John Jay and North Salem battle to a stalemate

CROSS RIVER, N.Y. - On Monday, September 14, John Jay hosted North Salem at Contest Field. Not just cross-town rivals, the Tigers took home the Class C state championship last year. So the teams were dialed in, and neither gave an inch on the field or the scoreboard.

John Jay scored first in the second half, and North Salem ended the game in a tie a few minutes later.

Porter Bysshe was the first to get the crowd out of their seats. He got deep on the goal line twice, but lost to the marker both times.

Moments later, North Salem made some noise. Juben Lazri received the ball with a step, and, getting the attention of the Jay defense, drew a penalty kick at 36:33.

The shot was blocked in front, and Bysshe was soon back on track. Taking a pass from midfield, he led Tobias Brunner to another rise out of the crowd. Unfortunately, the senior just lost the race to North Salem goalie Mateo Maya at 34:22.

Even so, the Tigers responded with the first shot on goal. Jhon Rodriguez got some room on the right and had Zach Goldstein extending his arm in the other direction on the crossing shot.

Back the other way, Bysshe got to the goal line again, and when he was tripped, Dennis Galvan lined up for a penalty kick. Maya made an easy one-bounce save, but the Wolves still had their first shot on goal at 21:48.

North Salem did much better than that at 15:15. On Nicolas Maya’s loft out of the defensive zone, the ball came to Lazri in open space at the 30, and he nearly squeezed it between Goldstein’s leaping hands and the crossbar.

John Jay made some noise on offense, too. On a penalty kick, Stephen Wund teed off and clanked the crossbar of the football goalpost.

The final best chance of the half came on a clear from the defensive end. The ball was led to Galvan, and he angled right to Mateo Chollom, who kicked just wide right of the North Salem goal.

Onto the second, play began with a perfect pass and then some failed misdirection. Adrian Ortiz took a precision lead to the goal line and was taken out before he could shoot.

So Liam Keegan lined up for the free kick and guessed right. Goldstein dove left, Keegan went in the other direction toward an open net, but missed wide at 39:29.

With an abrupt turn, the Jay offense quickly took the cue. With the ball straddling the bleacher sideline, Galvan popped it forward, and Bysshe controlled it and raced past the defense. One-on-one with the goalie, the senior hit the short side on the left for a 1-0 lead.

With 38:18 remaining in the game, the Tigers kept their heads up — especially Nicolas Maya. After his shot was deflected wide of the John Jay goal, the tall middie sharpened his focus in wait of Keegan’s corner kick. Over the first line of Jay defense, the ball connected with Maya’s head, and he angled it in for a 1-1 tie at 33:33.

With momentum, Rodriguez controlled the ball on the North Salem rush, kicked it back to Keegan, and he led Joshua Enriquez with a step. Tripped, he drew a yellow card at 28:58. Unfortunately for the visitors, the penalty kick flew high and wide.

Back-and-forth play ensued until Chollom and Bysshe got caught in the middle. Gio Pelosi kicked long down the sideline, Chollom headed it back to Bysshe, and he immediately returned it to Chollom. One-on-one with Mateo Maya, Chollom’s shot was met with a kick save.

Not done, the rebound returned to the Wolf, but Maya two-handed the second shot to safety at 9:25. The closest either team would get, a tie would have to do for both.