The Wildcat Booters prepared themselves for district play after two ties and one win this last week.
The boys kicked the week off with 0-0 tie against Royal Oak for a rescheduled match-up. Oxford came close to scoring in the first half on numerous shots but were either wide or skimmed of the crossbar. Senior captain and keeper Connor Bandel did not make a save in the first half.
While the second half was much more lively, Oxford still came up scoreless, but the quick hands of Conner Bandel and the solid performance on the defense side with senior captain Greg Knox, senior Trevor Dean and juniors Ethan Cutler and Jack Kitchner kept the game in check to end with the scoreless tie.
Oxford finished their OAA White match of the season against Bloomfield Hills, which also ended scoreless tie.
‘The first half was a big defensive game on both sides,? said Head Coach John Thaler. ‘Neither team allowed each other quality scoring chances until the ending minutes of the half.?
That was when Oxford senior captain and keeper Connor Bandel made a huge save just before half to ensure the Blackhawks would not get on the board.
Entering the second half, both teams saw more scoring opportunities, but it was Oxford who really opened up their chances.
‘Senior captain Greg Knox and junior captain Nick Wright took some stunning shots on goal only to be remarkably saved by the Bloomfield Hills keeper,? Thaler explained. With time winding down the Wildcats had a few last minute attacks but neither was able to put anything in the back of the net.
‘Both ties against Royal Oak and Bloomfield Hills last week were huge,? Thaler said. ‘It kept us in the running for the league title but we had to rely on Lake Orion to tie. They did not and so we wrapped up the season in second place,?
Oxford ended their first season in OAA White, finishing in the top three with a 5-1-6 record.
‘Both of the games (against Royal Oak and Bloomfield) were very tight but we held a majority of the possession and shots on frame,? Thaler added. ‘The boys very well considering they had four games in six days with no rest?.
On Thursday, the boys hosted Fenton Tigers in a non-league match-up for their last regular season home game, which was also senior night. Senior Captains Devan deJong, Greg Knox, Connor Bandel, along with fellow seniors Trevor Dean, Nathan Sharpe and Chris Lint were all honored at the game.
‘It was a great night as Oxford earned a win for the departing seniors 3 ? 0,? Thaler noted, which also marked his 200th win as a coach.
DeJong scored off a flick from a free-kick served up by fellow senior captain Greg Knox. The backline stopped any attack from the Tigers and the half ended 1 ? 0. The second half proved just as exciting as the first when junior midfielder Jacob Novack scored his first goal of the season to put the Wildcats up 2 ? 0 off a nice feed from deJong.
Bandel only had to make one save in the second half as Oxford continued to possess most of the play. Another senior got on the score sheet as Chris Lint scored off another great served ball from deJong to pull away from the Tigers and finalize the win with a third goal.
‘We played smart and controlled soccer. Fenton never really got into the game as we shut them down throughout,? Thaler said.
The booters ended the regular season with a final record of 10-2-8.
‘The team is currently undefeated at home since October 3, 2013, so that is two years without a home loss,? Thaler said proudly.
See next week’s edition to find out how the boys did in district play against down the street rival Lake Orion.