The Washington soccer team seemed to be coasting to victory on Monday after scoring in the first minute of the second half to take a three-goal lead over Greene Central. But as rain began to pour down from the sky, the Rams caught the Pam Pack slipping and scored two goals, leading to a frenetic final 10 minutes. Defending furiously, Washington kept the Rams at bay and held out for the 3-2 victory to win its first conference game of the season.

After building a 2-0 lead and controlling much of the first half, Washington (5-3) began the second on the front foot. Not even sixty seconds into the second half of play, the Pam Pack’s Elvin Elizalde received a pass 25 yards from goal, took a touch and ripped a shot that beat the Greene Central (4-4) goalkeeper at the near post. Washington went on to control play for the next 15 minutes of the half and looked to be on its way to a confortable win over its 2A Eastern Carolina Conference foe.

But as the weather changed and the conditions became monsoon-like, Greene Central got itself back in the game. In a three-minute span, the Rams hit the Pam Pack on the counterattack twice to make the score 3-2 with 10 minutes remaining on the clock.

With all the momentum, Greene Central pushed forward in search for the game-tying goal, and the Rams looked like they were about to score with three minutes remaining after being awarded a free kick. But some desperate defending from Washington kept the ball from going into the Pam Pack net during a mad scramble in the goalmouth area directly after the Rams took their free kick. The free kick was Greene Central’s last gasp, as the referee blew his whistle to signal the end of the game shortly thereafter.

“I liked the way we moved the ball for about 15 minutes in each half. I think we were fine, I started clearing the bench and making subs going into the second half when we had the rain come. Unfortunately the rain did not work out in our favor,” Washington head coach Jim Kozuch said. “I was thinking of just trying to get some guys out there. I did think that we had it in hand, shame on me. (The Rams) fought hard and they earned the goals that they got.”

Washington started the game strongly, controlling possession and threatening the Rams’ goal seven minutes in, when Elizalde fired a shot over the crossbar after Graham Parker played him in with a ball over the top.

Despite controlling the ball, passing well and creating chances, the Pam Pack finally got on the board due to set pieces. The first came from a free kick with 15 minutes left in the opening half. Washington’s Tim Anglim shot a direct free kick that beat the Rams’ goalie, but struck the crossbar and bounced up in the air. Forward Seth Davis was the first to react, heading the rebound far post over the outstretched keeper to open the game’s scoring.

Washington’s second came from a Parker throw-in, which have proven to be a useful weapon for the Pam Pack as of late, six minutes later. The midfielder heaved the ball toward Greene Central’s six-yard box, where teammate Oscar Espinoza challenged for the ball. As Espinoza and several Ram defenders jumped up to head the ball, the ball deflected off of a Greene Central defender and into the net for an own goal.

Kozuch was pleased with how his team passed the ball and controlled the midfield against the Rams. But having the ability to score from set pieces is something Kozuch said is advantageous for his team, especially when the Pam Pack is off of its game.

“It’s huge. Sometimes, the best team doesn’t always win. Sometimes, the best tactics win, and set pieces like that, I feel like we have an advantage. We’ve got some good plays that we’ve been successful with through the years,” Kozuch said.