GREENFIELD — Lady Luck was sitting on the wrong side of the stadium.
The loss of a key player in the first half proved a key as the young St. Joseph Flyers tied the Greenfield McClain Tigers 2-2 in their soccer season opener on Friday.
Brothers Brady and Blake Medinger each scored a goal for the Flyers (0-0-1). Junior Brady Medinger scored at the 39:20 mark of the first half with an assist from senior Zach Johnson.
Freshman Blake Medinger then scored with 30:55 on the clock thanks to an assist from senior Matthew Heighton.
The Flyers — who have just three seniors — suffered a huge blow when Johnson left the game with 24:18 to go in the first half under concussion protocol and did not return.
McClain (1-0-1) took advantage of Johnson’s absence and scored less than two minutes later as Hayden Hice got a goal off a corner kick by Wesley Smith.
The Tigers tied the game with 34:21 to go in the second half as Hice got his second goal on one of three penalty kicks by McClain.
The Flyer’s goalkeeper junior Evan Balestra had 5 saves while Ethan Hill had 3 for McClain.
St. Joseph took 8 shots with 5 on goal and McClain had 10 shots with 7 on goals.
The Flyers visit Piketon on Tuesday.
St. Joseph 2 0 = 2
McClain 1 1 = 2
First Half
SJ — Brady Medinger (assist Zach Johnson) 39:20
SJ — Blake Medinger (assist Matthew Heighton) 30:55
GM — Hayden Hice (off corner kick by Wesley Smith) 22:46
Second Half
GM — Hayden Hice (penalty kick) 34:21
Statistics
Shots — St. Joseph 8, McClain 10.
Shots on goals: St. Joseph: 5, McClain 7
Goalkeepers — St. Joseph: Evan Balestra 5 saves; GM: Ethan Hill 3 saves
Foul — St. Joseph 7, McClain 4
Offsides — St. Joseph 1, McClain 3
Corner kicks — St. Joseph 6, McClain 3
Penalty kicks — St. Joseph 0, McClain 3
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