The Emporia High boys soccer team let one get away Thursday night.
Despite out-shooting the Trojans 16-9 — including 13-3 in the second half — the fifth-ranked Spartans suffered their first loss of the season, 1-0, to Topeka High all because of one defensive mishap less than 15 minutes into the game.
“We shouldn’t have lost,” senior midfielder Adrian Trujillo said. “We dominated the whole game, we just couldn’t put the ball in the net.”
Topeka High got the lone score of the game in the 14th minute when speedy forward Julian Carvajal sprinted past the Emporia High defense after receiving a pass and simply out-ran two Spartan defenders.
“Someone as fast as we were — apparently a step faster,” EHS coach Steve Pearson said. “That happens. That doesn’t happen much with our backs, but it happens.”
Carvajal then launched a shot toward the right side of the net from about 30 yards out. Emporia High goalkeeper Spencer Anderson dove for the ball, but Carvajal’s shot had enough bend on it to curve past Anderson’s outstretched arms and into the net to make it 1-0.
“He just broke through the defense, and I just failed to do my job,” Anderson said. “I dove too early.”
EHS (6-1, 2-1 Centennial League) never threatened much in the first half after Topeka’s score, but that all changed after the break.
In the second half, the Spartans ramped up the intensity on offense, sending nearly the entire team to Topeka’s side of the field while continually launching shots ahead in hopes of getting a breakaway goal of their own.
The result was a half dominated on the stat sheet by the Spartans. EHS took 10 more shots on goal than Topeka (2-4-1) and played almost the whole half in front of the Trojans’ net.
But the Trojans were more than content to sit on their one-goal lead, lying back in a nine-man defense to counter Emporia’s aggressiveness on offense.
“It’s hard to beat a nine-man defense,” Pearson said. “I can’t think of anything else I could’ve asked out of our guys. They did everything but score.”
Several times, Emporia got Topeka goalkeeper Steven Anderson to come out from his spot in front of the net, but time and time again, he would get just enough of his hands on an EHS shot to deflect the ball away.
“It seemed like they got to every close ball by the goal, and every little lucky bounce went their way back there,” Trujillo said. “We controlled it (the second half). We just didn’t put the ball in the net.
“I thought if we scored one, the others would follow easily. We just couldn’t get that first one in.”
The Spartans were visibly upset following their first loss of the season, but Pearson told his squad, “It’s not the end of the world. If we had to lose one, let’s make it this one and go get the rest of them.”
The Emporia players seemed ready to prove they would grow from the loss, not suffer because of it.
“I think this is a dent in our cockiness, and that might be a good thing,” Anderson said. “We just need to step it up a bit and win some more.”
Topeka High 1, Emporia 0
Thursday at TRYSA
Topeka High 1 0 — 1
Emporia 0 0 — 0
First Half
TH — Julian Carvajal (unassisted), 14th minute
Shots on goal — TH 9, Emporia 16. Saves — TH: Steven Anderson 16, Emporia: Spencer Anderson 8. Corner kicks — TH 2, Emporia 4. Direct kicks — TH 11, Emporia 9. Fouls — TH 9, Emporia 11. Yellow cards — TH: Phillip Moore, Emporia: Brian Tabares.