Two days after dropping their first match of the season against Warren, Harbor Creek came to Eisenhower and got all it could handle, and then some. The Huskies led 3-0, but had to hold off a late Knights rally to escape with a 4-2, Region 4 win Monday.

“We could have given up, but we didn’t,” Eisenhower coach Todd Venman said. “Those two goals were huge.”

Harbor Creek (9-1 overall, 6-0 Region 4) defeated Eisenhower (4-6, 2-4) 9-1 when the two teams met in early September at Harbor Creek. Monday’s tilt showed just how far the Knights have come in a little over two weeks.

“This is a whole different team,” Venman said. “They’re believing in their ability and pushing the envelope. To shrink the goal differential from eight to two was a win for us. It shows a lot of improvement.”

Times Observer photo by Brian Hagberg Eisenhower’s Ian Goldthewaite (18) and Harbor Creek’s Justin Hakel (27) converge on the ball during the second half of their match at Eisenhower High School, Monday, Sept. 30, 2019. Goldthewaite had a goal for the Knights, but Hakel had a pair for the Huskies as Harbor Creek held off a late Eisenhower rally to come away with the 4-2 win.

The Huskies got on the board early thanks to a Brandon Konieczki goal. Seven minutes into the match, Harbor Creek took a corner kick. Konieczki got his head on it and pushed it just out of the reach of Gavin Labowski for a 1-0 lead.

The Knights went right back on the attack and began applying pressure in the offensive zone. Harbor Creek was able to counter that attack and a long lead pass found its way to Justin Hakel’s foot. Hakel brought the ball to the middle, feigned right and shot left to double the lead with just over 20 minutes to go in the half.

Undaunted, Eisenhower continued to attack offensively and generated multiple quality scoring chances. The Knights were unable to convert, however, and the score remained 2-0 at the half.

Hakel pushed the advantage to 3-0 just 2:30 into the second half.

Konieczki brought the ball in down the right side. He took it almost all the way to the end line before firing a crossing pass from a sharp angle. Hakel came streaking in and slid into the ball to redirect it past Labowski and into the net.

The Knights again applied offensive pressure, but couldn’t get anything past Huskies keeper Trevor Baker.

That changed quickly.

With 17:24 to play, Jared Martone got the ball off a throw-in. He took it to just outside the box and moved to center before he fired a shot top shelf. The ball went just out of Baker’s reach and in to get the Knights on the board.

Less than two minutes later, Ian Goldthewaite scooped the ball after Luke Smelko got tangled with a Huskies player and tumbled to the ground. Goldthewaite took a couple steps and fired far side and in to make it a 3-2 contest with 15:37 to play.

Both teams had quality chances the rest of the way, but it was Harbor Creek that got the final tally.

A scrum off a corner kick ended with the ball on Isaac Deemer’s foot. Deemer tucked the ball in the near side for the 4-2 final score.

Despite the loss, the Knights showed they can hang not only with the top team in Region 4, but arguably one of the best teams in all of District 10.

“This was a morale booster for sure,” Venman said.

Eisenhower hosts Corry Thursday and will look to avenge a 6-5 loss from earlier this season.

“Our sights are on Corry now,” Venman said. “That was a winnable game there and we’re more confident now.”