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PATASKALA - Unfortunately for the Beaver Local boys soccer team, they found out all good things must come to an end.

In an OHSAA Division II Regional final, top-ranked St. Francis DeSales pressed the unranked Beavers for the majority of the game and was able to become regional champions in a 4-0, victory Saturday afternoon at Watkins Memorial High School.

The Beaver Local soccer team and coaches were awarded the regional runner-up trophy in the postgame awards ceremony before the Stallions accepted their championship trophy. The Beavers finished the season 16-3-2.

Pride still ran deep in the defeated boys, but it was hard to tell after the tough, physical loss following a four-game winning and shutout streak for the surprise team of the playoffs.

"We came out not knowing who we were going to play," Domenic Romanelli, DeSales head coach, said. "We just knew they were the Cinderella team."

But instead of the clock striking midnight, the scoreboard only showed 38:43 - little more than a minute into the game - when a throw-in went past Beaver goalie Andrew Rice, and DeSales' Sean Dundon had a wide-open net as he stood within several feet of the goal to kick in the easy score.

The Stallions would add two more before the half and then would add another about midway through the second half to ice the game for the 17-1-3 team from Columbus.

The aggressiveness forced Beaver Local's midfielders to play back often which gave up chances for an offensive push.

"Our outside midfielders had to sit deep with the fullback," Beaver head coach Mick Bowdler said. "We didn't have the pressure."

The game turned physical right from the start and continued throughout the match.

Four different players, two from each team, were issued yellow cards, several players received trash talking warnings and the referees sounded their whistles often for tripping, pushing and other contact penalties.

The contact forced both teams to lose one of their star players.

For Beaver Local, no one felt the physical play more than Kyle Knepper, who went down early in the game when he was tripped near midfield. A yellow card was given to DeSales.

A little more than 10 minutes later, David Harper's head missed the ball and caught Knepper in the face sending the senior to the ground in pain. Another yellow card was issued by the referee to DeSales. Beaver Local received their two caution cards in the second half.

Knepper had to be helped off the field by the team trainer after being on the ground for several minutes. He would return some 14 minutes later to play about the final six minutes of the half. He would don a head wrap and a bandage above his one eye where he was cut during the head butt.

As a precaution, Bowdler would take Knepper out of the game after some playing time in the second half.

"I took out Kyle in the second half," Bowdler, said, noting his player still had a headache after the game. "The trainer said he didn't look the same."

Romanelli had similar problems on his side of the ball too. The coach said Michael DiCesare had to be taken out early in the game. About midway through the second half, DeSales was down several more key players due to injuries.

"We played the last 20 minutes with just three starters," Romanelli said.

When DeSales was near full strength they were able to get on the scoreboard even without DiCesare.

After Dundon's goal in the opening minutes, Jacob Eganhouse put up a long loft shot that floated just out of reach of a high-jumping Rice and into the Beaver goal at about the 25:15 mark.

The Stallions would find the back of the net again five minutes later, but the referee would wave off the goal due to an offsides penalty.

DeSales would be able to get the goal back when Eganhouse launched a direct kick into a mess of players in front of the goal. John Martin was able to put a leg on the kick to help it sneak by Rice for the third goal of the afternoon.

Dylan Walls would score the last goal of the game at about the 18-minute mark in the second half.

Beaver Local only had a handful of good shot attempts at the goal and spent a majority of the time fighting off a fast, technical offense. The first real threat occurred some 20 minutes into the game.

Rice had to stave off corner kicks, direct kicks and several shots in the box throughout the game. He was also facing the sun during the first half. Tyler Shultz made a huge open net block at the 32:25 mark in the second half to prevent another DeSales goal. Rice made a saving block moments before.

"It was a physical game and the officials called an OK game for the most part," Bowdler said.

DeSales advances to a state semifinal game Tuesday night.

After receiving their trophy, the Beavers gathered their belongings and met at midfield with the coaches. The coach offered some final words of the season to the players.

"I will never forget this," Bowdler said, before the team broke the huddle.

Players and the coaches were greeted at the field exit by the Beaver Local fans that filled one side of the bleachers and the many parts of the standing-room only fence line at Warwick High School soccer stadium.

"We had another big crowd," Bowdler said. "We are very proud. It will be nice to bring back the trophy to the school."