With the regular season hitting the home stretch, Catonsville boys soccer has firmly planted itself atop Baltimore County with Eastern Tech next in the standings.
The teams met Wednesday, and after 80 minutes of regulation and 20 more in overtime, nothing was resolved in a well-played 2-2 draw at CCBC-Essex.
Catonsville (8-2-1, 5-0-1) was less than two minutes away from winning its ninth straight game when Eastern Tech senior Daniel Nesteruk headed home a cross sent in by Jake Locklear to get the game tied.
Despite settling for the draw, the Comets clinched a berth in the Baltimore County title game. Eastern Tech (7-2-1, 4-1-1) hosts Hereford at 4 p.m. Friday with a chance to earn a berth in the big game.
On Wednesday, Catonsville senior forward Anthony Argueta hit a clean half-volley from 14 yards off Matthew Carlson’s long throw for a 2-1 lead with 3:56 to play in the first half.
The Comets capably protected the advantage deep into the second half until Nesteruk scored his second goal of the game late.
Both teams left satisfied, with the Comets keeping their impressive unbeaten string intact while clinching a chance to play for the county title.
“I love this group that we have,” coach Brendan Kennedy said. “A lot of them have been together a long time — a couple guys three-year varsity players — and they bring a lot of really good team chemistry and a really good culture. That’s what’s getting us through these games with the good results.”
The game was played with quality pace and purpose coming from both sides.
Carlson’s long throw proved a pest for Eastern Tech’s defense in the first half. He served one into the middle that the Mavericks got to first, but weren’t able to efficiently clear. Finley Tracht made it 1-0 from 12 yards in the 15th minute.
The Mavericks’ primary source of offense started with Jake Locklear’s precise services. His corner kick led to the tying goal, with Nesteruk scoring on a quick turn from 14 yards with 10:52 left in the half.
Locklear’s second connection with Nesteruk at the end of regulation — the cross perfectly placed from the right side — left coach Peter Glaudemans satisfied. The Mavericks haven’t played from behind much of the season, so the comeback resolve might prove a valuable lesson for the postseason.
“We’re blessed to have a whole bunch of kids that work hard every day and they don’t give up. They work every minute, every second — we kind of preach to them that every second in the game counts,” he said. “We knew we were going up against a team that ran eight straight having only given up one goal, found ourselves down and we fought back. So the boys should be proud of what we accomplished tonight.”
Both teams had a quality scoring chance in the extra time. For Catonsville, Chris Argueta hit the side post from 14 yards out early in the second 10-minute overtime with Locklear sending in a free kick from 40 yards that Noah Tumminia headed just wide.
Carlson, a team captain from his center back spot, was proud of how the Comets have come together this season.
“We’re really putting things together. Everyone is just working hard in practice and working hard in games and it shows,” he said.
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Goals: C — Tracht, Argueta; ET — Nesteruk 2
Assists: C — Carlson; ET — Locklear
Saves: C — Simonsen 5; ET — Baca-Fuentes 6
Half: C, 2-1