There must be something about shutouts.
Coming off consecutive shutout losses to Fenton and Brandon and after tying Lapeer East 1-1, the Oxford High School soccer team returned the favor by shutting out North Branch and Swartz Creek ? both by a 2-0 score.
As a result of the Sept. 29 win against Swartz Creek, Oxford has now evened its Flint Metro League record at 3-3-1 and is 4-8-3 overall.
Against the Dragons, the Wildcats wasted little time getting on the board. Desptie lineup changes due to injuries, the Wildcats kept the Dragons subdued and the ball mostly on Swartz Creek’s side of the field.
‘Oxford started the game moving the ball around quite well and improved on their passing with some quick turns and feeds on the run of play,? said Wildcat soccer head coach John Thaler.
Oxford got onto the board with a 45-yard free kick that junior defender Matt Versteeg took and placed into the box. Senior captian Steven Walker took Versteeg’s pass and headed it home for a 1-0 lead.
In soccer, despite the many 1-0 games, such a lead is one that warrants an insurance goal. Less than 10 minutes later, Walker threw the ball in to senior Colin Gutierrez, who flicked a header in the goal that got past the Dragons goalkeeper for a 2-0 score; it also was Gutierrez’s first goal of the season.
That’s how the first half ended, and with the second half came rains that made for a very wet playing experience. Swartz Creek nearly scored on a free kick from half field but instead of going into the goal, it rung off the crossbar and back into play. Oxford’s defense easily cleared the ball. Oxford’s offense, meanwhile, had a few more chances to score but were either just wide or were stopped by Swartz Creek’s goalkeeper.
Oxford’s defense took care of business to help senior goalkeeper Tim Bachner preserve the shutout for his fourth of the season. Thaler credited juniors Versteeg, Tyler Hruska, Mark Hurrish and freshman Mike Kitchner. ‘They did a fantastic job helping Bachner,? he said.
Prior to playing Swartz Creek, Oxford played twice in two days as they tied Lapeer East and then blanked North Branch. After having been shut out twice recently, Oxford returned the favor against North Branch, blanking the Broncos 2-0.
The first half, described by Thaler as ‘very physical?, ended with no score despite several occasions where Oxford broke through North Branch’s defense.
While the second half was still physical, the Wildcats shifted gears to its finesse game against the Broncos. Oxford broke the scoreless drought when Walker threw the ball in near 25 yards into North Branch’s box. That’s when senior Jake Shafer flicked the ball through the Broncos? goalkeeper’s legs for a score.
Looking to provide insurance for their 1-0 lead, Oxford kept pressing for another score. This time, it was a reversal of roles as Walker took a pass from Shafer late in the game. Seeing the Broncos goalkeeper off the line, Walker launched what Thaler described as a ‘perfectly-placed? shot over the keeper’s head from 30 yards out for a 2-0 score.
Wanting to preserve the lead, Oxford moved around the ball a lot, relaxed a bit to conserve energy and focused on defense. North Branch’s late surge resulted in an apparent goal that was called back due to an offsides penalty.
Playing in Lapeer against Lapeer East at their new soccer complex, the Wildcats hoped to subdue the Eagles. It was a very sluggish first half with both sides rarely getting shots on goal.
‘A few fouls were committed in the penalty box by the Eagles, but no fouls were called,? Thaler said.
After a scoreless first half, the second half grew much more physical with both sides getting more opportunities on goal. Shafer moved from defense to forward and began to make a huge impact on scoring opportunities. However, the Eagles got onto the board first after a midfield turnover and a quick run from the backfield that resulted in a breakaway shot.
After that, the green and gold birds rarely came close to scoring again while the Wildcats kept pushing. What could’ve been a scoring opportunity for Oxford fell apart after what Thaler felt was another missed call by the officials.
‘A foul was committed in the box but the referee said it occurred outside the area,? he said.
The result of the call was a free kick that nicked the goalkeeper’s hands and go over.
Things heated up for Oxford as they continued to knock on the Eagles? door with corner kicks. Finally, junior Steven Ferguson was pushed from behind in the box’resulting in a penalty kick. Senior Mitch Seeling took the shot and scored by netting the ball into the side.
‘The Eagle keeper didn’t even move as he knew he had no chance of stopping it,? Thaler said.
That’s where the game ended as neither team was able to score a tie-breaking goal.
Oxford travels today to take on the Linden Eagles.