Tuesday’s boys’ soccer game between district rivals Marshall County and Murray was moved to 8:00 p.m. due to the excessive heat index. The heat was on the field as well as the two teams battled for 80 minutes until the Marshals came out on top 3-2.
The Marshals have won the last nine straight over the Tigers dating back to the 2019 season in which all three games that year ended in double overtime or penalty kicks. The Marshals came into Tuesday’s game looking to end their three-game skid while Murray started the season 6-0, losing their first game on Saturday against Daviess County.
Murray’s Max Rosa gave the Tigers a couple of nice shots on goal, the first saved by Marshals keeper Steven Claborn and the second sailed over the top of the goal post. Another opportunity came from Murray’s Micah Wyatt that was saved by Claborn.
Following a couple of free kicks taken by the Marshals, they finally broke through with a goal when Hayden McMillian slipped past Murray keeper Hank Fronza, but the goal was called off when it was ruled he was offside.
The Marshals found the net again and it looked like it might not hold up once more due to a question of the ball in the keepers hands but the point went up and the Marshals had a 1-0 lead. Zander Maxlow doubled the lead with a goal with 4:40 left in the half.
Murray opened the second half with a corner then had a free kick opportunity that was stopped by the Marshals wall before Rosa scored their first goal of the night to cut the Marshals lead to 2-1.
The Marshals took three shots on goal in a flurry of attacks, all saved by Fronza, until one broke through on a header by Maxlow following a throw in from Isaac Reynolds for a 3-1 lead.
With 4:50 remaining in the game, Murray took advantage of another free kick opportunity, taken by Kellen Crouch, to cut the Marshals lead back to one at 3-2.
In the final three minutes, Claborn kept Murray out of the net twice, the second on a free kick with 2:00 to go to seal the Marshals district win over the Tigers.
