Providence stuns top-seeded Sandburg

Updated: October 18, 2011 9:16PM

There’s just something different about playoff soccer. Just ask Providence.

“We played Sandburg earlier this year and they took it to us, but we’re a different team,” Providence coach Dan Potempa said. “In the playoffs, on any given day, any team can win.”

Taking on the No. 1 seed in the Class 3A Andrew Sectional, Providence proved just that, as the 17th-seeded Celtics upset Sandburg 2-1 in the Lincoln-Way East Regional semifinals.

“I knew going into this game that we would win,” Potempa said. “These boys had it in their minds that they would beat Sandburg.”

Providence (4-16-3) scored the only goal of the first half when Matt Gaskin headed in a Mike Jacus free kick from 35 yards out with just under 15 minutes remaining.

“Jacus played a good ball in and I just happened to be in the right place at the right time,” Gaskin said. “I’m surprised we beat them.”

Sandburg (15-5-3) answered less than five minutes into the second half when Connor McNulty blasted a cross from right of the goal into the back of the net to tie things up.

With just under 22 minutes remaining in the game, Ben Salvador took a rebound in front of the goal off a Brandon Picciolini shot, turned and fired into the back of the net to make it 2-1 Providence.

“I got a lucky goal,” Salvador said. “I saw the rebound, got a good bounce off my leg, turned and finished.”

Sandburg outshot Providence 14-4 in the second half, but the Celtics got the one that counted.

“We always talk to the guys that whoever hustles the most is going to win the game,” Sandburg coach Desi Vuillaume said. “We just didn’t have it today.”

Providence will play the winner of Wednesday’s match between Thornton co-op and Lincoln-Way East in the regional championship.

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