For the Berkshire Badgers boys’ soccer team, it was a case of too little too late. The Badgers rallied in the second half but fell to Champion 3-2 last Thursday evening at Great Lakes Cheese Stadium in Burton.
“It was an exciting night,” noted Coach Russ Buckley “It was 2-0 at the half and in that second half we came back. I will tell you, their goalie should be their MVP, we put a lot of nice shots in there. So, it was a fun game, we just ran out of time.”
It marked the Badgers’ (4-6-0, 0-3-0) third defeat in their last four matches, as they once again struggled to score. Buckley acknowledged that the first half of the season has been a tough test for Berkshire, but that has been by design, as its non-conference schedule has included numerous formidable opponents.
On Thursday, Berkshire’s offense went silent in the first half, as the Golden Flashes built a 2-0 advantage.
According to the second-year coach, once the Badgers moved up their press at the start of the second half, things began to swing in their favor.
“Instead of being back a little bit, we started a little bit more of a forward press, adding a few more numbers to our attack and it worked out well for us,” added Buckley. “In the second half, we were in control for most of it.”
Berkshire scored its first goal when junior forward/midfielder Nathan Benson intercepted a pass while the Golden Flashes were in transition and scored an unassisted breakaway goal at the start of the second half, trimming Champion’s lead to 2-1.
“I think we were on the attack and just lost the ball to them, they transitioned into defense, they started coming down and I believe Nathan intercepted it,” said Buckley. “Once he won the ball, he only had to get through three players and he had a shot. When it comes to Nathan, most teams start with three players on him so if all you must get through is three, that is normal for him.”
Benson beat all Champion defenders and scored from the left side of the box, finding the right side of the net.
The Golden Flashes responded with another goal at the halfway mark of the second half, pushing their lead to 3-1 but Berkshire countered with a goal, this time off of a set play, as junior midfielder Xander Sanislo headed the ball into the net off a corner kick from Benson, cutting Champion’s lead to 3-2.
Buckley said that the Badgers continued holding the momentum in their favor throughout the rest of the second half but credited senior Champion goalkeeper Ty Horm for recording some quality saves.
It appeared that the Badgers delivered the equalizer at the 70th minute of play but the goal was waved off by the referee, who issued offsides call against junior forward/midfielder Noah Brown.
Ultimately, the Badgers’ comeback fell short as time ran out but Buckley praised his team for storming back against an unbeaten Champion squad.
You go from one more, you just keep going and the longer the game goes on, you just add one more person to the press and keep pressing and that is all you can do,” he noted. “Just keep trying to get one more and then after you tie it, you just try to get one more.”
While Berkshire’s comeback attempt was unsuccessful, Buckley highlighted how his team found a spark in the second half and is confident that the Badgers can use that second half to fuel them forward over the second half of the season.
“We have seen a lot of great improvement on body shape, receiving the ball, having the head up, all of those fundamentals,” he said. “If you do that better than the other team, 90% of the time you win, so taking those lessons from this first part of the season and realizing that this works, this is the stuff that gets you to the next level.”
It has been a season of mixed results for a Badgers’ squad that sits just below .500 but Buckley said that the Badgers have been the perfect example of balance, represented by all four classes, having graduated only two seniors from last year’s team.
Returning nine of 11 starters from last year has given Berkshire a wealth of experience at all three levels, with Brown and Benson fueling the attacking third, senior Jaxon Zarzour proving to be an effective left wing and sophomore midfielder Payton Pollock and Sanislo anchoring the back line.
Following a road contest against Chagrin Valley Conference Valley Division foe Lutheran West on Tuesday and a crossover CVC road duel against Independence on Thursday, Berkshire will host league rival Chagrin Falls on Oct. 6 at Great Lakes Cheese Stadium in Burton at 7 p.m.
