Looking to avenge their early season defeat, the Panthers came out on the top of their game. Early on senior midfielder Cody Portin swooped in on the far post, had an opportunity, but fired a shot just over the cross bar. The Wildcats came firing back, with Adam Fuller dribbling through the Panthers’ defense before taking a shot that flicked just wide of the post. With the teams trading offensive strikes, Chatham’s sophomore keeper, starting in his first big game, got his feet wet, stopping a one-on-one Schultz strike to the near post to keep things even. Five minutes into the game, Joe Van Allen took the ball up the right wing and crossed it where it found the head of Portin who put it home for an early lead. The Panthers kept up the pressure and were able to add their second goal when Andrew Knight played the ball center where Portin again found the back of the net.

Not a team to go down quietly, the Wildcats struck back. In the 16th minute, David Briggs played Schultz, who kept the ball moving to freshman Steven Sepowski, who put the ball away to cut the deficit in half. Two minutes later, it looked like the game was destined to be tied when Schultz burst through the defense to go one on one with Oleynek. But the young keeper came through with a big save. On the other end of the field, Todd Van Alstyne put a near-perfect strike on goal for the Panthers, but Maple Hill senior Nick Pappas made a spectacular diving one-handed save to keep his team down just one.

With another shot to tie the game, Schultz did not disappoint in the 28th minute, again using his speed and power to fight through defenders before putting the ball in the back of the net to tie things at 2-2. With time winding down in the first half, the Wildcats struck again. Schultz again sped through defenders ripping a shot that Oleynek was able to save, but as the ball went off the goalie and back into a player, a defender knocked the ball into the net with pressure from Schultz giving the Wildcats the lead.

The second half played out much like the first, with each team having excellent chances to put the ball into the net. In the 56th minute, Portin had a chance to get his third goal of the game with a great touch into space, but Pappas came through with a big save for Maple Hill. Nearly 11 minutes later, the Panthers were finally able to tie the game after a foul just outside the box. With the ball to the right of the goal, Knight struck a ball past the wall and into the side netting on the far post, just out of the reach of Pappas.

With time winding down the Panthers continued to pressure the Wildcat defense. A foul just to the left of goal right outside of the box gave Chatham another prime opportunity. Knight struck a hard, curving low ball around the wall but just wide of the post. In the 78th minute, the Panthers finally broke through. Knight slid the ball to Van Allen, right in front of the goal. As Van Allen spun to face the goal, with Pappas charging low, Van Allen put the ball up and over Pappas for what would be the game-winning goal.

The victory improves Chatham to 13-2 and puts them in a first-place tie with the Wildcats. The Panthers can still win or lose their share of the title on Monday when they host Cairo-Durham, who beat them earlier this season, while Maple Hill heads to Hudson to face a team they defeated 7-0 earlier this year.

Oleynek made 7 saves in goal for Chatham, while Pappas countered with 6 of his own for Maple Hill. The teams each took 13 shots, while the Panthers held a decisive 8-to-3 corner kick advantage.

CHATHAM DEFENDS ON A MAPLE HILL KICK
 

MAPLE HILL GOALIE MAKES A SAVE ON A CHATHAM CORNER
 

CHATHAM SCORES ONE OF THIER FOUR GOALS
 

A CLOSE MISS ON A CHATHAM FREE KICK