Boys soccer: Mifflin County defense holds firm in draw with Northern York
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LEWISTOWN -- Sometimes a soccer team can spend 80 minutes without scoring and still leave the field feeling as though it gained something.
For Mifflin County on Wednesday night, that something was a shutout and perhaps another bit of evidence that its record doesn't tell the entire story.
The Huskies weathered 16 Northern York shots, survived a ball off the crossbar late in the first half and watched goalkeeper Danny Quinn make one last diving save with 37 seconds remaining to preserve a 0-0 draw in a Mid-Penn Keystone Division boys soccer match.
Northern York is now 2-3-5 overall and 2-3-3 in the Keystone, while Mifflin County is 1-7-3 and 0-6-2. The Polar Bears had won the first meeting 1-0.
This time, one goal never arrived.
Northern controlled much of the possession and finished with a 16-5 advantage in shots and a 4-1 edge in corner kicks. But Quinn stopped all 11 shots that reached him, and Mifflin County's defense kept finding ways to close the last few feet between Northern's attack and the goal.
The closest call of the first half came with 1:39 remaining, when Northern's Reed Clark struck the crossbar.
Mifflin County coach Keith Yoder said a move to a 4-4-2 formation since the first meeting with Northern has helped stabilize the Huskies while putting them in better attacking positions.
"We like this particular team we have better in the 4-4-2 formation," Yoder said. "I think it's stabilized us a little bit. It got us a little bit more attack."
The attack didn't produce a goal Wednesday, but the formation gave Mifflin County enough structure to stay in the game while Northern continued probing.
Yoder was particularly pleased with his back line.
"Anytime you hold a Mid-Penn team to no goals in a game, you've definitely done something right," he said. "So proud of them. I think the record is deceiving."
That record has come with more competitive soccer than the numbers suggest. Mifflin County entered the night with four one-goal losses, and Yoder said his staff has tried to keep the players focused on improvement rather than the standings.
"There is big-time improvement happening," Yoder said. "And we're making progress. We're playing really quality competition, and we're right there with them."
Northern still had one final chance to change the entire night.
With 37 seconds remaining, Cameron Sutton got a shot toward goal. Quinn went down and across, making the diving save that ensured the scoreboard would look the same at the final whistle as it had at the opening one.
Yoder wasn't surprised.
He called Quinn "a solid and polished goalkeeper" and said the Huskies have full confidence in both Quinn and senior Jack Suydam. Using Quinn in goal also allows Mifflin County to put Suydam in the field, where Yoder called him "a real warrior."
For a team that had been collecting close losses, a tie wasn't everything Mifflin County wanted. On this night, however, it was something worth taking home.
"Tonight we're going to take that tie, take that result," Yoder said, "and look to build from there."
Mifflin County travels to Hershey on Tuesday.
NORTHERN YORK 0, MIFFLIN COUNTY 0
Northern York 0 0 -- 0
Mifflin County 0 0 -- 0
Shots: Northern York 16, Mifflin County 5.
Corners: Northern York 4, Mifflin County 1.
Saves: Northern York, Tyler Spahr 4; Mifflin County, Danny Quinn 11.
JV: Northern York 2, Mifflin County 1.