TOWANDA - As each minute passed in the first half, it appeared the Athens Wildcats were inching closer to finding the net against Selinsgrove in a District 4, Class AA boys' soccer game.
The Wildcats had a good look that went high at 35:42 of the first half, and they had a chance off a corner at 33:58.
Zach Colegrove then drove a shot just high at 27:56. It appeared as if the Wildcats were in control, but they never could find the net.
Just minutes later, at 25:46, Selinsgrove found the net as Kyle Conner scored on the way to a 4-1 victory over the Wildcats.
Both teams had their chances over the next few minutes as Athens took a shot at 20:19 that hit the crossbar and went high, and Selinsgrove got past the Athens goalie with 7:44 to go, but the Wildcats' defense came in to make the stop.
With 6:58 left, Athens had another shot off a corner, but it was Selinsgrove who found the net next as a bad Athens pass led to a goal with just 1:34 left in the half.
"I think the second one really hit us hard," Athens coach Jake Lezak said. "We made a bad pass and then were caught standing around and looking."
Athens had a chance with 30 seconds left in the half, but Selinsgrove goalie Tristan Conrad made a diving save to end the threat.
"We struggled to score all season long, and then you get into districts and that doesn't change," Lezak said. "You can't just start scoring now."
The Wildcats came out hard in the second half and had a direct kick sail just over the net at 37:46, and Isaac Clark flew in for a header on net that Conrad saved for Selinsgrove with 32:30 left in the game.
Eric Bull drove a direct kick over the net at 29:15 as Athens was taken down near the edge of the box and was awarded the kick just outside the box.
Selinsgrove got a corner kick at 23:05 and Conner scored off the corner kick to put Selinsgrove up 3-0 with 22:26 left in the game.
Athens got another direct kick at 11:35 and the shot was on goal with Colegrove running in to follow, but Selinsgrove made the save to keep it 3-0.
Colegrove fired a shot just high with 10:46 left, and Clark drove inside the 18 and fired a shot just wide with 6:31 left in the game.
With 3:18 left in the game, Bull took a shot from 25 yards out that went just high as Selinsgrove went on for the shutout.
Selinsgrove wrapped up the scoring with just 20.1 seconds left as they scored off a scramble in front of the net.
Selinsgrove finished with six shots and one corner kick and Athens had nine shots and two corner kicks in the game.
David Munn and T.J. Glisson were in net for Athens and had two saves, and Conrad had five saves for Selinsgrove in the game.
"The kids are harder on themselves then I ever am on them," Lezak said. "They accomplished a lot; they had four straight league titles and broke a lot of records people didn't think they could break.
"The seniors had a great four years. It's been great coaching them and we hope they continue to play in the future."
For the Wildcats, being the top seed and having the bye made things tough because there was more than a week off without playing.
"It's not a good situation at the end of the season," Lezak said. "I wouldn't have minded playing a quarterfinal game. I don't think the bye did us any good."
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