GREENFIELD — The Miami Trace Panthers varsity soccer team visited McClain High School for a Frontier Athletic Conference match on a hot Thursday afternoon, Sept. 16.
Miami Trace won the match, 4-2.
The Panthers are in third place with a record of 2-1-1.
McClain falls to 0-2-0, currently in fourth place.
The match was tied, 1-1 at the half.
Miami Trace scored first on a penalty kick.
“Freshman Ian Mavis used his speed, raced down the side and drew a penalty kick,” Miami Trace head coach Josh Thoroman explained. “Senior Logan Johnson stepped up and buried the penalty kick. He was calm, cool and collected.”
That score came with 27:17 remaining in the half.
McClain tied the game before the half.
“In the words of Sean Sweeney, there was a scrum in the penalty box and McClain wanted it more,” Thoroman said, mentioning the name of his dear friend and former Miami Trace assistant soccer coach.
That goal was the first of two in the match by McClain’s Andrew Newland.
“He is a heck of a player,” Thoroman said. “He just barreled through the bodies and blasted one in.”
Newland’s goal came with 10:11 to play in the half.
“Sekou Mara (a sophomore) scored for us to take the lead in the second half,” Thoroman said. The assist went to Johnson.
The go-ahead goal came at the 31:35 mark of the second half.
Newland got the equalizer on a penalty kick for the Tigers at the 16:48 mark.
The Panthers responded just over one minute later.
It was a goal by senior Nfanly Mara, with the assist to senior Noah Perry.
“Noah did some creative things to open him up,” Thoroman said. That goal came with 15:34 remaining in the match.
Senior Connor Bucher closed out the scoring with an assist from Nfanly Mara with 8:05 remaining.
“We really kind of went into a defensive formation after that,” Thoroman said.
The Panthers out-shot the Tigers, 15 to 10.
The McClain keeper had five saves and Miami Trace’s goalie had four saves.
“This was a very evenly-fought game,” Thoroman said. “There were 11 fouls called on each side. Each team attempted four corner kicks.
“Both teams were out there getting after it,” Thoroman said. “It was a classic battle between Miami Trace and McClain.”
Miami Trace is now 5-3-1 overall.
The updated FAC standings have Chillicothe at 2-0-0 with eight goals for and one against.
Jackson is in second place at 2-0-1. They have six goals for and three against.
Miami Trace, as mentioned above, is third at 2-1-1 with eight goals for and eight against.
McClain is 0-2-0 with two goals for and four against.
Hillsboro is 0-3-0 with one goal scored and seven allowed.
Miami Trace will host Hillsboro Thursday at 7 p.m.
