North Medford’s boys soccer team got to enjoy a new field but found similar results Tuesday in the debut of new artificial turf and a return to home games at Bowerman Field.

The Black Tornado staged a tight battle with crosstown rival South Medford — ranked No. 6 in the Class 6A coaches poll — but couldn’t quite score that breakthrough moment North Medford has been seeking thus far this fall.

After the teams played to a cautious and scoreless draw through the first 40 minutes, North Medford broke the deadlock on a rebound goal by Koby Ibarra that was soon answered by South Medford’s Kyle Denn as the teams settled for an eventual 1-1 tie in Southwest Conference play.

“It was a pretty intense game,” said Black Tornado head coach Marco Cortez. “That’s just how South and North games are.”

“It was back and forth and then I think in the second half we were much better, for sure,” he added. “We played most of the second half in their field and we had shots but their goalkeeper saved a lot and we were just unlucky with the scoring. I think for sure we should’ve won tonight, but you know how soccer is, you have to put them in in order to win.”

Creating scoring opportunities has not been a chore for the Black Tornado (3-2-2, 2-1-2 SWC) thus far, but they left potential goals in their pocket in a league-opening tie against Grants Pass and weren’t far off from making things tense for perennial SWC favorite South Eugene in a 2-0 loss last week.

‘We’ve been unlucky with the scores but it’s just a process, we have to keep working,” said Cortez. “The boys are motivated and they know that they can compete with any team. They know the league’s still open and we still have a bunch of games to play, we’ve just got to keep going.”

Tuesday’s outcome provided the only blemish on what has been a pretty strong start to the season for the Panthers (5-0-1, 3-0-1).

“North played a very good game,” said South Medford head coach Matt Soper. “Their defensive effort tonight was the best we have seen all year. They were all over the place and made for a very difficult night.”

“I’m very proud of our guys though,” he added. “We have a target on our back with every game and our boys did not back down. When we went down 1-0, they never gave up. Both teams, I feel, had chances to win towards the end of the game with both goalkeepers making great saves to preserve the tie.”

Panthers goalkeeper Silvano Pineda came up with six saves, while Fernando Ortiz made a critical stop for the Black Tornado with about three minutes to play to highlight an effective performance from both seniors.

Ibarra sent a nice ball from outside the box toward the goal that Pineda was able to stop but also gave up a rebound on. Watching it all play out right before him, Ibarra closed on the loose ball and was able to get a touch past the keeper for a 1-0 lead by North Medford in the 44th minute.

The excitement of a potential upset was muted four minutes later, however, when Kyle Denn dribbled through a pair of defenders and was fouled in the box to create a penalty kick opportunity. As he has done all season, Denn deftly found the back of the net to make it 1-all.

The final 32 minutes involved more promising attacks from the likes of Matthew Donovan and Prince Thompson, among others for North, but South Medford’s Eloy Saucedo, Felix Valenzuela and Denn were routinely there to make sure the Tornado didn’t gain too much of an advantage.

“We definitely had a lot of shots that we could’ve made but we’re unlucky with the scoring,” said Cortez. “Their keeper came out big tonight.”

ASHLAND 4, HIDDEN VALLEY 0: At Murphy, four different Ashland players scored and goalkeeper Aiden Espinoza was able to keep a clean sheet despite some quality pressure by Hidden Valley.

Cash Cota scored in the seventh minute on a low shot after a setup by Luis Caballero Uhtoff for the Class 5A seventh-ranked Grizzlies (4-2), then Cota returned the favor for a goal by Quillian Tourzan in the 11th minute.

In the 65th minute, Escher Paz scored off an assist by Cota, and Hank Stringer closed the scoring on a direct kick in the 74th minute from 22 yards out.

Espinoza made three saves, while Luke Reddish, Ari Banderoff, Lupin Paz and Ravi Guerrero Cruz helped quiet the Mustangs (3-1).

Girls SoccerGRANTS PASS 2, ROSEBURG 0: At Roseburg, Addison Waite finished a deflected shot by Callie Brandes in the 28th minute on the back side of the goal and Brooke Anderson scored two minutes later from the top of the box to give Grants Pass cushion for a Southwest Conference victory.

The Cavers (2-3, 2-3 SWC) outshot Roseburg by a 5-to-1 ratio, with goalkeeper AbbieGail Michael making four saves to preserve the shutout.

CRATER 2, EAGLE POINT 0: At Eagle Point, Crater junior Ella Heppner scored her seventh goal of the season after she finished a rebounded shot from center back Harrisen Poe in the 29th minute for what proved to be the decisive goal in the Midwestern League match.

Poe made a long drive downfield that was initially halted by Eagle Point’s goalkeeper, only to have Heppner finish the shot on the rebound for the Comets (3-2, 1-0 MWL).

Addison Vranes later made a similar breakaway run and fired a shot on goal that again ricocheted off the goalie before getting a finishing touch by Brook Caywood.

The Eagles dropped to 1-2-1 and 0-1 in MWL play.

ASHLAND 1, HIDDEN VALLEY 1: At Ashland, freshman Wynn Pistole opened the scoring for Ashland on a breakaway in the 36th minute but Hidden Valley was able to answer on a header off a corner kick to create a nonleague tie.

Ashland outshot the visiting Mustangs by a 9-7 total, but had a potential go-ahead penalty kick pushed wide of the goal with 12 minutes to play.

ST. MARY’S 6, LAKEVIEW 2: Kendal Yazzolino scored four goals to maintain her torrid pace for St. Mary’s, which built a 3-0 lead by halftime and remained unbeaten with the District 4 victory at L&D Fields.

Emma Wheelock opened the scoring off an assist by Elsa Lee in the fifth minute for St. Mary’s (5-0, 4-0 Dist. 4), then Yazzolino took over with goals in the 20th and 34th minutes. The first of the freshman’s goals came after a corner kick by Carys Chamberland, and the second off an assist by Atziri Cortez.

Lakeview (2-2, 2-2 Dist. 4) cut its deficit with goals in the 49th and 57th minutes, but Wheelock set up Yazzolino for another goal in the 76th minute and then her final goal came in the 80th minute.

Ketsia Carvalhaes capped the scoring after Eva Castillo stole the ball and threaded a pass to her teammate.