By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – If there’s truly “no such thing as a moral victory” in competition, with the scoreboard reflecting the simplistic conclusion of a win or loss, perhaps the phrase needs modification. Bedford North Lawrence earned a “morale” win during an intense loss.
For a variety of reasons, the Stars played with ramped-up emotions and pushed Bloomington North to the brink on Tuesday night. With goalie Owen Williams covering more air space than a pterodactyl’s wingspan, BNL had a shot at an upset as it embraced the underdog role. An early goal was all the Cougars got, but it was all they needed for a 1-0 triumph.
James Bosco’s blistering shot from the right wing found the left corner of the net at 30:56 of the first half, and that was all the offense. Williams made more saves than a television evangelist, including a pair of penalty kicks late in the second half, but the Stars could not generate the equalizing goal.
”The effort was absolutely exceptional from every single player,” BNL assistant coach Joseph Brazzell, who guided the team while head coach Reeve Arce was away on a work trip, said. “They should all be proud to be a BNL soccer player. We showed a top team, we at times dominated possession in the second half, and the defensive effort was the best I’ve seen.”
The spotlight was on Williams, who made 10 saves. The two penalty stops were phenomenal. With 6:50 left, he batted down a shot from Arno Risner and deflected the following rebound. With 4:51 remaining, he made a full-lunge dive to the lower right corner to swat away a bullet from Liam Conlin.
“That was exceptional,” Brazzell said.
BNL (4-9) managed only five shots, while North (10-3) finished with 15. Only one got through. When the Stars need to be reminded of what energy and passion is necessary to compete on a high level, this game will be the standard.
“We know we need to continue to work on finishing, but we’re creating,” Brazzell said. “If we make some better decisions in front of the goal, pass a little faster, we score some goals. That’s the best energy we’ve brought this season.”
The Stars will visit Bloomfield on Saturday.
