Tyrone Boys soccer lost its season-opening match 1-0 against Philipsburg at home on Monday, September, 14th.

Short on numbers this fall, Tyrone was at a disadvantage from the start, having to overcome a short bench with only 13 players on the varsity roster.

With only two substitutions, Tyrone had to conserve energy against Philipsburg’s large 28 man roster, giving the Red Raiders a fresh pair of legs at any position.

“I think we performed really well. We did everything right and just couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net,” said Tyrone Head Coach Alex Bartlett.

In the first half, Tyrone effectively worked the ball down the field and had many shots on goal but no points. Possession was constantly changing throughout the half as both teams fought hard for dominance in the center of the field.

“One thing that needs improvement is our dynamic movement in the attacking third and getting in the box,” said Senior Kelton Raabe.

The second half was very similar to the first although, as Tyrone started to get more fatigued, the ball was ending up in the Tyrone defensive third more often.

Tyrone keeper Landon Bungo had three phenomenal diving saves keeping the score 0-0 for the first 20 minutes. But at 20:52 after a failed attempt to clear the ball away from the goal, a Philipsburg shot bounced off a Tyrone defender and into the net, making the game 1-0.

Tyrone tried to get the ball back in front of the goal, which they successfully did a number of times. They also managed to get five more shots on goal but none were able to find the back of the net.

The Eagles took their last shot in the final seconds of the game but it was blocked by Philipsburg’s keeper, preserving their one-goal win.