Blue Ridge Soccer Loses Heartbreaker to Monticello in Potential Regional Preview

MONTICELLO, Ill. -- After his team's 3-2 loss to Monticello, Blue Ridge coach Marty Price relayed the following message to the Knights: "This game's over. The season starts tomorrow."

"We just need to shake this game off and get it started again," Price said when asked about the meaning of the message.

In what was a potential preview of the Monticello Regional championship game, Blue Ridge had a 2-1 lead with less than eight minutes remaining.

Conner Builta (pictured below) gave the Knights that lead with a goal with more than 12 minutes remaining in the match. He rebounded a floating shot by J.J. Malone that hit the goalpost on the upper-left side.

Malone (pictured below) was credited with the assist on the goal. He also scored his 50th goal of the season in the first half; Builta recorded the assist.

Eli Smith scored to tie the match at 1-1, which was the score at halftime.

After Builta's goal, Monticello's Billy Nixon tied the match at 2-2 with 7:04 left. The goal was unassisted, as was each of the Sages' other goals.

Jacob Hanselman headed a shot into the net for the match-winning goal with 5:21 remaining in the match.

Monticello out-shot Blue Ridge 19-14. Josh Plunk (pictured above) finished the match with 11 saves and the Sages' Josh Schumacher recorded six saves.

With the loss, Blue Ridge sees its record fall to 16-2-2. The Knights will conclude their regular season with a road match at Georgetown-Ridge Farm on Monday and a meeting at South Park on Tuesday against Fisher.