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AAC rivals Howland, Canfield play to a draw
AAC rivals Howland, Canfield had their chances
By DAN HINER
Howland
With 4:35 remaining in a girls soccer game between Canfield and Howland, Tiger senior Caleigh Hogan lined up for a penalty kick. Hogan’s kick fell into the low right corner of the net and the Tigers tied the game 2-2.
The game ended in a tie but it was viewed differently by the two teams.
Howland head coach Joe Megyesi said the game was just as good as a win because they tied a quality opponent. He said the Tigers tied the Cardinals for the first time in years and his team could have pulled out the win if his players didn’t have to deal with fatigue and injury.
“We were getting tired because we only had one or two subs because of all the injuries we have,” Megyesi said. “So the second half, we have to concentrate on who’s gonna go in and how I’m gonna shift a couple people around. I’m happy — we tied a good team.”
Howland (2-0-2) jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after a goal by sophomore Ashley Chambers. The Tigers held onto the lead until Cardinals freshman Morgan Carey tied the game at 1 with a goal off a deflected save with 19:30 remaining in the first half.
Canfield (3-0-1) took its only lead of the game with just under 18 minutes left in the second half. Canfield sophomore Camryn Kohout scored the go-ahead goal on a similar second-chance opportunity.
The Tigers had a chance to win the game with 1:01 remaining on a free kick. But the attempt was wide left of the net and neither team had a chance to score in the final minute.
Megyesi said he was confident that his team could have taken the lead in the final minute. He said senior Sara Ciletti has made similar kicks in the past. He said the miss was just part of soccer and there was nothing the team could do about it.
“After [the penalty kick] we moved the ball. We were just going back and forth because [both teams] wanted it,” Megyesi said. “Even in the last second I thought we could have pulled a breakaway.”
Megyesi said the Canfield defense took the Tigers out of their rhythm at times down the field. He said the Cardinals took his forwards out of the play on several occasions and were responsible for the lack of offense in the end of the first half until the final minutes.
Howland goalkeeper Kamryn Buckley recorded a game-high five saves. Canfield’s Lauren Slacker finished with four.
While Howland was content with the tie, Canfield head coach Phil Simone said his team considered the game as “more of a loss” for the Cardinals and a win for the Tigers.
Simone said Canfield should learn from Wednesday’s tie. Despite outshooting the Tigers 7-6, he said the Cardinals need to learn to stay consistent and play with energy in the second half.
“Hopefully, [the tie] is a little bit of a wake-up call for them, to show them that we can’t have a gap in that work ethic,” Simone said. “Teams will come at them at all times and if they don’t want this feeling again, they will have to work hard from the opening whistle to the end whistle.”