On Wednesday, Nov. 18 the boys soccer team traveled to district opponent Seminole and finished the match in a 1-1 tie. The team’s lone goal came with 16:50 left in the first half when forward Scotty Benoit put the ball into the back of the net with a deep shot. The Seminole tie came with just over eight minutes left in the game on a deflected shot.

“After the game we felt disappointed; it felt like a loss because we really should have won,” midfielder Shay Leatherman said. “The late goal happened because I feel like we lost some motivation. We were on our own side the entire second half.”

The possession Leatherman referred to was something that was not a problem in the first half. Through midfielders Alex Boyd and Juan Gomez, the team dominated possession and had plenty of shot opportunities, including the goal.

“Possession is always important because as long as you have control, they can’t score. More possession often makes the other team lose confidence,” Boyd said.

One catalyst for the late game struggles with possession was the loss of Gomez after an apparent neck injury.

“Having Gomez taken out really ruined our attacking, which took away some of our flow,” Leatherman said.

Others, however, felt that a general lack of focus at the end led to opportunities for the other team to attack and advance the ball.

Overall, the tie left the team with a sour taste in their mouth after being so close to victory but having to settle for a tie. The team’s next game is against district leader Lake Mary on Dec. 2.