By DAWN PARKER

Argus-Press Staff Writer  Oct 11, 2023

DURAND — After two years without any wins (or losses for that matter) due to not fielding a team, Ovid-Elsie boys soccer very nearly snagged a playoff win Wednesday, thanks in large part to a hat trick by senior captain Talan Parsons.

Ultimately, however, it was the Durand Railroaders (8-11-3) who advanced, winning a 4-3 thriller over the visiting Marauders (3-12-1) to advance to the Division 3 district semifinals.

In the semis, Durand will face, for the third time this year, Mid-Michigan Activities Conference champion Chesaning, a 3-0 winner over Corunna Wednesday. The Railroaders-Indians matchup will take place at Williamston High School at 7 p.m. Monday.

Junior Brayden Joslin opened the scoring for Durand Wednesday with 23:09 to go in the first half. It came off the first of three assists from senior captain Noah Fryer.

Will Plashek had a first- half goal and an assist for Durand, while Joslin finished the half with two goals.

Parsons scored two of his goals in the opening period, leaving Durand up 3-2 at intermission.

The Railroaders would get their insurance goal at just over 3 minutes into the second period from senior Mason Janes.

Parsons collected his hat trick with 26:45 left in regulation to pull the Marauders back within one, taking a perfect feed from senior teammate Jonas Obling at around 18 yards from the goal, shaking a pair of defenders in the box and depositing the ball into the right side of the net.

Despite intense flurries of activity down the stretch, the visitors couldn’t get the equalizer.

“I thought this was about as even of a game as you can get — a really hard-fought game,” Ovid-Elsie coach Chris Parker said. “It could have gone either way, but unfortunately the ball didn’t swing our way tonight.”

Durand’s Fryer said he felt his team’s play improved as the night went on, despite most of its scoring occurring in the first fram.

“Our possession in the second half was much better,” Fryer said.

Despite the Marauders exit, Parker thinks the program’s future appears promising. The team is losing just four seniors from a 19-man roster, including foreign exchange students Obling (Denmark) and Pau Gifre (Spain).

“Being such a young team, we made huge strides from the start of the year until now,” Parker said. “The way we played [Durand] two weeks ago (in a 7-1 Marauder loss), you’d have thought we’d never have a chance today.

“I’m proud of what we were able to accomplish. If this team that showed up tonight would have played that way all season, it would have been a greater season. We could have made that run at a title.”

Railroaders coach Aaron Demo said he felt O-E and Durand played a “good, tough game” that was both physical and fun Wednesday.

Durand has to take its fun where it can. Semifinal opponent Chesaning is unlikely to willingly cede any.

The Indians trounced the Railroaders by a combined score of 15-1 in the teams’ regular-season meetings.

“Chesaning’s going to be the beast that we need to tame,” Demo acknowledged