Freedom midfielders Benjamin Reich and Bryan Mora put the Patriots in good position by scoring a goal apiece in the first half of their game against Easton, but the Red Rovers’ Hunter Radowitch scored two goals of his own, and the game ended in a 2-2 tie after double overtime last Tuesday at Freedom.

“I think we could have done better,” said Mora. “I think that’s the reason why we let it go is because of [feeling too secure]. Our coach said we have to step to every ball first. We’ve got to come out hard.”

That was the plan at halftime, but Radowitch tied the game with a shot to the far right corner with 3:05 remaining in regulation.

“It was an unlucky bounce. I can’t really blame anybody, and we worked hard, I thought, for the whole game,” said Freedom goalkeeper Derek Bast. “We had a little mental lapse to give up the first goal, and we didn’t respond well enough.

“We got a late goal before the half that was huge, and Coach said 2-0 lead is the most dangerous one in soccer because the next goal defines who wins the game, and he was right today.”

Bast had six saves for the Patriots.

Reich was the first to score for Freedom on an assist by Sebastian Garces.

“Definitely, I think it was important to get that. We talked all pregame to get that goal right away, and it came a little bit later than we’d liked but we definitely needed the first one to jump out ahead,” Reich said. “Basically, it was just kind of a mess, and the ball was jumping around people, and I wanted to put myself in the right area to be there for my team and put one in.”

Mora’s goal came late in the first half.

“We built it up to P.J. (Peter Tichy), and then he crossed it in, found me in the back post making the run, I trapped it and I scored,” said Mora.

A steady rain fell throughout both overtimes, and neither team could clinch the win.

“Unfortunately, we weren’t able to get that third goal, but we can learn from it, and we get to see them again later in the season,” Bast said.

Later in the week, the Patriots played to two more ties, one with Whitehall and one with Emmaus. Both scores were 1-1.

Jared Whitehorn scored in the game against the Zephyrs on an assist from Bradley Turocy, and Bast had 10 saves.

Turocy scored in the game against the Hornets on an assist by Garces. Bast had four saves, and Zach Raffino had five saves, also for the Patriots.