2 days Ago
Morse’s Peyton Price and Oceanside’s Thomas Geddis battle for the ball during Tuesday night’s match. Cooper Sullivan/The Times Record BATH — The last time the Morse boys soccer team won four matches before October, members of this year’s squad were still in elementary school. Morse beat Oceanside 2-1 at home on Tuesday, giving the Shipbuilders (4-0) their best start to a season since 2016.
The Mariners (2-1-1), meanwhile, took their first loss of the season. “I’m really impressed with their grit,” Morse head coach Chuck Reece said. “I think they worked really hard against a very talented Oceanside team, very well-coached.
They showed perseverance because Oceanside did some really good things that we didn’t have an answer for for a little while. I think it came down to working hard, doing the dirty work on the field and making sure that we put ourselves in a position to challenge them, turn the ball over and push to the other end.” Morse started the game holding possession and controlling the pace of play, but that only lasted five minutes.
For the next 30 minutes, Oceanside continually intercepted passes around midfield and pushed through, forcing Morse midfielders to play on their heels. The Shipbuilders backline, however, held strong and made attacking players settle for long shots. The Mariners attempted 10 shots in the first half, five on goal, most of which were attempted outside the 18-yard box.
Three attempts to create a scoring opportunity near the net were whistled to a halt due to offsides calls and a handball. First-year Oceanside coach Robbie Krul complimented the “well-trained” Morse backline and their ability to stop any offensive momentum, adding that he was not discouraged by his players’ efforts. “We’ll do our best to keep them going and keep training that example of, ‘What do we do when we get the ball there?'” Krul said.
“But they have made so much improvement, so I’m not trying to look at it as a negative yet.” As the first half winded down, the Shipbuilders offense wound up. After a shot by Oceanside, goalkeeper Waylon Rhorer quickly put the ball back in play for Morse, which made it’s way to the other side of the pitch seconds later.
On the right side, midfielder Eli Sommers found midfielder Lawson Mayer just outside the box, who quickly crossed it over to the left side where Christian Hallowell struck the ball out of the air and into the net. The 38th-minute goal was the first shot attempt on goal for the Shipbuilders and the fourth goal of the season for the junior midfielder. Oceanside did not go into the break with their heads down, and after halftime they responded with the same offensive push as the first half.
In the 52nd minute, midfielder Lucas Novika scored for the Mariners from the edge of the box with a one-touch strike off a deflection. During Morse’s halftime huddle, Reece emphasized counter-attacking the space between Oceanside’s back and middle lines, a strategy that was proven successful in the 58th minute. After weaving through the Oceanside defense, defender Ellis Vallade found himself with two players marking him on the left side of the box, leaving Mayer wide open on the right for the Morse’s second goal of the night.
From then on, Morse maintained control of the game, stifling any final Oceanside attacks. The Mariners had eight shots on goal compared to the Shipbuilders’ two, but Rhorer saved seven of those shots. “We came into this game knowing it was going to be a tough one,” Hallowell said.
“First half, we battled; but second half I think we controlled the game better, moved the ball around and got the win.” Even though Hallowell and Mayer were the ones to capitalize tonight, Morse’s fourth win in four games was the culmination of the entire group’s years-long effort. “They’ve put in the work,” Reece said.
“Since freshman year they’ve been in the weight room. They’re playing year round. They’re making sure that there is a ball on their foot.
They’re working on the small things that make themselves better, and they’ve dedicated themselves to this season as a group. They mean to try to go as far as they can. They’ve done the hard work to do it.
” Reece added: “Tonight was a great program W. I also think that there are things that just (get put) into perspective in life — that it’s more than just a game. There are guys that didn’t get in that game that were just as much (a part) of that W than anybody else.
I’m lucky to have the program, the parents and the staff behind me.” We invite you to add your comments. We encourage a thoughtful exchange of ideas and information on this website.
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