Oneida | The Indians came back in the second half to beat Eagleton 3-2 on Tuesday (May 7) and advance to the district championship game against Kingston.
Levi James scored an early goal for the Indians, making it 1-0. Mason Keaton's shot that looked like it would have been his second goal was wiped out by an umpire penalty in what Oneida coach Derek Keaton called “a game-changing sequence.” Despite Oneida outscoring Eagleton 14-8, the score remained 1-0 at halftime.
In the second half, the Royals scored two points in quick succession, making it 2-1 with 27 minutes remaining. But Oneida quickly answered with a game-tying goal from George Klein, followed by a game-winning goal from Mason Keaton off an assist from Reiss Kennedy.
“We were able to create a lot of good shots, but we still struggled to finish,” Keaton said. “It was a very close game in the last 20 minutes. The field was a little wet so the ball was wet and both teams were affected by the wet ball.
“Eagleton played really well and was determined,” Keaton added. “But championship-level teams always answer. I couldn't be more proud of the way our team answered their run.”
Keaton said the number of close games the team lost prepared them for the time being.
“The players performed very well in the last 27 minutes of the game, keeping them scoreless,” he said.
Keaton praised the play of Reese Kennedy and Wyatt Yancey in the second half, as well as the play of Levi James, Mason Keaton and George Klein.
“At this point in the season, it's very important to find a way to win and play for a championship,” he said.
Thursday's game will kick off at 6:30pm in Kingston.
