A bitter night produced a bitter ending in the boys soccer district championship game against rival Mehlville.

The soccer team’s season ended on Thursday, Oct. 30 with a 3-1 loss to Mehlville. The score was tied at halftime, but Mehlville scored twice in the second half.

The Tigers put pressure on the Panthers with a goal from the left side by Ahmed Ganibegovic (12) in the first half.

“We came out with intensity and stopped their strong start,” senior Kolade Osikoya said.

Mehlville tied the game 15 minutes later. The game started to get “chippy,” with fouls from both teams. The officials became a major factor in the game’s outcome, giving multiple yellow cards to both teams. There was high tension between the players, coaches, and officials when there was another altercation that involved all 22 players.

“The game got very physical, which lead to a penalty kick that was questionable,” head coach Dave Robben said.

Though the game ended in defeat, the senior captains are still proud of the team.

“We played well as a team, and the season went well,” Thomas Hutcheson (12), who led the team with 22 goals, said. “It was fun playing with the group of guys we had.”

Robben thinks the boys were successful and he is proud of them giving their best efforts. The team ended with a record of 16-9-1.

“A team isn’t defined by the outcome of a game, but by the efforts they make to play the game,” Robben concluded. “We ultimately played Oakville soccer.”