BELLEVILLE - No one would blame Belleville freshman Otto Kienitz for feeling cursed by the soccer gods after Sugar River's 1-0 loss to McFarland in the season opener Tuesday night.
The Raiders outshot the Spartans, 15-8. Kienitz just missed scoring on four first-half shots. The Raiders were 0-for-15 on shots on goal.
"That is the game of soccer for you," Kienitz said. "Every time you hit it, you are pulling your hair out. You can't go back and change it."
Kienitz missed his first scoring opportunity on a breakaway shot that sailed wide right of the post.
Raiders senior Dylan Bigler just missed a follow-up scoring opportunity off a corner kick about 17 minutes into the first half. The Spartans capitalized on their break when junior Johnny Dollar snuck in an unassisted goal past junior goalkeeper Eric Liegel at 23 minutes, 24 seconds.
Kienitz had a second goal-scoring opportunity deflected off McFarland senior goalkeeper Oliver Hill who had a game-high 15 saves.
Liegel had eight saves, but the scoring opportunities continued to sputter. Senior defender Zach Luchsinger hammered a ball off the top crossbar at the end of the first half and Kienitz's follow-up went awry.
In the second half, missed scoring opportunities derailed the Raiders' comeback bid.
Dollar received a yellow card six minutes into the second half, which led to a penalty kick for Sugar River's Jon Fox. The Belleville sophomore pushed the kick just wide of the post.
Moments later, Fox fired a shot that ricocheted off the post.
"I wasn't really thinking," Fox said of the penalty kick. "I just went up there and kicked it. I think we were the better team in the game. They just put their (shot) away and we didn't."
Sugar River coach Matt Belknap wasn't discouraged. He hopes to build off the game.
"The gods did not smile down on us in this game," Belknap said. "We know some day it will happen."
The Raiders outshot the Spartans, 15-8. Kienitz just missed scoring on four first-half shots. The Raiders were 0-for-15 on shots on goal.
"That is the game of soccer for you," Kienitz said. "Every time you hit it, you are pulling your hair out. You can't go back and change it."
Kienitz missed his first scoring opportunity on a breakaway shot that sailed wide right of the post.
Raiders senior Dylan Bigler just missed a follow-up scoring opportunity off a corner kick about 17 minutes into the first half. The Spartans capitalized on their break when junior Johnny Dollar snuck in an unassisted goal past junior goalkeeper Eric Liegel at 23 minutes, 24 seconds.
Kienitz had a second goal-scoring opportunity deflected off McFarland senior goalkeeper Oliver Hill who had a game-high 15 saves.
Liegel had eight saves, but the scoring opportunities continued to sputter. Senior defender Zach Luchsinger hammered a ball off the top crossbar at the end of the first half and Kienitz's follow-up went awry.
In the second half, missed scoring opportunities derailed the Raiders' comeback bid.
Dollar received a yellow card six minutes into the second half, which led to a penalty kick for Sugar River's Jon Fox. The Belleville sophomore pushed the kick just wide of the post.
Moments later, Fox fired a shot that ricocheted off the post.
"I wasn't really thinking," Fox said of the penalty kick. "I just went up there and kicked it. I think we were the better team in the game. They just put their (shot) away and we didn't."
Sugar River coach Matt Belknap wasn't discouraged. He hopes to build off the game.
"The gods did not smile down on us in this game," Belknap said. "We know some day it will happen."
