It certainly could have been easier, but the New Lebanon Tigers boys’ varsity soccer team notched its third win of the season on Friday in the rain against Berlin. After leading 1-0 at the half, the Tigers added two more goals before surrendering two goals to the Mountaineers in the closing minutes. With Berlin closing in on a tying goal, the Tigers struck for one more in the final minute to hold on for a 4-2 victory.

The Tigers started off hot, gaining possession and keeping pressure up on Berlin’s defense. R.J. Walsh and Tim Hilts controlled the game in two totally different ways for the Tigers in the early going—Walsh with his speed and offensive prowess, and Hilts with his defensive presence. In the closing minutes of the half, both made big plays to change the impact of the game. In the 30th minute, Walsh scooped up a defensive miscue and finished left-footed from in close to give New Lebanon a 1-0 lead. Four minutes later Berlin had a chance to even the score. A Mountaineers shot glanced off charging Tigers keeper Caleb Johnson, and the rebound shot trickled through a pile of players toward the mouth of the goal. Just as the ball was about to cross into the goal, Hilts slid in and knocked the ball wide to hold the Tigers lead heading to the half.

The beginning of the second half played out like the first with New Lebanon controlling much of the action. In the 48th minute, Billy Joe Tavares sent a corner kick into the box and onto the head of Walsh. Walsh flicked the ball toward the net, and Brett Burgess headed it home for a 2-0 lead. In the 66th minute, Tavares picked up a goal of his own taking a pass and putting it past the charging Brent Demick.

With the game seemingly in hand, the Tigers watched as Berlin mounted a furious comeback down the stretch. In the 68th minute, Shawn Willis got to a loose ball and poked it past a charging Johnson. With Berlin putting nonstop pressure on the Tiger goal, the Mountaineers pulled within one as Willis picked up his second goal, this time a header off a corner kick in the 77th minute.

In the closing moments, New Lebanon took back control and made sure they would not relinquish the game. Walsh took a free ball up the sideline, making a spin move past a defender and into the box. As Walsh sped into the box that defenders collapsed, he made a nice slide pass into the center for Chris Evans to finish in the final seconds.

New Lebanon out shot Berlin 12-7, with Caleb Johnson making 6 saves for the Tigers and Brent Demick making 8 for Berlin. Berlin held the corner kick advantage 6-2 in the game, while both teams received yellow cards in the first half.

This victory helps to keep the Tigers atop the Central Hudson Valley League standings, a mere three games into the conference schedule. Next week, New Lebanon continues their schedule with a game Monday against Doane Stuart and then on the road against Germantown Thursday.