McClain loses close game against Chillicothe
McClain's Cade Raike battles for the ball against Chillicothe on Tuesday at McClain Field. (HCP Photos/Jim Jones)
GREENFIELD — The McClain boys varsity soccer team saw their overall record on the season slip to 2-3 after a hard-fought, 4-3 loss to Frontier Athletic Conference foe, the Chillicothe Cavaliers on Tuesday at McClain Field.
After starting off the season winning two of their first three matches, the Tigers have lost back-to-back matches to Peebles on Saturday and this one to the visiting Cavaliers.
“Last year we lost 9-0 to Chillicothe here at home and you don’t want to think a 4-3 loss is a moral victory but you have to take what you get,” McClain head coach John Gill said.
McClain started the match off well scoring two quick goals, the first by senior Creed Davis and the second by Brandon Shover which was an un\believable shot from a corner kick.
The 2-0 lead for the Tigers was short-lived after the Cavaliers got a pair of goals from Henry Byrd and another from his brother Sam Byrd to take a 3-2 lead into halftime.
Both teams played superbly in the second half on both ends of the field with McClain tying the game at the 37:05 mark on a shot by Janson Allison that was deflected off another player.
It looked like the Tigers had taken the lead moments later on a goal by Case Robbins but an offsides call nullified the score.
Henry Byrd scored his third and the final goal of the match with 35:22 left to play giving Chillicothe a 4-3 lead in which they held onto until the final horn sounded.
The final score probably would have been a little more lopsided in the Cavaliers favor if not for two great stops by McClain’s sophomore keeper Eyan Hill.
“Eyan (Hill) who is one of our two sophomore goalies made two really nice saves to keep us in this game,” Gilln said. “If he doesn’t make those two plays, I think the flood gates probably would have opened.
“I’m really proud of this team, we had three different players score goals tonight and in every game that we’ve played, we’ve scored goals and had different goal scorers. We don’t have just one star player, we have a star team this year and that’s just lovely to see.”
McClain (2-3) will host non-conference foe Westfall on Thursday, Aug. 28 with a 5 p.m. start time.
