RICHLAND, MI –– On the surface, it might’ve looked like an ole mid-April regular season Friday night on the pitch, but to Jeff Corstange and John Conlon, it couldn’t have been more different. Everything screamed postseason. With intensity and physicality cranked all the way up, playoff vibes were palpable for both Gull Lake and Byron Center girls soccer as the state-ranked squads duked it out and settled for a 1-1 draw in a heavyweight, state-ranked showdown. “It took a minute, but we matched their physicality and brought the energy from our bench, which made it really feel like a postseason game for us,” Gull Lake soccer coach Jeff Corstange said. “That’s what I really like about these games, it makes us realize that we can play with anybody in the state.” Of course, the high school girls soccer state tournament is still a good four weeks out, but the competitive nature of both programs Division 1 No. 14-ranked Byron Center (3-1-3) and Division 2 No. 3-ranked Gull Lake (7-1-1) brought out a quality match –– one that heated up quickly in the game’s opening half. Byron Center wasted little time bursting out of the gates, playing on the front foot and pressing in the attacking third. High caliber looks soon came knocking, and with sophomore forward Nora Leavitt finding seams, the Bulldogs were in business 10 minutes in. And they capitalized. With Leavitt racing behind the Blue Devil defense, it left no choice for Kenadie Schuemann –– the sophomore was charged with a foul in the box, setting up a Bulldog penalty kick. Senior Morgan Malek stepped up, and calmly passed in a shot past Gull Lake goalkeeper Bella Carr for a 1-0 lead. “It was good to come out and score a goal quick, but then we just have to keep fighting,” Malek said. “We wanted a couple more to not let them get back at us.” Byron Center’s fast start was a welcome sight for its coach. “All year, we’ve been pretty slow out of the gate and that’s allowed teams to hang around,” Conlon said. “I was hoping to get a second one right away, then all of a sudden, you’re feeling good about yourselves. But they started to gain momentum, started to gain territory and that wasn’t good for us.” With the Bulldogs pressed up, Gull Lake discovered its footing on the counter –– something Tessa Cothron was ready for. The sophomore received a through ball from Kyleight Grant over the top, settling the ball and looping a chip shot over Byron Center’s Nora Schans for a energizing equalizer midway through the half. “I saw Kylie had the ball in open space and so I ran through, and I was planning on chipping it,” Cothron said. “It felt really good to get that one, and it gave me the confidence we needed. It boosted our team energy up.” Corstange noted Cothron’s speed, knowing that could be used to his team’s advantage. “Tessa is lightning-quick and we knew that if we could get it up and over their center backs, we’d get Tess in behind them,” Corstange said. “She’s been missing a lot of them lately but she connected tonight and it gave us momentum. It was that swing that we needed because the pendulum was swinging their way for most of the time. “It gave us that hope, and a little bit of light that we can play with these guys.” That setup a back-and-forth second half –– both teams had grade-A chances, including several on set pieces. Byron Center’s Ella Alexander nearly called game with less than five minutes, but her transition shot near the six-yard box was laced just wide of frame. “This was a heavyweight battle and obviously you want to get out of here with a result but overall, this was good for us,” John Conlon said. “We learned a ton about ourselves, and I think we had a lot of chances to win, but we just couldn’t finish.” Byron Center had entered Friday winners of three straight games, outscoring its opponents by a staggering 24-1 margin. And while that’s certainly a boost in confidence, Conlon and Co. know the significance of testing the Bulldogs in preparation for the postseason. “We have to get better at the little things and we can’t waste moments at the end of the game,” Conlon said. “It’s a good learning experience.” Meanwhile, Gull Lake and Corstange feel like they’re just scratching the surface of a young and hungry squad. The Blue Devils lost their best player, Lilah Smith, to injury during the winter, and are relying on a lineup that features just one senior. But after Friday, Gull Lake’s confidence is through the roof. “Lilah was our rock for the past three years and we’re out here playing for her, but this just made me realize that we can play with anybody in the state,” Corstange said. “We’re not the biggest team out there but we can play just the same size as everybody else. We can match anyone’s physicality. “The grit that these girls have is unbelievable.” Gull Lake visits Stevensville Lakeshore on Monday, while Byron Center visits Muskegon Reeths-Puffer on Tuesday.