A 1-0 loss to Hamden during the regular season was still fresh in the mind of the Amity Spartans to begin their second round Class LL boys soccer state tournament game in Woodbridge on Nov. 12.

But it was the backlash from a loss in penalty kicks to Guilford that resonated as the 13th-seeded Green Dragons battled to keep the game scoreless through two overtimes.

The pressure was certainly on fourth-seeded Amity to play better soccer than in either of those losses in order to advance.