ALEXANDRIA -- The Bemidji High School boys soccer team snapped a four-game losing streak with a 1-1 tie at Alexandria on Friday.
“A lot of these guys aren’t used to this type of experience,” BHS head coach Rick Toward said of the skid. “It’s obviously a step in the right direction. I think, if we play that team again, we get a better result.”
Following a scoreless first half, the Lumberjacks (1-4-1) got a goal out of Noah Johnson, who found the back of the net off a corner kick from Silas Bitter in the 60th minute.
Five minutes later, the Cardinals (0-1-3) drew even when Lucas Harstad scored the equalizer. Colin Reilly split a ball through the back line, and Harstad poked it past Bemidji keeper Josh Nyberg with the defense chasing behind.
The teams went scoreless throughout the rest of regulation, and, with no overtime period due to COVID-19 modifications, settled for a draw.
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“We felt we were in control quite a bit. We’re still playing a lot better than we have been,” Toward said. “(Tuesday’s game against Moorhead) was probably our best effort of the season, even though we ended up losing that game. Tonight we played well, but I didn’t feel like we had the same energy we did against Moorhead. We didn’t have the same hustle. But, no, we played fine.”
The 1-1 tie was Alexandria’s third in a row. It was also the Cardinals’ first game since Sept. 3 because one player’s positive COVID-19 test result halted the team’s season for two weeks.
Nyberg finished with four saves for the Jacks, while Westin Gourneau stopped all three shots he faced in net during the first half. For Alex, Ryan Meuwissen made six saves throughout the night.
BHS returns to the pitch at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22, for a home match against Brainerd at Chet Anderson Stadium.
Bemidji 1, Alexandria 1
BHS 0 1 -- 1
ALX 0 1 -- 1
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First half -- No scoring.
Second half -- 1, BHS, Johnson (Bitter) 60’; 2, ALX, Harstad (Reilly) 65’.
Saves -- Gourneau (BHS) 3; Nyberg (BHS) 4; Meuwissen (ALX) 6.
