Bel Air and South River play to tie in boys soccer

The chances kept coming. One after another, South River kept firing at the goal.

And every time the Seahawks put a shot on target, Bel Air goalie Ethan Crosby made sure it didn’t find the back of the net.

Crosby was tested all game. He didn’t allow a goal for the entirety of regulation, and both of the overtime periods. His Bobcats, however, weren’t able to convert any chances either. South River and Bel air battled to a scoreless draw Monday night in Edgewater.

“Our defense came out strong,” Crosby said. “We came out with a clean sheet, and that’s all that matters.”

South River (5-0-1 overall) dominated possession throughout the game, that is the style of play that coach Marlyn Argueta wants his team to play. He says you can’t give up goals if you don’t give up the ball.

And the Seahawks didn’t give up the ball for most of the game on Monday. They cycled the ball around the pitch, looking for a lane into the box. Bel Air did a good job of preventing close on chances against Crosby, but there were still some key saves to be made for the senior goalie.

“That’s the beauty of soccer, that’s the pain of soccer,” Argueta said.

Crosby was tested ten minutes into the game. He deflected a header away, and on the ensuing corner made another save off a shot from senior defender Will Gervase.

Towards the end of the first half, Maximus Cerulla and Hunter Mardsen tested Crosby, with Crosby denying Cerulla, and Marsden sending his attempt just wide of the far post.

Into the second half, South River continued its possession dominance. Crosby blocked a shot, and the Bobcat defense forced the rebound away. But South River found themselves with the ball again, with this chance sailing high.

Argueta loved what he was seeing from his team, he just knew they needed to get that finishing touch on the ball. RJ Eubanks looked to connect on crosses throughout the second half, but the Seahawks on the other end just couldn’t make that last touch to send the ball home.

“It was just that final touch that we were missing today that we usually have,” Argueta said.

As the game moved to its golden goal overtime, Bel Air (2-1-2) was able to cut a few chinks into the South River defensive armor.

Matt Weidman seemed to be the one leading the counter. The senior used his speed to quickly make it down the field and give the Bobcats a glimmer of hope to steal a win.

“It’s not always about possession,” Bobcats coach Dominic Rose said. “They like to throw the ball around, and we were willing to wait.”

South River goalie Jay Jenkins was able to keep everything out of his goal, and Gervase was strong snuffing out the Bobcat counter attacks.

“That’s what I’m here for,” Gervase said. “I’m here to do my job and that’s my job.”

Both teams felt good to take a draw away from the game, with Argueta and South River being happy to dominate possession and just looking for a final touch. Rose and Bel Air were happy to keep a clean sheet, just needed more chances to counter.

With a ton of returning talent on both sides, each team appears poised to make a deep run in the playoffs.

Bel Air is back in action Tuesday at home against undefeated and 15th-ranked North Harford in an UCBAC Chesapeake contest. South River hosts Annapolis in Anne Arundel County play on Thursday.

“My guys are learning,” Argueta said. “It’s still early in the season, they will learn to finish their chances. Hopefully we’re on the better end of a result there.”