Helias moves to quarterfinals with victory against Union

UNION, Mo. - It took almost the entire game for someone to get on the board, but the Helias boys soccer team finally got it done.

The Crusaders earned a berth in the Class 2 state quarterfinals by slipping past the Union Wildcats 1-0 in a sectional game Tuesday night.

Helias got the deciding goal with just 11 minutes left when Braden Remmert scored off an assist from Gage West.

"It was very, very close," Helias coach Chuck Register said of the game. "Union played really well.

"On the goal, we had to work the ball on a counter-attack after a corner kick and Gage West was able to find Braden."

The drama wasn't over there, though.

"Union had a shot with one second left and shanked it to the right," Register said. "(The game) gave me a couple more gray hairs."

Register added Helias' defense played extremely well.

"They played great again, Union only had four or five shots on goal the entire game," he said.

Kyle Daledovich picked up his 13th shutout of the season in goal.

"It was very trying to play in this cold weather and on the turf, but we were able to get it done," Register said.

The 10th-ranked Crusaders (19-5) move on to host fourth-ranked Carthage (22-5) on Saturday at the 179 Soccer Park with a berth in the Final Four on the line. Game time has not been set.

Carthage was a 5-0 winner on the road against Willard in its sectional contest Tuesday night.

Helias posted a 2-1 win at Carthage in the final game of the regular season.