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HOLLIDAYSBURG -- A marvelous, highly-competitive high school boys soccer rivalry between Blair County neighbors Hollidaysburg and Tyrone has been developing over the past year, and the latest chapter Thursday night at Tiger Stadium added more fuel to the intrigue.
After Hollidaysburg built a 2-0 lead early in the second half, Tyrone responded with two goals by senior midfielder Noah Gulvas, including the game-tying goal with just 1:26 to play, to forge a hard-fought 2-2 deadlock.
The two schools played to a 1-1 draw in a mid-September matchup earlier this season at Tyrone, after battling tooth-and-nail in last year's District 6 Class 3A championship game, before Hollidaysburg prevailed, 2-1 in overtime.
If the seeds hold true to form, the drama will continue next Wednesday night, when the second-seeded Golden Tigers will host third-seeded Tyrone in a District 6 Class 3A semifinal game at Tiger Stadium.
"That should be a great game,'' Hollidaysburg coach Craig Shale said of the upcoming semifinal matchup. "As far as I'm concerned, these two teams are the two best teams in (District 6 Class 3A) playing each other in the semifinals.''
Gulvas took a feed in the center of the field from freshman David Gabel and ripped a high shot into the upper righthand corner of the cage behind Hollidaysburg junior keeper Liam Jancula with time winding down to pull Tyrone into the 2-2 tie.
Tyrone is now 12-3-3 overall and 12-2-3 in the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference, while Hollidaysburg is 12-3-3 overall and 12-3-2 in the conference.
"We just finally figured it out as a team in the second half, and made some good passes,'' Gulvas said. "I took a pass from Dave, went to my left, and took a shot. I didn't even see it go in.''
Gulvas also accounted for Tyrone's first goal with 17:06 left in the game by converting an assist from junior Potter Myers to pull the Golden Eagles to within a goal at 2-1.
Tyrone faced a challenge after Hollidaysburg took a 2-0 lead on a goal by speedy sophomore forward Devin Walters, who put an assist from junior defender Gannon Zonts behind Tyrone keeper Jaryn Wilson just less than eight minutes into the second half.
"Resiliency has become our team identity,'' Tyrone coach Alex Bartlett said. "We knew that we faced an uphill battle against a talented, experienced team, but we worked our way back tonight.
"We're looking forward to playing them again.''
Hollidaysburg opened the scoring midway through the first half, on a goal by sophomore forward Caiden Galioto.
On a night when both goalkeepers, Tyrone's Wilson and Hollidaysburg's Jancula, turned in stellar performances, goals were were treasured commodities.
Wilson, a sophomore, made nine saves for Tyrone, and several were of the outstanding variety.
He came up big on two first-half saves, and stopped a Tigers' rebound shot after Hollidaysburg's first shot had hit the goalpost in the second half.
A second Hollidaysburg shot clanked off the goalpost in the second half, and what would have been a breakaway goal by Walters in the first half was nullified when the Tigers were whistled for being offside on the play.
Jancula also registered particularly outstanding stops on a first-half save, and prevented what would have been a winning shot for Tyrone from going into the cage by stopping the straight-on attempt in the final minute of the second half.
"We had our chances tonight, it was a great team effort, and we did enough to win, but we hit a couple posts and their goalkeeper made a bunch of good saves,'' Shale said.
Both teams wound up their regular seasons Thursday, and the playoffs now await them.
"It's been a good season,'' Shale said. "We need to keep it going with a win on Wednesday.''
SCORE BY HALVES
Tyrone 0 2--2
Hollidaysburg 1 1--2
First half: 1, H--Galioto (Arobgast), 18:46.
Second half: 2, H--Walters (Zonts), 32:50. 3, T--Gulvas (Myers), 17:06. 4, T--Gulvas (Gable), 1:26.
Shots on goal: Hollidaysburg 11, Tyrone 10.
Saves: Wilson, T, 9; Jancula, H, 8.
Records: Tyrone (12-3-3 overall, 12-2-3 in the LHAC); Hollidaysburg is 12-3-3 overal and 12-3-2 in the LHAC