Panthers fall 5-1 to Northern Durham

Caleb Anderson on a breakaway

After a long Labor Day weekend and a cancelled game and practice Tuesday due to the weather, the OHS JV Men’s soccer team didn’t come out as strongly as they’d hoped to on Wednesday night.  A quick Northern Durham goal early in the first half put the Panthers at a disadvantage—one that, unfortunately, they couldn’t pull themselves out of. 

Going into the second half down 2-0, the Panthers recharged briefly and saw some flashes of drive from Bowen Collins, Morgan Collins, Chris Lamay, Gerardo Figueroa, Caleb Anderson, Eli Lockwood, and Trevor Samsa, but not enough to bring the Panthers a victory.  With twenty minutes left, Trevor Samsa made a stellar bending cross from the outside left midfield to forward Caleb Anderson (pictured above left), who cleanly touched the ball and put it perfectly in the back of the net, making the second textbook Samsa-Anderson combination goal of the season.

With the score 2-1, the Panthers momentarily fought as if a comeback was close on the horizon.  However, as Northern Durham netted their third goal, the Panthers collapsed for the first time yet this season—dropping heads, walking, and playing as though they were settling for a loss.  In the next fifteen minutes, Northern Durham finished two more goals to make it a 5-1 game.

What is to be taken from this game is not simply a loss, but a reminder: one must always play as though a win is possible, regardless of the score.  A comeback happens one goal at a time.  If a player perceives the comeback to be four total goals instead of just playing one goal at a time, the task seems insurmountable.  The reality of the situation is that the Panthers scored two goals in the last 15 minutes to beat Eastern Alamance, and Northern Durham scored 3 goals in the last 15 minutes to make it 5-1 instead of 2-1 against Orange Wednesday night—meaning, simply, that anything can happen in less than 15 minutes in a soccer game.  We've all seen it happen.  It is possible.  If the team thinks of it as such—that anything can happen in 15 minutes if you just take it one goal at a time—then that “insurmountable task” should seem that much more feasible.  Regardless of the score, the team should always play as though the win possible.  That is the type of team that the Panthers have chosen to be.

The Panthers recognized their shortcomings Wednesday after the game, discussed multiple plans for improvement, committed to being a team that never gives up again, and quickly took back to the field.  Eight days until the next game meant 8 fitness repetitions, and the team started their comeback immediately, sprinting 8 times as the Varsity team warmed up for their game.  With seven days until the team plays Bartlett Yancey away, it seems certain that some positive changes are in the works.