Clipper Men’s Soccer Draws Against Rogue 3-3 in Final Preseason Game

What started as a game that the SPSCC Men's Soccer team surely had in hand, quickly turned sour as the Rogue Ospreys clawed back from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game in the literal dying moments of the match.

The mood going into the game was a jovial one as the Clippers were fresh off their 7-0 drubbing of Treasure Valley the week before and the team was hopeful that they could repeat that result for this game.

An Osprey hard foul on a Clipper player in the box led to an Alex Canning conversion from the penalty spot to give the lads a 1-0 lead 12 minutes into the game. Another Alex Canning goal from a Christian Esquivel Jaskiewicz feed and a hard-working run from Alejandro De La Rosa that led to a goal had the Clips buzzing as they went into the half with a 3-0 lead.

The second half was a shift from the first half as substitutions made by the Clippers and a more aggressive approach from Rogue had the field tilted in favor of the Ospreys. The Clipper defense held strong for the better part of the second half until Rogue finally capitalized on a chance in the 81st minute. Then another Rogue breakthrough in the 85th minute.

To say that the atmosphere went from joyful to tense was an understatement. The last minutes seemed to drag on for an eternity as the Clippers desperately tried to play keep away as the Ospreys kept the pressure on the Clipper net. An unfortunate tackle in the box by a Clipper defender gave the Ospreys a penalty kick opportunity and the game, which they converted to draw the game at three-all.

It was a deflating conclusion to the game that sucked the life out of the players on the field and bench alike. But now the lads must put that result aside as they start conference play away against powerhouse Highline in four days' time.