The Stateliners fell to 7-8 on the season
Sparta 1, Phillipsburg 0 — Rapid Recap
Sparta boys soccer team scored with 5:36 left in regulation to post a 1-0 road victory over Phillipsburg on Saturday afternoon in the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex semifinals.
Turning point: Freshman midfielder Nick Butera scored an unassisted goal following a free kick to give Sparta the late lead.
Top performers: Butera played the role of hero late with the goal. Sparta freshman goalkeeper Danny DiMarco made seven saves to keep the Stateliners off the scoreboard, including six stops in the second half.
What it means: The fourth-seeded Stateliners won't be able to defend their H/W/S title from last season. They fell to 7-8 on the season with the loss and will host Montgomery on Tuesday. The eighth-seeded Spartans advance to their first ever H/W/S final and will play either second-seeded Newton or third-seeded Hunterdon Central in the final next Saturday.
Josh Folck may be reached at jfolck@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshFolck. Find Lehigh Valley high school sports on Facebook.