By Staff
Although Brandywine's soccer team lost 4-2 to defending conference champion Edwardsburg last night, the Bobcats played tough and have nothing to be ashamed of coach Jim McNamara said.
The teams played through a defense-dominated first half in which neither scored.
In the first 10 minutes of the second half, Brandywine was thinking upset as it scored two goals in a 1:06 period to take a 2-0 lead.
The Bobcats' goals were scored by Matt Beaver and Matt Wieger on plays that McNamara called beautiful.
Edwardsburg came back, though, scoring twice in the next six minutes to tie the score at 2-2. The Eddies got goals from Doug Shuttleworth, assisted by Jeremy Watkins, and Pat Strong, assisted by Josh Marschke.
The teams continued to battle in the second half. A Watkins goal with 2:48 remaining gave Edwardsburg the go-ahead score, and another by Watkins less than a minute later gave the Eddies the final 4-2 edge.
Despite giving up four goals, Brandywine's defense made it tough on Edwardsburg all night long, McNamara said.
While the Bobcats started the season slow, taking the defending conference champ to the final minutes is an example of how they have gotten better, McNamara said.
Brandywine plays Marcellus at home Thursday in its final regular season game before conference play begins Saturday.
Eddies vs. Parchment
A three-goal outburst in the second half lifted the Edwardsburg soccer team to a 3-1 victory over visiting Parchment.
Doug Shuttleworth scored a pair of goals in the second half to help the Eddies erase a 1-0 halftime lead.
Lakeland tournament
The Lakeland Conference soccer tournament gets under way today with Buchanan hosting Berrien Springs at 7 p.m.
The remainder of the teams will open up tournament action on Saturday.
Edwardsburg, the No. 1 seed, will host Cassopolis, the No. 8 seed on Saturday at 10:30 a.m.
River Valley, the No. 4 seed, will host Brandywine, the No. 5 seed, on Saturday as well. In the other match, Bridgman, the No. 2 seed, will host Coloma, the No. 7 seed.
The second round will be played on Monday, Oct. 11, while the championship game will be played on Wednesday, Oct. 13.
All eight places will be played out in the tournament, with the seventh, fifth and third place matches also being played on Oct. 13.
Cass vs. River Valley
THREE OAKS - Caleb Dryden scored a pair of goals to lead the River Valley Mustangs past visiting Cassopolis in Lakeland Conference soccer Monday, 4-1.
River Valley also got goals from Ian Leiss and Dustin Smith.
The Rangers are now 1-8-2 overall and 0-6-1 in the league.
Cass vs. Buchanan
The Buchanan soccer team blanked Cassopolis in Lakeland Conference action, 5-0.
Scoring goals for Buchanan were Doug Summers (2), Grant Hemminger, GMatt Ganus and P.J. Pollock.