LAURINBURG —The Fighting Scots boys soccer team’s high hopes ended in heartbreak Monday against the Gray’s Creek Bears.
After a big win Wednesday against the Whiteville Cougars, the Scots carried that momentum into their matchup with undefeated Gray’s Creek.
Scotland’s Jackson Hernandez scored on a penalty kick in the first half to tie the game at 1-1 with 33:23 remaining. As the game moved forward, neither team could find the back of the net, as both defensive units made it a struggle to score. At the end of the first half, the score was even at one.
Scotland head coach Jeremy White said he was pleased with his team’s first-half performance.
“Our performance in the first half was great. We played the basics, our position and were having fun. That’s the message we took from the first half. If we continue with those things, we would find success,” White said.
However, things began to go awry. Gray’s Creek took its game to another level, and Scotland did not carry the momentum from the first half. The Bears would score three goals within 12 minutes to take a 4-1 lead, never making it close for Scotland to mount a comeback.
The Scots attempted just two shots in the second half, while goalkeeper Andrew Medlock had 31 saves.
“Once Gray’s Creek went ahead, we panicked,” White said. “We felt like the boat was sinking when there was only a puddle on the floor. Moving forward, this loss was a learning lesson; once a mistake happens, we learn to play through it.”
Scotland (5-6-2) will be on the road Wednesday against Terry Sanford at 7 p.m.