RAVENS RALLY FOR TIE
Royal Oak pulls up even with Lakeland late to crash Eagles’ ‘Senior Night’
WHITE LAKE » The start wasn’t exactly what the Royal Oak soccer team was looking for Monday night on the road at Lakeland. But a goal by junior Ayden Villa with just more than 13 minutes left in the game helped the Ravens salvage a 2-2 tie with the hosts on the Eagles’ “Senior Night.”
Trailing 2-1, Royal Oak poured on the pressure and kept the ball deep in the Lakeland end. A shot in on goal bounced off goalkeeper Alec Waldman’s hands and up into the air. Villa rose above the defense and headed the ball into the back of the net. The goal followed what was a slew of chances the Ravens had generated in the second half.
“Wewere a little flat in that first half, a little slow getting to the ball,” Royal Oak head coach Mike Thomas said. “Lakeland wanted to play in the middle (of the field) and I felt we should have been outside more, running the lines. But we kept putting the ball inside and that hurt us quite a bit.”
The Eagles fell behind early but answered back midway through the first, as junior Arthur White scored off a free kick with 23:52. He bent a 25-yard shot around the Royal Oak wall and snuck it inside the left post, past the outstretched hands of junior goalkeeper Josh Stefanovski to make it 1-1.
It would stay that way until Lakeland again took advantage of a Royal Oak foul to set up another score off a free kick — midway through the second half. Once again, it was White sneaking in another bender just inside the left post.
“We work on free kicks all the time with accuracy at the far post and the near post,” said Lakeland co-head coach George Abuamsha. “I think Arthur more than delivered tonight.”
The Eagles celebrated seven seniors during a halftime celebration. Those seniors included Aris Guliana, Ricky Beltran, Conner Kosidlo, Alex Cooper, Lucas Venegas Cabrera, Connor Manquen and Tag Vitale.
“I think we did really well here on ‘Senior Night’,” Abuamsha said. “I think they’re really starting to move the ball well up thefield. And defensively I think we played awesome today. They really held their own against Royal Oak.”
Royal Oak opened the scoring just seven minute into the game on a goal by senior Tommy Gardella, who rifled a shot off a defender and past Waldman for a 1-0 lead. The game was Royal Oak’s seven over the past two weeks. And the Ravens have two more over the next three days.
“These boys are putting in a lot of time out there on the field, but we’ve got to get right back out there (Tuesday against Groves),” Thomas said.
Heading into Tuesday’s game, Royal Oak was 3-3-3 overall and 2-1-2 in the OAA White. Groves entered Tuesday’s game 3-2 in the division and 7-2-1 overall. Lakeland is 4-4-3 overall and 3-3-2 in the Lakes Valley Conference.
Heading into Tuesday’s game, Royal Oak was 3-3-3 overall and 2-1-2 in the OAA White. Groves entered Tuesday’s game3-2in the division and 7-2-1 overall.