Mounts draw with Barons

Manheim Central and Ephrata were two L-L Section Two boys’ soccer teams heading in different directions coming into Monday evening’s match.

The Barons (7-0-3 Section Two, 10-0-4 overall) were winners of five straight matches and chasing Elizabethtown (8-0-1, 10-1-1 entering Monday) for the top spot in Section Two.

The Mountaineers (5-4-1, 7-4-2) had dropped two straight and were trying to keep above .500 in section play.

The Barons dominated statistically, but Ephrata junior Nikita Patrushev’s goal with 4:23 left in regulation helped the Mountaineers forge a 1-1 tie. The teams played two 10-minute golden goal overtimes before settling for the draw.

Turning point: Patrushev scored off an assist by senior Ryan Burkholder. Ephrata coach Rob Deininger had moved Patrushev up as a third striker minutes earlier as time was winding down. It was one of just two shots the Mountaineers had in regulation.

“They are a quality team and very tough to score against,” said Deininger, whose team lost a 2-0 match on the road to the Barons on Sept. 9. “We kept working hard, getting some deep balls and finally one of our guys got it in. We hadn’t scored in our past two games.”

Key statistic: Manheim Central outshot Ephrata by a 6-3 margin, but Ephrata junior goalie Jimmy Hickey recorded five saves to help keep the Mountaineers in the match. Hickey allowed just Kale Landis’ goal midway through the first half.

Quotable: “We had three times as many shots as (Ephrata),” said Manheim Central coach Rod Brenize. “We had three times as many corners. The juicy comment you’re looking for isn’t coming.”

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