DIXFIELD – Mountain Valley Conference front-runners Telstar and Dirigo decided to call it a draw after double overtime Monday in a boys’ soccer game.

Each team scored, but missed a series of opportunities to come out on top as the Rebels and Cougars played to a a 1-1 tie at sunny Harlow Park.

The teams refused to allow the stifling heat to change the hustle as Dirigo and Telstar each walked away with identical 6-0-1 records. The two, five-minute overtimes were anti-climatic because neither team put a shot on goal.

“We tried to control the midfield,” Telstar coach Tim Remington said. “That couldn’t be done because Dirigo adjusted, and we needed to adjust. It proved to be hard to do because these are two similar teams in terms of quality.”

Telstar goalie Kevin Gallagher made 10 saves and Cougar goalie Josh Saphier stopped nine. The respective defenses prevented numerous balls from reaching the offensive zones. Telstar was led by Gavin Parker, Danny Ojeda and Deagan Conrad.

“This was a great game,” Dirigo coach Dennis Hanson said. “I had told my players during the pre-game that they needed to make an impact. Eric Kersey did exactly that, and this is only his first year playing varsity.”

Kersey had drawn Dirigo even by scoring on a 40-yard boot with 14:32 left in regulation. Kersey intercepted a pass, dribbled to the right and kicked a high-arching ball which eluded Gallagher’s outstretched arms.

“That was quite a shot,” Hanson said. “The sun is bad in (east) end and (Gallagher) could have miss played the ball.”

The Cougars had rotated Colby Knapp back to help out on defense. Alex LeBlanc, Nick Howe and Brett Staples each hustled after loose balls.

“We’ve been working hard on getting the ball wide,” Remington said. “It might work against weaker teams but not against Dirigo. I moved Max back in the second half, and it may have hurt our offense.”

Telstar had opened the scoring 17 minutes in to the game on a goal by Max Meader. The Rebels received a corner and Mike Fleet’s boot-in wasn’t cleared. Matt Zinchuk kicked the ball to Meader who put the ball past a prone Saphire.

Telstar and Dirigo each had 15 shots that reached the goal. Gallagher made a basket catch on Jon Smith’s direct kick. The Rebels’ Frankie Delduca hit the cross bar with five-minutes left in the second half. The Cougars have outscored opponents 9-2 behind defenders Alex LeBlanc, Adam Law and Archie Ray.