Chiefs celebrate senior night, ‘fired up’ for big rivalry game with Myrtle Beach

By Ruben Lowman

After a dominant start to the season for the North Myrtle Beach Chiefs boys soccer team, highlighted by a run of comprehensive victories to open region play, a bit of a reality check was always to be expected with a couple of tricky games on the schedule last week.  

The Chiefs came into the week undefeated in the region so far under first-year head coach Brian Smith, outscoring their first four opponents a staggering 21-1, while playing dynamic, attacking soccer built around laser-quick transitions, high-intensity pressing and lengthy periods of patient possession. 

First up was a difficult away matchup with the nationally-ranked Knights of West Florence, who have moved into the top 75 teams in the country and staked a claim as the early frontrunners for the AAAA Region 6 title this year after their own impressive start to the season. 

Proving resilient and tough to breakdown in defense throughout the first half, the Chiefs were able to get out on the break and threaten West Florence’s goal a few times but nothing quite came off for them. The Knights eventually took advantage of the home crowd and scored three unanswered goals in the second half before seeing out the victory. 

A challenging non-region home game against Carolina Forest was up next last Friday night. Coupled with it being NMB’s Senior Night and the Panthers having defeated the Chiefs in the title game of the season-opening Michael Nash tournament, emotions were running high for the rematch.

After the pre-game ceremony, the Chiefs jumped out to an early lead behind a second minute Jay Langeneck goal that was assisted by a well-taken corner from midfielder Ben Lewis. A healthy dose of patient build-up play through the middle, anchored by central defender Langeneck and playmaker Jesse Foster, mixed in with waves of heavy pressure when out of possession, saw the Chiefs create several further quality shots on goal after that.

A composed finish by Foster to convert a penalty allowed NMB to build an early 2-0 lead just before the 30^th minute that had their families in the crowd rocking. Captains and goalscorers Langeneck and Foster, along with Lewis, were three of the eleven Chiefs seniors that make up the core of the first team and got a chance to play in front of their loved ones on the emotionally-charged night. 

For the majority of the game NMB was the dominant team, but they couldn’t convert a few good chances in the second half that gave Carolina Forest a window back into the game, right as the nerves and tired legs were beginning to set in for the Chiefs. Two goals in quick succession by fellow Panthers seniors Tal Levi and Dylan Donahue brought the game level. 

NMB senior attacker Luca Testa fired back with a rocket that he was unlucky not to score on before a pair of standout late saves by Chiefs sophomore goalkeeper Nolan Long kept the team into it heading into extra time. 

The game was looking to be going to a penalty shootout before CFHS forward Leo Lopez hit a screamer outside the box with just a few minutes left that gave Long no chance and sent the Chiefs home with extra motivation for their big rivalry game with Myrtle Beach this Tuesday. 

That will be followed by an away match against Hartsville on Friday, with both games set for 7:30 p.m. The Chiefs are second in the region with a 4-1 record and moved to 6-3 overall on the season. 

Langeneck and Foster took the moment to pause and reflect on the significance of the night for them, in spite of the tough loss. 

“The game started off great, and there’s not a better time to score other than senior night, especially in front of all the fans,” Langeneck said. “All the boys enjoyed it knowing that most of their family and friends were there to support them too.”

Foster said playing in the game was what he and all the other seniors had worked so hard for during the past few years while playing for the Chiefs and described it as “a night to remember” for him and his teammates. 

“Unfortunately it wasn’t the result we wanted on the night but we take the loss as a learning curve and move forward with our season,” Foster explained. “Scoring on senior night was an emotional moment and one I will never forget. Getting to play alongside my teammates who have been there since day one was a true honor.”

The two close losses were a tough set of results for his team but Smith said they would use this minor setback to grow and improve as the season progresses and marquee matchups with Myrtle Beach and a rematch with West Florence awaits on the horizon. 

“One of the things I love about this group of players is I don’t have to motivate them,” Smith said. “They are a group of driven young men. My job is to help them solve the problems that the game, and top teams, present. For us it’s all a part of the process. We learn from our struggles and focus on our performances.”

Langeneck echoed his coaches comments, saying the team has been “humbled” by the defeats but they will serve as major positives in the long run because they now know where they stand and what they need to work on going forward. He said the team is chomping at the bit to get back out on the grass against the Seahawks. 

“The guys are really fired up to step back on the field and take on Myrtle Beach,” Langeneck said. “North Myrtle Beach soccer still has a lot to show and is not done yet.”

Smith said that he and all of his players were looking forward to their rivalry match against the Seahawks, as it is a good test for them with just over half of their region games still left to play. 

“Games against Myrtle Beach are always intense and emotional,” Smith said. “They have some excellent players, and we’ll have to be at our best to come away with the win.”

The Seahawks have historically been the powerhouses of the region, compiling an unbeaten record last year, including a cumulative 7-1 scoreline in their two defeats of NMB. Smith said he was prepared for them to carry that level of confidence into their game this season. 

“I expect Myrtle Beach to be motivated and energetic when we play them on Tuesday,” Smith said. “The top teams in the region are taking us seriously, and we take that as a compliment. We’ll give them everything we have.”

He said he hopes to see his players manage the emotions of big games such as this and continue to use their heads and think their way through matchups with strong opponents like Myrtle Beach. 

“I have no doubt that the heart and the effort will be there, but can they keep the focus on how we solve problems that teams present to us?”