Williamsport attempted a header with a second to play, only to see it sail wide right past the goal as the horn went off at Balls Mills. It was only fitting an exciting game on Monday night ended with a last-second shot attempt to try to tie the game between Danville and Williamsport.

The Ironmen escaped Williamsport with a thrilling 1-0 win to improve to 5-5-1 while the Millionaires fall to 4-6-1. The win inched longtime Danville coach Brian Dressler closer to 200 for his career as well as he’s at 192 and counting.

“For the full 80 minutes we were the better team for sure. I know that, they know that. They took advantage of a mistake at the end and that’s what happens,” Williamsport coach Brett Hofstrom said. “When we didn’t bury some of the good chances that we had, we still need to get better in that final third. A lot of positives. We linked up, we possessed better than they did, we just got to finish when get the chances.”

Both teams had their chances, especially in the final 40 minutes of the game. However it was the Ironmen who broke through with the game’s only goal.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Williamsport’s Adoniram Hill (14) and Danville’s Adam Elbeltagy (17) battle for a header during a high school boys soccer match between Williamsport and Danville at the Balls Mills Soccer Club on Monday.

Danville’s Jacob Marks got just inside of the 18-yard box and rifled a shot toward the center of the net that Williamsport keeper Max Fink did a solid job blocking. However the ball stayed in play in middle of the field and that’s when Torin Ryer ran in and converted a shot toward the left post for the 1-0 lead with 6 minutes, 11 seconds remaining in the game.

“It was just we always talk, especially when Jake hits a shot, make sure you crash because a lot of times keeper’s don’t get it clean,” Dressler said. “Torin did a great job. He was right where he was supposed to be for that. That’s how you get a lot of easy goals if you just attack the goal after a hard shot like that.”

Williamsport kept fighting after Danville’s go-ahead goal to try and put in an equalizer, but a combination of Danville’s back line and goalie Colin Sauers didn’t allow that to happen.

With 2:06 to play in the game, Williamsport tried to connect with a header from just outside the 6-yard box, but it went just high. And then, with a second to play, Williamsport’s chance off a deep direct kick just missed the mark.

“(We) just got to be a little bit more clinical when we’re making those shots. Also even passes sometimes are just a little bit off the mark and not put in the wheelhouse for the person to come through and bury the ball in the back of the net,” Hofstrom said. “Just some small things. If we click, we’re a dangerous team. Our record doesn’t say that, but we are a dangerous team.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Danville’s Donavan Sharpe (18) and Williamsport’s Dumfer Adjei-Frimpong (7) move in on the ball during a high school boys soccer match between Williamsport and Danville at the Balls Mills Soccer Club on Monday.

“It gave us a little bit of energy,” Dressler said of his team’s defense late after scoring a goal. “We were very flat tonight, it was one of poorest games we played in awhile. I don’t know why. It happens. We were just flat tonight, but we never gave up and we kept working. We kept trying to get ourselves in the game. We got a couple chances. Luckily they didn’t finish any of theirs because they had a few.”

In the secod half, Williamsport fired a total of seven shots, but only two of which were on frame. Both teams ended the game with five shots on goal, but the Millionaires ended the night with a total of 16 shots fired compared to Danville’s eight total.

Williamsport limited the Ironmen to just two shots on goal in the first half of the game, but in the second, Danville came out more aggressive and rifled six shots — three on frame — including the game’s lone goal.

“We woke up a little bit. I think we stated to get into the game, obviously they were pumped up because it was senior night. Their energy started dropping which gave us a little bit more space. We started playing a little bit more composed,” Dressler said. “First half we got it and kicked it. Second half you saw we actually started to make some passes. If we pass, we aren’t a bad team. If we kick and run, we’re not a very good team. That was our fourth win in a row, and now we’ve been playing better and playing to feet. Before that, we were trying to kick it around and that’s not how we’re going to win games.”

Williamsport was able to get chances around the 18 and had four attempts come inside of the 18, but unfortunately couldn’t get that goal to fall in.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Williamsport’s Charles Plummer (4) moves the ball past Danville’s Jonas Brinkash (2) during a high school boys soccer match between Williamsport and Danville at the Balls Mills Soccer Club on Monday.

With 19:04 to play in the game, Williamsport’s Adoniram Hill took the ball down the right-side of the field to near the end line and slid and sent a great pass to his left that was right toward Dumfer Adjei-Frimpong in front of the goal. But right before Adjei-Frimpog was able to get a foot on it, Danville keeper Sauers was able to get in between him and the ball and prevent a shot.

Williamsport had two chances in the six minutes before Danville’s goal to put in a goal of their own on nice chances.

With 12:10 to play, Williamsport’s Connor Hofstrom took a shot inside the 18, but it was blocked by Sauers. Four minutes later, it was again Adjei-Frimpong who had a chance to score inside the 18 and attempted to send a shot to the upper-right 90, but put just a little too much on the shot attempt and it went wide narrowly.

Both keepers played well and came up with stops throughout the game to keep it close and scoreless for 94 minutes.

“He’s made some big saves at times, but we just need to make sure that we don’t make some mistakes and that’s what cost us today. It cost us, instead of pushing it out wide, we pushed it in middle into path of a player,” Hofstrom said. “But that’s things you have to learn from, Max has kept us in games this year and he’s going to continue to do the same thing. If we ever click as a unit, like I said, we’re a very dangerous team.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Danville’s Jonas Brinkash (2) dribbles the ball past Williamsport’s Charles Plummer (4) during a high school boys soccer match between Williamsport and Danville at the Balls Mills Soccer Club on Monday.

The first half was all Williamsport as the Millionaires controlled possession and rarely let Danville get any counter attacks going. In total, Williamsport had eight shots fired in the first 40 minutes from within 25 yards of the net.

One great chance for Williamsport in the first half came with 3:31 to play until halftime when the Millionaires’ Levi Gair got the ball inside the 18 and cut to his right in front of a Danville defender. That’s when Gair slid and fired a shot only to see Sauers come up with a solid stop to keep it scoreless into the break.

Danville had a chance to put in a goal six minutes into the game when Ben Horne found himself with a good 1-v-1 look. However a Williamsport defender was able to track Horne down and got in his way to prevent a shot attempt as Fink was able to grab the ball.

Danville 1, Williamsport 0

D–Torin Ryer, 6:11.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Williamsport’s Charles Plummer (4) moves the ball past Danville’s Zane Richard’s (26)during a high school boys soccer match between Williamsport and Danville at the Balls Mills Soccer Club on Monday.

Shots: D 5, W 5. Corners: D 1, W 4. Saves: D 5 (Colin Sauers), W 4 (Max Fink).

Records: Danville (5-5-1), Williamsport (4-6-1).

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Williamsport’s Esaac Balza (10) dribbles the ball past Danville’s Chris Hand (35) during a high school boys soccer match between Williamsport and Danville at the Balls Mills Soccer Club on Monday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Williamsport’s Esaac Balza (10) moves the ball past Danville’s Holden Frantz (30) during a high school boys soccer match between Williamsport and Danville at the Balls Mills Soccer Club on Monday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Williamsport’s Connor Hofstrom moves the ball downfield during a high school boys soccer match between Williamsport and Danville at the Balls Mills Soccer Club on Monday.