The Tyrone varisty boys soccer team has been eager for a win all season, and going into their match-up with Bishop Carroll/McCort on Tuesday, they were confident that this might be the night.
Played in less-than-ideal conditions on a rainy night in Ebensburg, the game provided a lot of drama, and in the end, Tyrone came out on top for their first win of the season.
“This win was long overdue,” said senior captain Rocky Romani, who scored the game’s only goal. “We each had a role to play to get the job done, and we executed it perfectly.”
The game started off slow with the boys just trying to get a feel of the grass field, cold temperatures, and the rainy conditions that interfered with play for both teams.
With Tyrone now practicing and playing home games on a turf field, transitioning to an overgrown grass field was difficult, especially because the grass at BC was especially high with numerous bumps and divots.
This made passes difficult to control, often leaving the ground and skipping unpredictably across the field.
Around the 15-minute mark, Romani got the ball near midfield from his striker position. He dribbled through several Carroll defenders and took a hard unassisted shot from just inside the 18.
Carroll’s keeper attempted to punch the ball out with his palms open, but it went through his hands for a Tyrone goal.
The rest of the first half was difficult for both teams offensively as the rain picked up and field conditions deteriorated.
As the second half began, Carroll responded by coming out much stronger and faster than the first half.
Possession favored the home team for most of the second half, with several shots on goal which were all saved by Tyrone goalkeeper Connor Bardell, who earned a shutout.
Carroll continued to press as the clock wound down, getting more shots on goal and playing more aggressively than Tyrone.
In the last ten minutes, the score was still 1-0 Tyone when a Carroll midfielder took a solid shot from about 20 yards out. The ball hit the crossbar, narrowly missing the goal, and the Tyrone crowd went wild.
Carroll’s frustration boiled over as the clock ticked into the single digits, leading to two yellow cards with Carrroll players being taken off the field.
In the final seconds, the Tyrone fans started cheering, and the boys finally won their first game of the season.
The Golden Eagles will have a chance to make it two in a row tonight against the Johnstown Trojans.
The game is part of a doubleheader with the girls team. The girls game begins at 6 pm with the boy’s game to follow at approximately 7:30 pm.
