Osbourn Park, Battlefield tie in boys soccer

Whatever the reason for it, two of the area’s best soccer teams missed prime scoring opportunities as the visiting Battlefield Bobcats and the Osbourn Park Yellow Jackets played to a 0-0 tie in a non-district game between Cedar Run District rivals Friday night.

For Osbourn Park (6-0-1), the lack of offense was striking as the Yellow Jackets had been scoring an average of four goals per game before Friday night. Coach Larry Nemerow said the team’s lack of precision could have been because of not having played a game in 2 ½ weeks.
“We were a little rusty I thought,” Nemerow said. “But it was good to play a game. Playing in practice just isn’t the same. Players can go at practice speed and look like they are going full-speed but then they find out how it really isn’t game speed when they play in a game.”

Battlefield coach Ott Pimsaen could not hide his displeasure when interviewed after the game after watching his team suffer through a lack of scoring chances in the first half, then miss several golden opportunities in the second half. The interest generated by a local TV crew filming brought further attention to a game featuring teams who came into the game with identical 6-0 records.
“They (the Battlefield players) are happy with a tie, but I have to (instill in them) not to settle for ties,” Pimsaen said. “In a spotlight game, I think they (Osbourn Park) had the mental edge and we were really lucky not to lose.”

The Yellow Jackets played an aggressive brand of offense during a scoreless first half, peppering Battlefield sophomore goalkeeper Jack Eaton with eight shots. Osbourn Park missed on three prime opportunities in the half. On the first, Ahroon Nusraty tried to loop a cross to Michael Heimbach on the left wing but the try went just wide to the right.

Then in the 34th minute, junior forward Drew Ruggles drilled a direct kick from about 30 feet out that hit off the right cross bar. In the final minute of the half, Heimbach blasted a point-blank shot from just outside the middle of the penalty box that Eaton caught for a save.
Osbourn Park also had five corner kicks to Battlefield’s one in the first half. The Bobcats had three offensive chances in the half, but each time either missed the connection or had it knocked away by an Osbourn Park defender.

Early in the second half, Battlefield had an indirect free kick that Franco Buzzalino angled into the goal box, but junior defender Chase Ebel blasted it away. About a minute later, Buzzalino drilled a strong shot from the center of the box, but goalkeeper Dylan Leygraaf made a diving save.
In the 57th minute, Buzzalino got the ball all alone on the left wing and got off a weak shot that Leygraaf again made a save on.

For Buzzalino and the Bobcats, perhaps the most excruciating chance came in the 72nd minute when the senior blasted a shot toward the center of the goal that went high toward the top crossbar. Leygraaf got a hand on it and the ball bounced off the top crossbar before going out of bounds, resulting in a corner kick.
In the first five minute overtime, Ruggles laced a shot toward Eric Wootten in front of the goal, who headed the ball out of bounds. About a minute later, Zachary Roy tried a cross from the left corner of the box, but Eaton made the save. In all, Osbourn Park, playing with the wind advantage, outshot Battlefield 3-0 in the period.

During the second overtime,Battlefield’s Cameron Fuller had an indirect kick but overshot the goal. With about two minutes left, Osbourn Park’s Nick Surkamp angled the ball toward the right wing but could not connect with Roy, who collided with Battlefield defender Kevin Lopez and injured his shin on the play. It is unclear whether he will miss any games, Pimsaen said.

“He is part of a back line that plays with a lot of passion,” Pimsaen said. “They are a solid corps and he is a crucial piece of the puzzle for us. It is good that he knocked that ball away.
With little more than 30 seconds to play, Osbourn Park had a chance to win when a header appeared to hit the net just underneath the goal post, but it was not called a goal.

“It looked like it could have hit underneath the net, but it is hard to see in that situation,” Nemerow said. “No team is going to win a championship in the seventh game of the year. Every team is going to have to get better to win it. Whether we win or lose, I am still a teacher and they are still students and there is something to learn from it.”