Small margin of error in OFSAA
Hometown Red Raiders lose opener but bounce back for win at AA tournament
OFSAA soccer offers little room for a bad game.
The Essex Red Raiders were quickly feeling the pressure after dropping a one-goal decision on Thursday to open the OFSAA boys’ AA soccer tournament at McHugh Park.
Even with a bounce-back win in the afternoon, the Red Raiders know the pressure will stay on them through the final two games of pool play with the club needing a top-two finish to advance to quarter-final play.
“You try to win, no matter what,” Red Raiders captain Jackson Moore said. “We’ll take these next two one game at a time and try to win both.”
Coming off the school’s first WECSSAA title since 2001, nerves might have played a role in the team’s opening 2-1 loss to No. 4-seeded Mississauga to start play on Thursday.
“I think we really were a little bit nervous,” Red Raiders centre back Andrew Mastroianni said. “This is all of our first time at OFSAA and I think we played a good game. Just the little things got to us and we had to capitalize on our opportunities.”
Down 2-0 in the opener, Jackson got Essex to within a goal in the second half and the Red Raiders pressed but couldn’t produce the equalizer. “Personally, I thought we could have gotten more out of that game,” Moore said. “Maybe a point, maybe three, but sometimes there are games like that.”
There were some shaky moments early in the second match, but Essex settled down to score a 3-0 win over North Bay St. JosephScollard Hall.
“After our first game this morning, we needed this one,” Mastroianni said. “We heard about this team. They ’re a physical team and have speed.”
But North Bay struggled to contain Moore up front all game. Making an impressive defensive challenge to regain the ball, Moore was taken down just outside the 18-yard box. Mastroianni stepped in and calmly shot around five defenders and found the bottom corner at the 10-minute mark. “I was watching the goalie in warm-ups and he wasn’t that quick to the ground. I just thought it was the right place to put it,” Mastroianni said.
Just before the half, Moore was pulled down again and this time Jayden McTavish buried the free kick from the corner to make it 2-0. Tyler Fuerth added the only goal of the second half and goalie Jacob Chippett secured the shutout. “It’s huge,” Moore said. “After the first game, this game was a good 3-0 win and get the spirits up for (Friday).”
To advance, Essex (1-1-0) will likely need to win both games on Friday against Peterborough Adam Scott (0-1-1) and Oshawa Monsignor Paul Dwyer (2-0-0) with Iona at 1-0-1 and St. JosephScollard Heights at 0-2-0. The host L’Essor Aigles also remain in contention for a quarterfinal berth after a win and a tie on Thursday.
L’Essor got three goals from Vlad Jidkov and two from Moe Moussa in a 5-1 win over Mississauga Gordon Graydon Memorial. Moussa had the only goal in a 1-1 draw with St. Catharines Holy Cross. The Aigles (1-0-1) are in a threeway tie for first in pool play and finish up on Friday against Aurora Father Bressani (0-1-1) and Fort Frances (1-0-1). Holy Cross is also 1-0-1, with Gorday Graydon Memorial sitting at 0-2-0.