By Jeffery R. Ratliff

Northweat Signal

NAPOLEON — With the final seconds ticking off the clock until intermission, the Bowling Green boys soccer team made a last, desperate run at the Napoleon goal.

Napoleon keeper Austin Hopkins turned away a shot by BG’s Luca Brininger, but Tomas Meek was right there to head the ball into the net with five seconds remaining until halftime.

The Bobcats added a late second half goal and kept a clean sheet for a 2-0 win at Buckenmeyer Stadium Tuesday in the Northern Lakes League’s Cardinal Division.

“Obviously, that was really a positive for us,” said BG boys soccer coach Josh Fox about the late first-half goal. “Before the game we talked about how we have had a couple of bounces go against us recently. We wanted to take some chances and see if a few bounces could go our way.

“To get a goal with five seconds left on the clock is a big confidence boost,” added Fox, whose Bobcats outshot Napoleon 7-2 in the first half.

Hopkins made several big saves in the opening half of the game, including a diving save against Brininger 10 minutes into the game and coming out to stop a shot from close range against BG’s Aden Kendrick.

“I thought the game was pretty even in the first half,” said Napoleon boys soccer coach Chris DelFavero. “Austin made some nice saves, but giving up a goal with less than 10 seconds (in the half) can’t help but have an affect on you at halftime.”

Napoleon had an excellent chance to tie the game five minutes into the second half, but BG keeper Max Haynes came out of the box and challenged Napoleon’s Ethan Lloyd, turning away his shot before he could get a lot on it.

“That is something we have been talking to him (Haynes) about a lot,” said Fox. “At times he can be a bit too timid. We wanted to see him be more aggressive. So the coaching staff was really pleased (with that save).”

BG had a good scoring chance less than four minutes later, when Brininger’s shot was kicked away by Hopkins, but right to the foot of BG’s Grant Sonner, whose shot went just wide of the goal.

Napoleon defenseman Hayden Jones made a stop 10 minutes into the second half, while Kellen Ressler’s header off a free kick from 32 yards out was sent over the net.

The Cats last good scoring chances came with less than five minutes remaining as Landon Speiser received a pass behind the Bobcats’ defense. His shot, however, was way off the mark.

Ressler had another attempt with a header, but Haynes was right there to make the save with 3:47 left on the clock.

BG sealed the win with 2:09 remaining, as Sonner scored into an empty net after the Wildcats’ defense turned the ball over deep in their third of the field.

“Our defense has played very well this season,” said DelFavero. “Those two goals are the most we have given up in a game this season. That last goal was just us being desperate and hitting the ball backwards when we shouldn’t have.”

Bowling Green is now 9-2 overall and 6-2 in the NLL’s Cardinal Division.

“We are in second place (behind Springfield),” said Fox. “We have to win out and get some help, so coming here and getting a win tonight was very big for us.”

Napoleon falls to 8-3-2 overall and 4-3-1 in conference play.