By: Joey Campbell
ROCHESTER, NY — The Greece Olympia Spartans Boys Soccer team (8-2) hosted a non-conference matchup against the Wilson Wildcats (7-3) in their own version of Friday Night Lights. A back-and-forth battle led to a heartbreaking loss for the Spartans 3-2 in overtime.
“This was a tough one,” Olympia Spartans Boys Soccer head coach Robert DuPrau said. “Hats off to Wilson, they play hard, and they did a lot of good things out there that made it hard for us.”
The Spartans came out hot. Spartans senior Noah Ray dribbled the ball to the right of the goal where he found some space to earn the first score of the game 55 seconds in to take a quick 1-0 lead.
Not even two minutes later, Wilson answered back with one of their own. Spartan goalkeeper Obe Kagde made a block when Wilson forward Ahmed Muhando got a perfect rebound and buried the shot to tie it back up at 1-1.
After the two early goals it, was a quiet rest of the half. The Spartans had eight shots in the first half while Kagde made seven saves. The defense helped keep things tied up at one a piece through 40 minutes.
“Our defense has been great for the past three years,” junior Arnanh Douangdala said. “Our center back went out with an injury, and our backup came in and played a hell of a game.”
The Spartans didn’t take long to reclaim their lead in the second half. Just over seven minutes in, Douangdala scored his ninth goal of the season on a feed from Blessed Likoke to put the Spartans back up 2-1.
“You know me and Blessed we have been through a lot together,” Douangdala said. “As soon as I saw him on the wing, I knew where the ball was going to go.”
About halfway through the second half, Wilson responded again. Ahmed Ahmed was able to find himself behind the Spartans defense leaving him one on one with the netminder. Ahmed shot it to the right just past the goalie. Once again, the game was tied.
The game remained even through the end of regulation. Overtime began with the game winner off the first shot from Wilson forward Milton Uwijint, ending the game in a 3-2 loss for the Spartans.
“We come out here every day to work,” said team captain Curtis Welker. “I think our reaction to this loss really says a lot about our group. We have our heads down right now, but they’re going to be up tomorrow morning.”
The Spartans finished with a total of 12 shots and tallied 12 saves as well. They also finished with three corner kicks.
The Spartans fall to 8-3 on the season. Olympia puts this game in the rear view as they travel to the home of the undefeated Brockport Blue Devils for a match on Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 6:30 p.m.
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