BOYS' SOCCER: Cougars, Bruins settle for 2-2 draw

By Justin Hayes
Published in Sports on September 1, 2016 1:49 PM

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The early portion of Goldsboro High's varsity soccer schedule has rendered mixed, often maddening, results.

Its coach, Chad Lewis, has experimented with a drawing board full of lineups and defensive formations, seeking at all costs to find a formulaic expression that will allow the club to overcome elemental mistakes.

On Wednesday evening, his troops took a major step toward fulfilling that objective. Trailing 2-nil at intermission to non-conference foe Wilson Beddingfield, the Cougars put to bed a pair of early, ill-advised mistakes on their half of the pitch and delivered a taut, stay-in-your-lane second half performance.

The result?

A 2-2 draw dressed in blue-and-old gold.

"(At half) I told them to just go out and play their game in the second half," Lewis said. "They outplayed them in the first, and were putting the ball on the goal tonight."

Indeed.

Save the scoring margin, the opening half was the exclusive property of Goldsboro, which employed an ample mix of touchline speed and crisp passing to launch a staggering 10 shots on goal.

But fundamental, head-scratching mistakes prevented the Cougars from generating any form of early prosperity. A botched clearing attempt by Goldsboro in the 14th minute resulted in goal work by Beddingfield's Horlando Chavez.

Moments later and with the first half clock dwindling, the Bruins struck again. After securing a breakaway touch in the penalty area, junior Erick Lopez-Martinez blistered a right-footer past the mitts of keeper Chandler Patrick.

Bruins 2, Cougars bewildered.

Deja vu all over again.

While his players walked into halftime visibly frustrated, Lewis took the hiccup in stride.

"It could happen to anybody," he said of the opening goal. "You touch it back to the keeper, he can't get it off his foot in time... that's a fluke."

The second half, however, would be no such thing.

Following a Beddingfield yellow card in the 54th minute, Colin Williams made brilliant work of a Xan Pate free kick, piercing a needle-esque winner through a mass of jerseys loitering in front of goal.

Bruins 2, Cougars 1.

A minute later, Beddingfield's Israel Villalobos provided Goldsboro another opportunity after being whistled for a sliding takedown in the box.

With the Cougar bench in hysterics, Pate lined up the ensuing penalty kick. The senior, who played with poise all evening, took several jab steps before one-timing a blast beyond Beddingfield keeper Bryan Rico.

Tie ball game.

The final 20-plus minutes were a battle of formation, won primarily by the Cougars, who at long last fulfilled their coach's directive.

"They have not given up yet," Lewis said. "They listened, didn't overplay and kept their shape. I couldn't have been more proud of them."

The draw moved Beddingfield to 2-3-1 on the season. Goldsboro, which travels to Charles B. Aycock next Tuesday, slid to 0-4-2.