PLATTSBURGH — Sometimes you just run out of time.
The Beekmantown boys soccer team fell to Glens Falls on Tuesday, 2-1, in a NYSPHSAA sub-regional game.
“I was a little worried in the beginning. We were definitely back on our heels,” Eagles head coach Ryan Loucy said. “Glens Falls came out, you know, with a lot of energy, and it took our guys a little while to get their legs and sort of get comfortable.
“Our goal helped us a lot. The energy level picked up for our guys, but it just just didn’t last.”
With 4:10 left in the second half, the Black Bears’ John Tallan redirected a Shamar Fuller direct kick to grab the lead for good.
Beekmantown gave everything it had, even goalkeeper Evan Latinville sprinting up to kick the ball toward the net. But, Glens Falls just played lockdown defense and didn’t give the Eagles many opportunities in the waning minutes.
“It was great to see us keep fighting, keep going,” Loucy said. “We had some issues at times during the year just getting shots, and it was nice to see us get a bunch of shots tonight and quality opportunities too, not stuff where we take it from outside.
“We had good shots. Just some nights they go in, some nights they don’t.”
Balls went just off the crossbar or just outside the net. The chances were there, but the follow through never came in an evenly played game.
It was a back-and-forth contest where both teams applied pressure and grabbed momentum in attempts to score. It was a game either team could win, and at times, it took the Eagles out of their comfort zone.
“We got a little caught up in their play, which is a more direct style where they try to send it from their defense up to those forwards, who are really good,” Loucy said. “They try to send it directly to them and let their midfield fill in the back, so any balls would bounce out and go to them, and that kind of took us out of our possession game.
“We weren’t really able to possess because we were constantly running back and forth chasing the ball, and we got caught up and just booted out to get it away, and that took us out of our own comfort zone.”
Glens Falls got on the board first late in the first half when Fuller sent a direct kick toward the goal. After a scramble in front of the net, Deklin Malsion collected the ball and shot into the bottom left corner of the net.
It gave the Black Bears the lead moments before halftime, but Beekmantown answered shortly after the break, which has been the case most of the season.
Dylan Brown found space with a ball passed to him by Troy Demarse. After a give-and-go play, Brown buried the ball in the right corner of the net and tied things up.
The Eagles had the momentum and the opportunities to take a lead but couldn’t finish.
While the season is over for Beekmantown, Loucy consoled his players as they realize their run was over.
“A team that didn’t have any seniors last year lost 14 games and scored a total of seven goals on the season,” he said. “To turn things around so dramatically with 14 wins — co-Champions of the Northern Soccer League’s Division I and sectional champions — it’s impressive,” Loucy said.
“If we had told ourselves at the end of last year, ‘Don’t worry, guys, next year we’re going to win everything. We’re going to win the league. We’re going to win sectionals,’ we would have laughed at ourselves. This turnaround is huge. I told them the turnaround is due to their willingness to buy into what I’m selling, their willingness to stick together as a group and work hard.
“There were some games where we really had to work hard to get a win, and they did. It just bonds everybody. Everybody just gets so close because we did it together. You face the wars, you face the battles, and you came through on the other side. and you were the better for it.”
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Glens Falls 2, Beekmantown 1
GF 1 1 — 2
BCS 0 1 — 1
First Half- 1. GF, Malison. 32:29.
Second Half- 2. BCS, Brown (Demarse) 7:47. 3. GF, Tallan (Fuller) 35:50.
Shots- Tied at 10
Saves- McPhee, GF, 5. Latinville, BCS, 9
