Towson coach Randy Dase said a lightening bolt hit his Generals on Tuesday.
Towson was less than a minute away from earning a hard-fought, 2-1, victory over Franklin, when a late hand-ball resulted in a penalty shot that allowed the Indians to tie the score and ultimately win, 3-2, in double overtime.
The stunned Generals (9-3) appeared to still be in shock Thursday afternoon against Loch Raven after losing a game to Franklin that could have advanced them to the county championship.
The visiting Raiders (6-6-1) added to Towson's woes by blanking the suddenly punchless Generals, 1-0, behind senior forward Brennan Young's goal.
"That was a big blow and it took a lot out of us," Dase said of the loss to Franklin. "We wanted to make it to the county championship and solidify a No. 1 seed (for the playoffs)."
Loch Raven, meanwhile, couldn't have been more thrilled to beat Towson. The season and a rare losing record had unnerved the Raiders until Thursday.
"It was a great victory for us and our best victory of the season," Loch Raven coach Joe Fiedler said. "That's for sure."
Loch Raven showed more energy than the Generals in the first half, but neither team threatened to score.
Young's goal midway through the second half was his sixth of the year. He redirected a cross from Gage Rims past senior goalie Will Thornton.
"It's always a war between these two teams, kind of like it was today," Fiedler said. "They're two teams that go at it real hard. We were lucky today, so we got the win."