The Salem High boys soccer team is 9-4 after a 2-1 overtime loss to Hidden Valley on Spartan Field Tuesday night. The loss follows a 4-0 defeat on the home pitch last Friday against Blacksburg.
Salem scored first Tuesday on a goal by Elijah Clark but the Titans were able to tie it before halftime. The Spartans had some chances in the second half, hitting the post a couple times despite playing a man short due to a red card for the final 20 minutes of regulation. Hidden Valley scored on a corner kick in the first overtime and that held up as the Titans escaped with a River Ridge District win.
Last Friday, also at home, the Spartans came up short once again against Blacksburg. The perennial state contending Bruins have been a thorn in the side for Salem for many years, and this season is no exception. Salem dropped a prior game in Blacksburg, 7-0, and last week’s loss in Salem was closer but no one on the Salem side was looking at this as a moral victory.
“We played Blacksburg better but we still made too many mistakes against a good team,” said Salem coach David Atkins. “Robert Herndon started his first game in goal this season and kept us in the game.”
Herndon had nine saves and had his head on a swivel all night against the swarming Bruins. The Spartans stayed within two goals for most of the game before Blacksburg added a couple late ones to put it away, including a beautiful direct kick into the top left corner at a near impossible angle.
The Spartans also played Lord Botetourt last week and shut out the Cavaliers, 5-0, after a lightning delay. Salem has three regular season games remaining, Friday at Christiansburg, next Tuesday at Patrick Henry and Pulaski County on the home pitch on Friday, May 15.
