WORCESTER — Zach Lajeunesse couldn’t take credit for the pass. He lofted the ball high into the night down Foley Stadium’s left sideline 14 minutes into overtime in Saturday’s Division 3 boys soccer state final. It bounced on the turf 44 yards from goal as Belchertown freshman striker Ethan Czaporowski pulled in front of Medway’s defensive line.
“Just a lucky clearance,” Lajeunesse said. “I’d like to say it was an amazing pass, but Ethan takes the ball down great.”
Czaporowski caught up to it and chested the ball to his feet. Three touches later, he forced Medway keeper Kyle Regan to commit and slide for the ball. Czaporowski popped it over Regan and into the back-right corner of the net.
The goal – No. 21’s 21st of the season – broke a scoreless deadlock and won Belchertown its first state title since 2013, 1-0 in the 94th minute.
“That was a good ball from that little kick. I put my head down and ran as fast as I could,” Czaporowski said. “It didn’t really feel real, but it happened.”
Czaporowski peeled to his left, trying to find his team. Nate Schiffer, who scored the go-ahead goal in the state semifinal, wrapped him over the shoulders with a hug first. Then the rest of the Orioles gang tackled him to the turf in a pile of orange and black.
“Time and time again, that little freshman was able to get it done,” Belchertown senior captain Owen Raines said. “I love the kid, he was so great this season.”
Medway (20-3-1) knew Czaporowski was the Orioles’ leading scorer and offensive engine, and the Mustangs obsessed over him defensively. They played a defensive triangle around him to limit his touches.
“Even without scoring on these things, he’s such a tenacious scorer he has to be accounted for at all times, Belchertown coach Zach Siano said. “We’re playing that countering system, we know he’s going to command two or three guys at a time and he’s able to create so much off of that.”
Belchertown (13-4-6) didn’t create much during regulation. The Orioles only put five shots on goal in the first 80 minutes compared to 17 for the Mustangs. But Belchertown keeper Tony Martel kept a clean sheet with 18 saves.
“It’s my last game, I’m not letting anything in in my last game,” Martel said. “It’s not going to happen.”
He didn’t need to make a save on Medway’s best chance. The Mustangs earned a penalty in the final minute of regulation. They carried the ball into Belchertown’s box, and Korey Houle made a clean tackle in the center of goal, but the ball dribbled left to another Mustang. He got past Belchertown’s Sam Rogalewski, who was late with his challenge.
“It was a foul, I’ll be 100 percent honest,” Raines said. “I just froze, I was so nervous.”
Junior midfielder Luke Fagerson took three choppy steps and a full stride before launching the attempt well over the bar and between the football goalposts.
“The soccer gods got our back,” Raines said.
The miss invigorated Belchertown. The Orioles controlled a heavier share of possession in overtime and capitalized on their best chance.
“It’s natural for our season that it comes down to Lajeunesse to Czaporowski,” Siano said. “That’s been our bread and butter, and it got us a state title.”
It’s Belchertown’s second state title in four appearances. The Orioles lost their last trip in 2014. They fell in the state semifinals last year.
“As good as you think you are, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. It took us five years to get back here with some absolutely loaded teams,” Siano said.
Siano let his three captains – Raines, Martel and Houle – accept the trophy and raise it with their team. Then the Orioles ran it over to the sideline, where members of the 2013 title team, classmates, parents and Belchertown residents waited.
“We know how important soccer is to our school, our town,” Siano said. “Soccer is life in Belchertown.”
Kyle Grabowski can be reached at kgrabowski@gazettenet.com. Follow him on Twitter @kylegrbwsk.