WESTON, Conn. Shane Mandell and Charlie Palsho scored second-half goals as the Weston Under-12 boys' soccer team defeated Stamford, 4-2, in the semifinals of the Connecticut Cup youth soccer tournament.
Weston, which lost in the semifinals to Stamford last year, will play Avon in Saturdays state championship game.
Jack Weiss and Palsho scored first-half goals for Weston, but Stamford matched them and the teams went into the second half tied at 2-2.
Westons defense was splendid in the second half, and goalkeeper Osar Matousek turned Stamford away to secure the victory.
Weston added two more victories Sunday in Southwest District games. Weston beat Easton-Redding, 4-3, on goals by Matt Babinski, Lucas Depalo and Jack Weiss. Palsho had a hat trick in an 8-2 win against Bethel. Griffin Levy netted a pair while Weiss, Mandell and Tim Lautenbach also connected. Weston is 5-1-1 in league play.
Weston reached the semifinals with a 5-0 rout of New Milford. Weiss had a hat trick while Palsho and Mandell also scored goals. The team also won the Memorial Day tournament in Newtown earlier this spring. Only one other Weston team, the under-14 squad in 2009, has won the Connecticut Cup.
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