DIXFIELD – Just about every soccer team will tell you it needs more offense and a few more goals.

Few might stress that need for offensive punch more than the boys’ teams from Telstar and Dirigo.

Those two clubs met Wednesday, ending a 1-1 game still trying to find the finishing touch that is crucial to this season.

Telstar’s Simon Dumont and Dirigo’s Eddie Gracey each scored goals but despite opportunities for both clubs, neither could produce the game-winner.

“I’ve been searching for combinations and chemistry up front,” said Telstar coach Nate Buckman. “I try to keep fresh guys going in and out and keep trying to find the line or the chemistry that will work for us. It’s a lot different year than last year. Our whole team, there isn’t someone that’s heads above everyone else like a Kinsey Durgin.”

The Rebels lost All-Stater Durgin and MVC-All Star Wade Osgood. That’s a significant chunk of their offense. Dirigo lost midfielder Corey Wing from a team that was starved for goals at times last fall. Both have sound defensive teams but aren’t quite sure at this stage of the year where the offense is going to come from.

“I would have like to have gotten that second goal, ” Dirigo coach Bob Karcher. “We had our chances but couldn’t put one in.”

Telstar controlled much of the opening half, taking the lead with 11:22 left in the half. Travis Brooks sent a upfront. Dumont snuck behind the defense and fired one home.

The second half, the Cougars began to do a better job creating offense and got the equalizer with 26:11 left in regulation. Gracey drilled a shot from outside the box to the right corner of the net.

“That was a beautiful hit,” said Karcher.

From there, both clubs generated ample offense but couldn’t produce the tie-breaker. Dirigo had the best crack when Marc Gagne curled a shot just inside the left post late in the second overtime. Telstar keeper Terry Collins made a diving save to take away a sure game-winner. He then gobbled up a header by Gary Holman on the rebound.

“You’d never know that was just his second varsity game,” said Buckman of his keeper, a converted fullback.

Competitive early season games like Wednesday’s provides a pretty good test for these teams trying to develop go-to players. Both squads showed signs of developing more confidence up front but lacked the poise and that finishing touch to cap off a quality threat.

“We had a ton of chances and a ton of transitions off turnovers that they made in the second half,” said Buckman. “We couldn’t either get a quality shot or if we did, the shot was right at the keeper.”

Michael Hoy, Casey Fleet and August Reiss all had some threats. Reiss had a shot in overtime that Dirigo keeper Trevis Knapp made a nice save on. The Cougars got fine efforts from Kyle Dolloff, Gracey and Gagne up front.

“It was pretty much an even game,” said Karcher. “Every facet of the game was pretty much even. They outplayed us in the first half and in the second half, we stepped up and had more opportunities than they did.”