Randolph Soccer tied Scotch Plains-Fanwood 0-0 on Wednesday, Oct. 23, which was also Senior Night, at DaSilva Field.
Prior to the game, the Rams celebrated the team’s 13 seniors: Jayden DeCarvalho, Matthias Friis, Brandon Garcia, Bryan Garcia, Sebastian Henao, Tommy LaDieu, Jack Lachanski, David Martinez, Raam Murugappan, Alex Oleyar, Julian Proano, Justin Quinones, and Arvin Singh.
“It was amazing to see all the fans show up for us,” Proano commented. “We felt like as long as we had the fans on our side, we would be able to compete against a top team like SPF.”
With an all-senior starting lineup, aside from the goalie, the Rams were in for a tough matchup against Scotch Plains-Fanwood, the third-ranked team in the state.
It was a fast start for Scotch Plains-Fanwood, giving them the early momentum. However, once Randolph settled in, the momentum swung in favor of the Rams.
With 15 minutes left in the first half, Scotch Plains-Fanwood showed a threat, but junior RJ Dougherty came up with a huge block to save a goal.
The Rams bounced back in the rest of the first half, having chances on the offensive end including a shot from sophomore Andrei Nitulescu.
“Our team [was] exceptional at our press; it felt like every player was doing their job, and it was like we were a well-oiled machine,” sophomore Felipe Pesa said.
The Rams began the second half aggressively and dominated but couldn’t cash in on their chances as the game ended in a 0-0 tie, sending both teams into overtime.
With less than five minutes left in OT, junior Jake Rubin crossed a ball into the box, which was headered by Nitulescu, but the ball went off the post and rolled across the goal line before it was cleared away. The Rams ultimately couldn’t capitalize on their chances in OT as the game ended in a 0-0 draw.
“I thought we were the better team,” head coach George Mousis said. “If we continue to play like this, I’m confident we’ll get the win in our next game.”
Despite the hard-fought tie, the Rams are determined to earn a victory in their next matchup today, Thursday, Oct. 31, against Roxbury.
