Not again, 7th/8th grade soccer team loses by a goal

Despite having scraped his shin, Alan knocked in an incredible tying goal from right outside the box. Unfortunately minutes later, the other team scored on an equally magnificent free kick which handed the 7th/8th grade soccer team yet another close 2-1 loss.

The game was headed toward a scoreless tie as neither team showed they really wanted to put the ball in the net. But Garrick bobbled a pop up which ended up in the net, putting the 7th/8th grade behind 1-0.

After Alan's equalizer, Joseph was called for a penalty and the other team was awarded a free kick. And the player taking that kick placed it right in the corner of the net for a spectacular goal.

Yet again, the 7th/8th graders played well enough to lose.

It's unfortunate that a lot of the positive things on the team are overlooked because of the (0-4) record that the team now wears.

Ryan K. has consistently played his best soccer of his St. Mary's career, and Matthew has been all over the field. Julian and Jaime also played well in stretches of Saturday's game.

But playing well hasn't translated to goals, which is something the likes of Raymond, Thomas, Luis, and even Alan need to improve upon.

The team just has no touch when it comes to getting a quality shot on the net.

Last year, scoring came easier when the teams in the division had weak players on their back end who kicked and missed at a lot of balls. Or perhaps players who weren't as fast.

Now, the opponents have large bodies in the backfield that are more than capable of standing their ground. And right now, the 7th/8th graders are unable to penetrate through that wall.

For the second straight week, Alfonso's presence up front was missed, as he didn't suit up for the second straight game.

This team also has no true goalie. Garrick has been thrusted into the position and has had struggled. His mistakes wouldn't be as magnified if the offense was able to put some points on the board, giving Garrick some room to breathe.

Fair or not, the goalie is the one who will be praised and will also take the blame.

With half a season left, the 7th/8th graders will try to salvage what's left of what could be the final St. Mary's soccer team for a while.