It was the team’s closest match of the season, but who would have guessed that it would end in a flash.

It was all over in a matter of seconds for Forest Hills Central. Taking the game right down to the wire, the Rangers conceded a fantastic volley goal from one of Forest Hills Northern’s senior captain attackers to make it 1-0.

It was a toss-up match right from the get-go. The Rangers were on their heels defending their net with all of their might. Max Mairn would get the start, and Jared Ireland suited up to play in the field, but his stint did not last long. The junior captain suffered a knee injury with 24 minutes to go in the half, and would not return to the game after receiving treatment. Injuries have been a major problem this season; junior M.J. Francisco is out with a broken arm, senior Ian Kastner is still recovering from a neck issue, and senior Jake Roessler is absent with an ankle problem. Despite this, Forest Hills Central never gave up in this game. They were given two golden opportunities to score, both occurring in a similar fashion. Northern’s goalie attempted to clear the ball out of his own box, and was smothered by junior Connor McCain and Jared Ireland on the separate occasions. Connor tried his chances with a volley, but floated the ball way above the cross bar. Ireland went for his chance with a bouncing ground shot to the back post, only to miss by a few inches. The crowd sighed in perfect synchronization when Ireland’s attempt failed to find the net. “We told Jared, when he missed it, to get through it and move on,” senior captain Kevin Conn said. “It’s getting better and better each time, and Northern is a great opponent. The more you dwell on it, the worse it gets.”

Senior defender Dylan Mackey had a big night for the Rangers, giving them some offensive firepower when they needed it most. Despite not being able to find the back of the net, Mackey was upbeat. The seniors on the squad this year need to step up more than ever, and he was a guy that the team could look to.

“I feel like we have a pretty big impact on some of the younger guys,” Dylan said. “We try our best, and I can’t ask for more”.

The Rangers would end this game wishing they could have done more when they had the chance. Due to lightning, the game was postponed for several minutes and eventually called off. The players trudged off the field with 7 minutes of playing time still left on the clock, time that they would never get back.

Coach Blair Lincoln was unavailable for questions after the game. The Rangers will be looking to bounce back from this difficult and confusing loss as they prepare to take on Ottawa Hills next.