The boys soccer team took down crosstown rival Orange 2-1 Tuesday night, after a late second-half goal from goalkeeper Keegan Hickey ‘27. 

   The highly anticipated matchup saw the Bears, who came into the game with 4-0-1, take on the Pioneers, who entered the game with 1-1-1. 

   About two minutes into the game, Orange took advantage of a scramble in the box, which put the Pioneers up 1-0.  

   The rest of the first half was back-and-forth action between the Bears and Pioneers until Ethan Litton ‘27 smashed the ball into the back of the net right before the halftime whistle, which leveled the match at 1-1. 

   “The ball came over the top and I hit it off my chest and volleyed it bottom left,” Litton said after the match. 

   The Bears and the Pioneers remained knotted at 1-1 throughout most of the second half. 

   Then, with about four minutes left in the match, Hickey lofted a free kick into the box. Orange’s goalkeeper, Ryan Hoang, went up to catch the ball as it came into the box, but instead dropped the ball into the net, which handed Berlin a 2-1 lead. 

   “Four minutes left in the game, we’re just looking for something special. We just needed something to happen, so I just put it on frame and scored,” Hickey said. 

   Berlin held that lead for the few minutes that remained and secured the 2-1 win over its rivals. The win also kept the Bears undefeated, as well as handed the team its fifth win of the season. 

   After the match, head coach Josh Diehl explained how proud he was of his team’s performance. 

   “It was this group’s character, how they responded to some adversity going down a goal. They were super tough and together and really raised the standard in the second half,” Diehl said. 

   The boys look to keep the momentum going, as well as remain undefeated, as the Bears travel to Westerville Central for a match tonight at 7:15 p.m.