Randolph Boys Soccer tied Mendham 1-1 in a thrilling, back-and-forth matchup on Minutemen turf on Tuesday, Oct. 1.

“Our game plan was to not only dominate the game, but to also work hard when we lost possession,” said senior co-captain Jayden DeCarvalho regarding the Rams’ game plan going into the match.

In the first half of the game, the Rams did a good job of setting the pace. They kept the ball well, and opportunities started to open up for them offensively.

At the same time, Mendham also saw progress offensively in the first half, as the opponents created a few good chances of their own.

However, a strong response from the Rams backline shut down the Mendham strikers. Many great saves from junior goalkeeper Gavin Vichengrad kept the Minutemen off the scoreboard.

With around 10 minutes left in the half, Vichengrad made another save and quickly started up a Rams counterattack led by senior Justin Quinones and senior co-captain Bryan Garcia. The ball was ripped across the six-yard-box by the Rams attack, and it was deflected into the net by sophomore Julian Hernandez.

After the goal, they executed a few more solid shots on target and were able to keep pace through the half, which ended 1-0.

“It felt amazing to score in such a big game,” Hernandez said. “I was very happy to help the team and that I scored against a rival.”

The Rams came out strong in the second half, as they kept the ball moving and stayed sharp defensively. However, with around 15 minutes left in the game, the Rams had a defensive complication, and the Minutemen tied up the game 1-1.

Although the Rams conceded, they quickly bounced back from the goal, finishing the second half with a lot of momentum for overtime.

During the first period of overtime, the Rams did a lot of work defensively in order to keep the game even. Key defensive plays made by junior co-captain RJ Dougherty and DeCarvalho ensured that the Rams stayed level with Mendham.

Despite the Rams’ offensive struggles during the first period offensively, the offense came alive during the second period of overtime. Shots from sophomores Andrei Nitulescu and Felipe Pesa came inches away from winning the game for Randolph.

The hard-fought match ended in a 1-1 draw, and both sides left the field exhausted. “We can’t let this tie get to our heads, and we need to move on from it,” Dougherty said after the game. “We have a big next game that could mean a lot for us, so that’s what we have to look forward to.”

The Rams face Ridgewood next, today, Monday, Oct. 7.