BOYS SOCCER: Columbia and Suwannee battle to a scoreless draw

LIVE OAK — In a matchup characterized by solid, disciplined defensive play, clear shots on goal were hard to come by.

But when the infrequent occasions arose, the goalkeepers from Columbia and Suwannee answered the call, especially during the tension-filled latter stages of the match that resulted in a 0-0 deadlock Monday night at Paul Langford Stadium.

With the tie, Columbia (6-4-5) prevailed in the two-game season series between the neighboring counties; the Tigers had edged the Bulldogs, 1-0, nine days earlier at CHS.

Alex Mabey, who normally plays left defense for Suwannee (7-11-1), made his first start of the season at goalie after starter Waylon Richard was injured with a broken nose. 

Mabey, a senior, was the standout player for the Bulldogs during Senior Night, finishing with seven saves. His counterpart, CHS's Augustus Mock, had six saves while also earning a clean sheet.

“Our keeper and their keeper, they came up big,” Suwannee head  coach Chris Joyner said. “In clutch moments, they had some great saves.”

Mabey played goalkeeper last year, but proved to be valuable on the field this season before being called to make his first appearance in front of the goal this season. His best save came in the 68th minute of the game when CHS was awarded a free kick from about 25 yards away.

Columbia midfielder Bergen Cobb rolled the free kick pass to his right to fellow midfielder Bobby Shotwell, who proceeded to drill a lining right-footed shot that Mabey saved while diving to his right to draw a corner kick and keep the match scoreless.

"Actually he wasn't nervous," Joyner said. “We were talking in the locker room before the game. I asked him, and he said, ‘Coach, I'd like to be back there before.’

“I said, ‘Son, you know you haven't had any reps (at goalkeeper) out there all year, right?’ He said, ‘I'm ready coach.’ I thought he played phenomenal. Might be my player of the game.”

Just three minutes after Mabey made his diving save, Columbia’s Mock came up big on a save of his own when Suwannee forward Scott Uribe dispossessed a Tiger defender and proceeded to line an 18-yard shot that Mock caught at head level.

Later on, in the 33rd minute, Mock made his best save when Bulldogs defender Andrew Ibarra drilled a 20-yard lining shot that the CHS keeper had to jump and deflect over the crossbar with both hands to force a SHS corner kick.

“Overall, we fought hard,” Columbia head coach Ed Turner said. “We responded much better from last Friday's game (a 1-0 home loss to Orange Park). We definitely competed. We definitely showed Tiger spirit tonight, that's for sure. And their keeper did a good job of keeping them in the game.”

Mock was equal to the task at the net, getting plenty of solid play in front of him from CHS defenders Eduardo Morales, Nick Christman, and Diego Garcia.

The teams combined for 20 shots (Columbia with 12), but only 13 were actually within the goal frame. 

The goalkeepers combined for just four saves in the first half, but the action picked up quickly in the second half. Tensions eventually climaxed in the second half that resulted in three yellow cards — two against Columbia — from a brief skirmish on the Columbia defensive zone.

Mabey, who faced only one shot in the first half before getting busier in the second 40 minutes of the match, also benefited from the near flawless play of SHS defenders Axel Johansson, Caleb Gomez, Josue Tellez and Angel Pena.

“We've had a rollercoaster season,” Joyner said. “This is our first tie all season, it's been crazy like that. We haven't played all that well (consistently), but if we play like we played tonight going forward, we'll have a good postseason.”

Turner also doesn't believe his Tigers are near peak form.

“I feel we're still a couple of notches below where we should be,” Turner said. “Unfortunately, we have only two more games to get it done.”

CHS will host Leon for Senior Night on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Suwannee is slated to host Chiles for a 7:20 p.m. match on Wednesday.