INMAN, S.C. – With time winding down in regulation, the Chapman boys’ soccer team was in search of an equalizer to force extra time. However, that goal never came for the Panthers.
A couple of late chances narrowly missed the mark in the latter stages, allowing the Greer Yellow Jackets to escape with a 2-1 win over Chapman in a non-region match, spoiling the Panthers’ pursuit of the first unbeaten season in program history. Greer launched a pair of shots on goal in the first 11 minutes of the match, both of which were caught by Chapman netminder Daniel Johnson. Three minutes later, a Panther attempted to clear the ball out of the six yard box, but it ricocheted and landed on the foot of a Yellow Jacket player who then found the back of the net for a 1-0 Greer lead. “I was happy with the way we fought all the way until the end,” said Chapman head coach Chris Dowdell. “We tried to equalize, but we just couldn’t finish. Greer is a talented team and it’s always good to go up against bigger schools… these guys stepped up, played their hearts out, and learned a lot.” Chapman responded in the 29th minute on a breakaway as Rowan Block put a shot on goal from 10 yards out on the right side but was deflected by the Greer goalkeeper. The deflection ended up in front of Jakob Schall on the left side, who fired one to the top shelf from 12 yards away and tied the match at one. Over the last eight minutes of the half, Johnson recorded four more saves and a deflection out of bounds, which kept the game at a one-all deadlock at the break. “Daniel is outstanding,” stated Dowdell. “I always tell my goalkeepers to make every save you’re supposed to, and then pull one out of thin air. He made a couple of saves that I didn’t think he was going to be able to make, so he doubled that up. He’s had a rough year… over the past couple of weeks, he has gotten back to himself. He’s a spectacular goalkeeper when he’s on his game. He’s one of the best in the area.” The match stayed that way until just past the midway point of the second stanza, as a Yellow Jacket found an opening in the 66th minute and launched a shot to the top right corner for a 2-1 Greer advantage. Six minutes later, the Panthers lined up a corner kick from the left side. The ball landed inside the 18 yard box and a Chapman player fired a shot towards the net from close range, but the Greer keeper dove and made the save. The Panthers had an identical opportunity in the 34th minute, but the Yellow Jackets made yet another stop. The closest chance for Chapman occurred in the 86th minute, as they tallied a pair of shots at the net from inside the 18’. The first one was deflected, but the follow up shot narrowly missed by less than a foot, narrowly missing the top right corner of the goal. “Some of the guys were really upset,” Dowdell admitted. “To go undefeated in soccer during a regular season is incredibly hard. It’s such a cruel sport. For these guys to finish 13-1-1 with the amount of youth and inexperience we have on this side is incredible. It’s a testament to how dedicated and committed they’ve been this year and we’re looking for them to get better in the future.” “(Our team) knows what defeat tastes like and they know they don’t like it. I scheduled this game before the playoffs because Greer historically has been very talented. I wanted a test for our young guys before we get to where the games really matter.” Chapman (13-1-1) will have a few days off before hosting a first round match in the 3A playoffs on Monday, May 1st. Further details about the first round matchup were not available at the time this story was published. Comments are closed.
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