As the 2022/23 season begins to come to a close, the 4-6 Bruin boys varsity soccer team was home Thursday afternoon hosting the 6-4 North Valley Knights who made the trip from Grants Pass.
In the first half of play, the Bruins looked to set the tone, using hustle and aggressive play to wrestle away control of the ball and use their ball control skills to attack the Knights goal, spending much of the first half in front of the North Valley goal.
North Valley would set up a shot deep in front of the Bruin goal, hitting the post 8:00 minutes into first half for either teams first serious scoring opportunity.
The Bruins would strike first blood, setting up a fast break that caught the Knights defense flat-footed. Sophomore forward Tanner Anderson, #17, broke away after a beautifully placed pass put him in a one on one footrace that he would win, put an initial shot on goal and follow up the deflection to put the ball in the back of the net at the 15:00 minute mark of the first half.
After taking a 1-0 lead in the first half, the Bruins were the team caught flat footed to start the second half, after the Knights took the opening kick to the right side penalty box, sent a high cross towards the goal catching the Bruin keeper slightly out of position that would clear his reach and hit the top left corner of the goal to tie the score 1-1 less than a minute into the second half of play.
The Bruin boys quickly countered, pressing into the Knights defense creating shooting opportunities that North Valley would turn away. But the pressure forced a foul on the edge of the penalty box. The Bruins would take the kick, clear the wall, and finding the Bruins #11, at the far corner post to beat the Knights keeper at the 65:00 minute mark for a 2-1 Bruin lead.
With just 15:00 minutes left to play, the Knights forced the ball into the Bruin defensive half, desperately looking for an equalizer. The pressure would force a Bruin foul in the penalty box late in the second half, resulting in a Knights penalty kick. North Valley would convert the penalty to tie the score 2-2 in the 76th minute of play and escape Brookings with a tie.
The Bruin boys will finish their season Monday, October 24th, on the road in Medford taking on the 1-7-2 Rogue Valley Adventist Academy Hawks who played a close game against the Bruins earlier in the season.