LACEY — For about 79 minutes, the North Thurston boys soccer team was dialed in.
The Rams flew around the pitch on defense, created good looks on offense and played with intensity, passion and focus.
But for the final handful of seconds against Lincoln Thursday night, chaos took control.
Holding a 1-0 lead, all North Thurston had to do was defend a corner kick and survive any possible madness that may have ensued.
It took care of the first task, but not the second.
The Rams batted the corner kick out of play momentarily, but the ball bounced around and found the middle of the pitch, where the Abes ripped a shot past the diving Rams keeper Jonny Cook for the game-tying goal. The game ended in a 1-1 tie, handing North Thurston its third tie through four games so far this season.
“We talk about focusing on the little details, recognizing what the game needs and what the situation calls for with the boys a lot,” North Thurston coach Tristan Glazer said. “There, the situation called for that extra bit of focus and intensity. It was a little lapse of judgment. It’s something that has crept over from a year before and something that we’re trying to shake.”
For the second straight game, the Rams struck first but did not score again. The first half ended without a score, as both teams shot multiple times and saw valuable stops from their defenders and keepers.
The Abes had a golden opportunity to strike early in the second half as they had a wide open look near the box, with only Cook standing in the way. But the Lincoln player didn’t kick the ball immediately, allowing two Rams defenders to catch up and block the shot attempt. North Thurston senior Leonardo Cortez also had a strong look in the first half, but it was saved by Lincoln’s keeper.
Finally, Rayan Moustafa broke the scoring drought by stealing a pass on Lincoln’s side of the field, racing past a pack of Abes and poking it into the back of the net.
“It was just a special play from a player that has a lot of talent,” Glazer said of Moustafa. “For the first 50 or so minutes in the match, he was struggling a little bit to find some space and be dangerous toward the goal. In those 10 minutes before he scored, he really picked it up a notch.”
Lincoln couldn’t convert on a free kick or a corner kick late in the second half, with Cook saving both. But the final corner kick turned from what could have been a triumphant stop on defense for North Thurston and a victory into a goal that sent the Lincoln sideline into a frenzy. Moments after the final whistle, multiple Rams sat on the pitch in disbelief.
“The biggest thing to learn is the struggle that we had in this game and being able to close it out. Coming off a tie on Tuesday, I thought that their effort and their attitude was much better today,” Glazer said. “I thought they showed desire and passion and grit for a large part of the game.”
One positive takeaway for the Rams was the play from their standout freshmen Cook and Moustafa. North Thurston’s coaching staff has been impressed by the confidence and talent they’ve exuded through the first chunk of the regular season. Moustafa scored the Rams’ solo goal, and Cook kept North Thurston in the game with his outstanding effort in goal.
“In the few games that [Cook] has played this year, he’s brought that calming presence to the back line,” Glazer said of his keeper. “There’s nothing he could do on that last play, and it’s one that the guys around him have to help him out that last little bit because he deserved that shut out.”
Aside from a 5-1 win against Shelton on March 12, North Thurston has tied 0-0 with Olympia, 1-1 with Tumwater and now 1-1 with Lincoln. The Rams (1-0-3) will look to get back in the win column on the road against Mount Tahoma Tuesday, March 24.
