staff is great, especially coach Pihlblad, our head coach has a lot of trust in me, it’s amazing.”

Closing out the league will be no easy feat for the Cardinals when they host the Eagles (7-4-3, 5-2-1) on Tuesday. In the last matchup, Randolph received goals from Isaac Pihlblad and Freeman in the final 12 minutes to rally back and win 2-1.

“We have Ellicottville on Tuesday,” Pihlblad said. “They’re a really good team playing really good soccer and we have got to take care of that. The season’s not over, the league title’s not, we’ve got to take care of business going into that.”