New Kent finishes in 1-1 tie with Grafton in boys’ soccer match

New Kent’s William Cheeley (14) charges at a Grafton player in an attempt to steal the ball.

Robb Johnson photo

After a strong season start, New Kent boys’ soccer team had to deal with the injury bug as they had to make adjustments throughout the season. Monday night’s Bay Rivers District contest against the visiting Grafton Clippers showed them that they are learning to deal with adversity.

After 80 minutes of regulation time and 10 minutes of overtime, New Kent tied Grafton 1-1 in a competitive contest.

New Kent had to rely on Colin Lucas guarding the net as he stepped in as the new keeper due to injury. Lucas got some help early on as teammate Diego Jimenez used his offensive prowess to score at the 20:36 mark in the first half.

But the new goalkeeper got his first test early on. After the Trojan defense faulted, Grafton capitalized with their goal with 12:06 remaining in the first half. Lucas settled down as both teams entered halftime tied up at one apiece.

In the second half, the intensity of the game ramped up as both teams missed ample opportunities to score. New Kent saw a possible score wiped away as Maddox Mansfield’s header was called back due to being offsides.

Both teams battled continuously, heading into the extra periods. Neither team could crack the scoreboard with the additional time, leading to the game ending in a tie.

After the contest, New Kent Head Coach Scott Renick spoke about the team’s effort.

“The game was intense and there was a moment when Owen Agee scored and the referee claimed he pushed the guy before it,” Renick said, speaking about a controversial call that wiped way a goal. “Other than that, I am proud of Colin (Lucas). He was thrown into the fire.

“We played as well as we could being a man down,” the head coach continued, speaking of playing with a disadvantage after an earlier ejection. “We got the tie and now we have a chance to finish at .500.”

New Kent’s record now stands at 7-5-2.