Perhaps the underlying question entering the Bay Rivers girls soccer season was which team, defending district champion Jamestown or Region I champ Tabb, would emerge as the team to beat.
Tuesday’s showdown at Wanner Stadium between the two district-title favorites didn’t help settle the debate much after 80 minutes of regulation followed by two overtime periods proved not enough time for either side to push across a goal before ending in 0-0 tie.
Midfielders Bailey Christian and Shelby Foret, forward Tori Bennett and strikers Paige Majdic and Aaliyah Lyttle had Jamestown’s possession-oriented attack on full display, but the Eagles failed to convert on several opportunities in front of the net despite outshooting the Tigers 26-6.
Credit a large portion of the Eagles’ struggles to an equally impressive showing by Tabb’s defense, most notably the effort by Tigers’ goalkeeper Kelsey Hecker, although Macy Peebles, Rachael and Alison Brewer, Marissa O’Brien and Hayley Mills also did a nice job limiting Jamestown’s chances inside the box.
Jamestown controlled most of the possession during a back-and-forth first half and had outshot the Tigers 8-2 after 40 minutes, but the Eagles produced just a few threatening chances deep inside Tabb’s defense.
Foret and Lyttle were each denied opportunities inside the box early, and Majdic sailed a free-kick attempt from 25 yards out over the cross bar on another Jamestown opportunity late in the half.
Tabb’s best scoring opportunity came midway through the half when Katie Herold sent a nice cross from the right side of the field that was cut off by Jamestown defender Jordan Chapman who alertly cleared the ball downfield.
Chapman, Marissa Segala and Alex Dayton showed that Jamestown’s defense could be equally as tough to penetrate this season, limiting the Tigers to under four shots each half.
Majdic had two scoring chances stopped by Hecker in the first 10 minutes of the second half- the first a shot on goal from 10 yards out followed by a free kick from roughly 15 yards out that Hecker played nicely while falling to her right.
Merely a minute later, the Eagles finally put one into the back of the net, but the goal was called off after Bennett legged in a beautiful cross from Foret before being flagged for offsides.
With a little under 13 minutes to play in regulation, a scary moment occurred for the Tigers when forward Aly Harmatz, a field hockey star headed to play on full scholarship at Kent State next fall, was carted off the field and taken to the hospital after colliding with a Jamestown defender and suffering an apparent hip injury.
Following a 35-minute break in play, Tabb’s only real scoring chance the rest of the way came on a well-placed through ball from promising freshman Leah Tyson, who found Erin Fenton streaking down the right side, but Dayton made a terrific play on the ball to thwart the threat.
Jamestown continued to aggressively pressure the Tigers’ defense, but Hecker came up with four clutch stops in the final five minutes to preserve the tie.
The first came with 4:44 left on the clock when Majdic sent a shot across goal from the left side. Less than a minute later, Foret got a good look at goal off Majdic’s corner kick, but her shot went right to Hecker’s chest.
With 2:50 left in regulation, Christian sent a through ball to Majdic near the top of the box for what appeared to be a breakaway, but Hecker timed her retreat perfectly to stop Majdic before she could collect possession.
“I was absolutely proud of my defense tonight, especially Kelsey,” Tabb coach Kendra Perry said after the game. “She’s underestimated for the job she does in goal. She gets 90 percent of the credit for our defense tonight.”
Jamestown co-coach Kevin Dawson said he would have liked to see his team cash in on at least one of their many opportunities at the net.
Added Segala, “We’re a possession team, and we’re still working on our composure in front of the goal. We had a few opportunities, we just have to continue to find the back of the net.
“We knew playing Tabb it was going to be a close a game. A tie is better than a loss.”
