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Celina's Logan Sapp (6) watches as Bulldog goalkeeper Drew Baumstark (17) makes the save as St. Marys' Brady Triplett goes up for a header during Thursday's WBL soccer match at the soccer stadium.
CELINA - As is the case with the Grand Lake Derby, Celina and St. Marys fought it out during 80 minutes, and while both teams found the back of the net, neither could get the win in a 1-1 draw Thursday night at the soccer stadium.
After a cagey start to the match, St. Marys thought they found a first half goal off the foot of Reid Kantner. After a corner was swung into the box Celina goalkeeper Braylon Steinbrunner caught it cleanly before an over anxious Rider collided with the keeper, who spilled the ball and Kantner put it home. The referee saw it as a foul, no goal was awarded, and the score stayed at 0-0.
It remained scoreless at the break, as both teams found it tough to get the ball out of the midfield. St. Marys created a few more chances over the first 40 minutes, but their long-ball style of play could not result in a goal.
After the scoreless first 40 minutes, both teams played the second half similarly to how they played in the first half. A tight, back and forth, first 20 minutes of the second half added to the pressure of the match later on, and the crowd sensed it too.
"It is what you would expect in a St. Marys-Celina game," St. Marys coach James Holtzapple said. "I feel like we played into their hands too much, trying to kick the long ball nonstop. I wished we possessed it better."
Celina finally found a breakthrough goal, with 18:07 left in the match. After a long ball, a Bulldog attacker settled the ball, and fed it through to Nelson Chapman, and the senior forward calmly tucked it away to give the home team a 1-0 lead.
Celina's Nelson Chapman (14) watches his ball get past St. Marys goalkeeper Landon Klaus while Roughrider Landon Dietz watches the ball.
With the crowd noise growing and the sun setting, St. Marys was pushing for an equalizer. There were a few chances that ended on target for the Riders, but it was not until the final few minutes that they got the golden chance.
A Celina foul put the ball on the edge of the box, and it lined up too perfectly for the Roughriders to pass up. Noah White powered it past the wall and into the net with 2:16 left in the match. On what was the team's seventh shot on target, St. Marys found the equalizer.
A few more kicks, screams, and one card later, the score ended 1-1. Celina had let a lead slip, but it was not for a lack of effort.
"We got a call that didn't go our way, and St. Marys finished," Celina coach Ryan Jenkins said. "It was a good game between two good teams. It's always going to go all 80 minutes."
With the tie, St. Marys moves to 5-1-1 (1-0-1 Western Buckeye League) and takes on Delta on Saturday. Celina's record goes to 2-1-2 (1-0-1 WBL) and travels to Kettering to face Archbishop Alter on Saturday.
St. Marys' Jackson Green (4) watches as Celina's Luke Maxwell deflects the ball during Thursday's WBL match.
