CUMBERLAND — Tim Nightengale found out what his unbeaten Mountain Ridge team is made of on Monday night.
The Miners received a gut check after a Cole Ricker goal gave Allegany a 1-0 halftime lead and Mountain Ridge its first deficit of the season.
Top-ranked Mountain Ridge rallied and came back to fend off third-ranked Allegany, 2-1, on the strength of two second-half Elijah Cooper goals at Greenway Avenue Stadium.
“It wasn’t our finest game for sure. We were very sluggish today. Couldn’t connect passes. Just very lethargic,” Nightengale said. “Last 20 minutes, we started to come alive and put things together and play the way we are capable of playing. Fortunately we get out of here with an ugly win.
“We haven’t played down all season,” Nightengale said. “We were down 1-0 at halftime, it was an opportunity to find out who we are and battle through adversity.”
Allegany’s goal was only the second Mountain Ridge (10-0) has conceded all season. The Miners have scored 39 and have pitched eight shutouts.
The only other goal Mountain Ridge has allowed was also scored by Allegany (5-5-1), a 6-1 Miners rout in Frostburg on Sept. 17.
But Allegany ended Mountain Ridge’s 403-minute, 42-second streak of not conceding a score in the 22nd minute Monday when Jake MacGray sent a cross into the box.
Chris Manherz clipped the ball over his shoulder with backspin, and it bounced up to Cole Ricker who headed it over Mountain Ridge keeper Ashton Reuschel and into the goal with 18:44 left in the first half.
“We’re getting better,” Allegany head coach Blake Geatz said. “We still have work to do, but I thought we played a great first half. When we play 1-2 touch, keep the ball on the ground, they can play with anybody.”
Allegany saw much of the ball in the first half and for parts of the second, but Mountain Ridge leveled the score in the 47th minute and began to take control thereafter.
Ryan Piasecki floated a centering ball to a streaking Cooper, who beat Allegany’s Eoin Mowbray for an equalizer with 33:15 to play.
Mountain Ridge threatened again with a little more than 26 minutes remaining on a long throw-in by Zach Haberlein that bounced in front of the Allegany goal, but the Miners couldn’t get a body on the other end.
The Miners finally did with 6:29 left to earn the road victory.
Cooper made a run down the left side to follow up a saved shot by Austin Simpson, and he put it in the back of the net.
“As the ball was going by, I was like, ‘This is my only chance. Maybe our only chance left,’” Cooper said. “So I just put all I could into it, slid and got the ball.”
Allegany, which appeared to be fatigued from Mountain Ridge’s constant pressure and substitutions, had one final opportunity at an equalizer in the 78th minute.
A foul just outside the box afforded Manherz a dangerous free kick opportunity from 21 yards out, and he sent a low shot around the right side of the Mountain Ridge goal.
Reuschel, who hasn’t had to save many chances this year due to his defense’s exceptional play, was up for the challenge and made a diving stop.
Mountain Ridge finished with an 18-6 edge in shots and 8-5 in shots on goal. Mowbray came up with seven saves, and Reuschel had four. The Miners had a 3-2 advantage in corner kicks.
While the Miners were shaky at times in the midfield, their defense, despite missing Jake Geary and John Delaney, played well once again. Aiden Pirolozzi and Tyler Cook were standouts in the back.
“Aiden and Tyler locked the harness down tonight in the back and withheld some pressure from Allegany,” Nightengale said. “Our backline is the best defense in the area.”
Mountain Ridge (6-0 Western Maryland Athletic Conference) is at No. 5 Fort Hill (4-5-1 overall, 1-5 WestMAC) on Thursday at 7 p.m.
Allegany (3-4 WestMAC, 3-0 City League) hosts Bishop Walsh (2-8 overall, 0-2 City) on Tuesday, Oct. 15, at 3:30 p.m.
While the Campers came up short of the area’s biggest upset of the season thus far, it was an encouraging showing for a young and inexperienced squad that has been up and down.
“They’ve shown me what I’ve known all season,” Geatz said. “They have the ability to do it.”