Through the first two matches of the season, the Berkshire Badgers boys’ soccer team had gotten off on the right foot. That was not the case last Thursday evening, when they fell behind early and were defeated 7-0 by Chagrin Valley Conference rival Beachwood 7-0 for their first loss of the season at Beachwood Bison Stadium.
“We knew coming in that Beachwood was a very good team and had done very well for the past couple of seasons,” said Coach Oliver Mason. “Their senior class is a force to be reckoned with. It was a great test for our boys.”
It marked the second straight season that Berkshire (2-1-0, 0-0-0) suffered a shutout loss against their CVC rivals in a crossover conference dual, having also lost 7-0 in a home game last year.
In Thursday’s match, the Bison wasted little time striking first as senior midfielder Grant Keilin scored on a nifty post-up move at the goal, putting Beachwood ahead 1-0 inside the first minute of regulation.
Despite the Bison scoring quickly, Berkshire’s defense held firm for the next 20 minutes despite the Bison consistently possessing the ball in the Badgers’ defensive third. They continued launching shots at the net, but senior goalkeeper Jake Starr kept the net clean.
At the halfway point of the first half, the Bison offense picked up steam, starting with junior midfielder Asher Gearity scoring on a header off a cross by sophomore midfielder Daniel Cross at the 23rd minute of play, extending Beachwood’s advantage to 2-0.
Keilin fueled a Bison offensive eruption, scoring three consecutive goals in a span of 12 minutes to put Beachwood firmly in control.
First, the Beachwood senior scored on a free kick from the left corner of the box at the 28th minute of play and followed up by running down a through ball on a transition opportunity to once again find the back of the net, this time inside the 29th minute of regulation. He then delivered the dagger when he fired a rocket from across the net, pushing Beachwood to a 5-0 advantage.
“A player like that does not come around often and when he does you have to make sure that your team is ready for him,” the second-year coach acknowledged. “Even with knowledge and preparation from last year, it is always tough to contain someone like that.”
Berkshire’s scoring opportunities were very scarce, recording only one shot at the goal in the second half while the Bison launched 14.
According to Mason, although Berkshire’s struggles against the Bison continued for the second consecutive year, it did not diminish what has still been a promising start to the season.
“With how I like to play and how I have been teaching the lads how to play, they don’t play on the back foot very much,” Mason said. “In a lot of our schedule, they have been the aggressors on the front foot. I think for being the first time this season that they have been on the back foot like this as a full squad, they did a very nice job. Hopefully when we come up against a team like this in the future, we will put those chances away and it will be a much more even game.”
Although Berkshire had only outscored its opposition by a 3-1 margin in its first two matches, Mason said that the Badgers’ attack had been relentless in each one, having controlled possession for approximately 70% of each match, with an offensive attack that has been propelled by senior midfielders Trent Hornak and Ryan Kessinger.
“They both gel on and off of the field,” Mason said. “They are very good friends and can use that relationship to build moving forward.
After an injury-plagued season last year in which the Badgers were without at least four starters for most of the season, they return a deeper squad, with the nine seniors on the roster giving Mason plenty of options.
“I have switched formations and tactics with different personnel,” he said. “We have been able to play with different strengths. It is a good rotation to have because I do not think I have used the same line-up in any of the three games so far.”
Following Berkshire’s home match against CVC Valley foe Kirtland on Tuesday night, they will hit the road and face CVC Valley Division rival Wickliffe at Wickliffe Blue Devil Stadium in Lake County on Sep. 3 at 7 p.m.
