Zeroes tolerance

Chiefs, Pioneers battle to scoreless draw

  Fans who attended Friday night's Canton-Ann Arbor Pioneer soccer match were treated to a dramatic late-October-caliber contest that included everything but a goal.
  Diving saves, heated battles in the 18-yard box and sizzling shots that missed their mark by inches highlighted the scoreless draw.
  Both teams' goal-keepers -- Canton's Kai Walther (first half) and Brandon Laabs (second); and Pioneer's Saul Lopez -- protected the front of their goals like brick walls.
  The Chiefs' defensive back four of Tyler Winningham, Connor Furgason, Connor Shennan and Jon Dugan were instrumental in defusing a flurry of Pioneer scoring chances.
  The draw left the Chiefs with a 3-1-2 record. Pioneer is 1-3-1.
  Canton's best chance to wipe the zero off its half of the scoreboard came with just over four minutes left in the opening stanza when senior captain Brandon Tolinski made a brilliant play on the ball just inside the box and rifled a rope that couldn't have hit the left post any more square.
  Unfazed, Tolinski controlled the rebound, but his return shot was gobbled up by a diving Lopez.
  Laabs saved the day for the Chiefs with 29:33 remaining when he went horizontal to deny a hard-charging Pioneer attacker.
  Tolinski nearly struck again with 7:15 to play. After securing a dead-on pass from Bobby Budlong, he ripped a shot in front that Lopez was somehow able to re-direct.
  Both teams had direct-kick opportunities from within 25 yards in the final four minutes, but both efforts sailed high of the net.
  The Chiefs almost won the game with 1:40 remaining but Mitch Posuniak's rocket was blanketed by Lopez.
  The ball was in Pioneer's end of the pitch for the majority of the first half, but Canton gained an obvious advantage of possession during the final 40 minutes.

Ed Wright can be reached at info@plymouthcantonsports.com or (734) 453-1980.