Botkins’ John Ratermann chases the ball ahead of Troy Christian’s Ayden Taylor during a nonconference game on Saturday at Botkins Community Park. The Trojans lost 2-1.
Luke Gronneberg | Sidney Daily News
BOTKINS — The Botkins Trojans (4-1, 1-0) couldn’t outscore the Troy Christian Eagles (2-2, 1-1) as they fell 2-1 on Saturday at Botkins Community Park in some chippy nonconference play.
“The refs let way too much go,” Trojans head coach Kevin Lynch said. “Their center backs were extending their arms right on us. We just weren’t used to the physicality.”
The Eagles got out to an early lead with a header from Mikey Berner at 37:38 on the clock in the first half.
Botkins spent much of the rest of the first half on defense, being unable to make much progress with the ball. Troy Christian made numerous runs at the Trojans’ goal, but goalkeeper Conner Butcher put his body on the line to keep his team.
“The goalkeeper is the last line of defense,” Lynch said. “Everyone else can make 100 mistakes out there and it doesn’t really matter, he makes one and it’s a goal. He definitely kept us in the game in the first half. It looks like he may have hurt his shoulder.”
At the end of the first half, the Eagles still held a 1-0 lead.
Botkins finally struck on offense early in the second half with a goal from senior Russell Lenhart to tie the game up with 34:04 left to play.
The two teams entered a stalemate for the next 20 or so minutes and the play began to get increasingly more physical.
Two Troy Christian players were given yellow cards for their play in the process.
But, it was the Trojans’ physicality that would cost it in the end. A penalty on Botkins gave the Eagles a PK with 11:37 to play and Marek Bollinger put it past Butcher and in the back of the net.
The goal gave Troy Christian an 2-1 lead they didn’t relinquish.
“We had chances, we could have easily put a couple in,” Lynch said. “Their two goals were kind of fluke goals. We scored the better of the three goals, but it’s soccer. We got a little tired towards the end, but we hung with them.”
The Trojans had a chance to tie things up with just under 4:00 to play when Eagles goalie Karter Denson was out of the box, but was unable to capitalize on the opportunity.
Botkins is back on the pitch on Thursday at home against Fairlawn at 7 p.m.
