Too wound up? Perhaps.
Yet whether that was the case -- or whether it was something else that was pestering Hershey's soccer-playing Trojans -- Les Heggan's hard-working club seemed to hit a wall early in the second half.
And once the Trojans' tanks suddanly ran dry, a Red Lion outfit that was neutralized throughout the first 43 minutes or so began to build momentum, gain confidence and control lengthy stretches of a winnable game.
Ultimately, thanks to a Dan Jones strike midway through the second half, the York County Lions claimed a 1-0 victory over Heggan's worn-out Trojans in the preliminary round of the District 3-AAA boys' soccer tournament Saturday afternoon at breezy Hershey High School.
Ethan Detweiler's rolling service from the left flank preceded Jones' game-winning chip, a knuckling strike that sailed just over the outstretched hands of Hershey goalkeeper D.J. Pawlush (2 saves) and -- much to the Trojans' immediate dismay -- dipped just under the crossbar.
Heggan's ballclub (11-8), even though just over 20 minutes remained to find an equalizer, never recovered.
As a result, Hershey's first appearance in the 3-AAA playoff field since 2009 was over after just 80 frustrating minutes.
And for a young, talented Trojans outfit sporting just a handful of seniors on its sizable roster, perhaps the emotional demands and uncertainty brought on by appearing in an unfamiliar event is what sapped Hershey's zip.
"You gotta a lot of young kids in there who aren't used to the moment," Heggan said. "It's tough, but it's a learning experience for everybody."
Then again, maybe it was something else.
But once the athletic Pawlush had to lay out to his right to deny a Jones finish early in the second half, Hershey began to labor. At both ends.
While much of the first half was spent in Red Lion's defensive end -- Ben Haines had three decent scoring chances short-circuited by goalkeeper Scott Rissler (3 saves) -- the Trojans suddenly found themselves in a scrap.
Without any pop.
"You could see some of the energy wasn't there," said Heggan, Hershey's first-year coach. "The other day against Palmyra [a game the Trojans won 3-2 in overtime], they're putting pressure, pressure, pressure.
"Today, in certain phases [of the game], we put pressure. But not sustained."
Although Jones landed the first Red Lion blow with 3:20 gone, the Lions generated a glorious chance when Matt Carazo was able to get in alone on Pawlush after shrugging off soph sweeper Ryan Daylor.
Fortunately for the Trojans, the senior kicked away the potential go-ahead shot to keep the game scoreless. Unfortunately for Hershey, they couldn't regain enough territory to move the ball back to the opposite end.
While Brandon Haynes followed several minutes after Carazo's rip with a chip that sailed high, a Jones header bounced wide of the left post.
Once Jones finally cashed in, the Lions had the one score they needed to advance to a Tuesday date with top-seeded Wilson.
Hershey, despite some valiant forays by senior midfielder Liam Hulse, couldn't unlock Red Lion's midfield or defensive backfield. Called on to make a number of first-half stops, Rissler wasn't needed to preserve the Lions' narrow lead.
And with standout sophomore Jordan Wix Rauch dogged by multiple marks throughout -- once Wix Rauch received the ball and tried to beat the constant double team and advance to goal, others quickly joined the chase -- the Trojans couldn't manufacture much in the attack.
Prior to Saturday's game, the Trojans were 10-1 when Wix Rauch (20 goals) deposited a ball in the back of the net. Helps explain why the determined Lions paid so much attention to the athletic sophomore striker.
So much attention.
"Once he sees that happen, then he kind of shifts to the outside -- and then it's virtually impossible [to find space]," Heggan added. "He can beat one or two guys, but the third and fourth guys are ..."
Hershey was able to generate several late chances that did create some danger, but Haines, Brook Briggs and Hulse were unable to connect. And, in every case, nothing seriously challenged Rissler.
The Trojans even moved Daylor to left wing, adding another forward in an effort to create scoring opportunities. That didn't work either.
Red Lion was moving on.
The Trojans, meanwhile, would have to wait for another chance. With 10 juniors, sophomores and freshmen logging decent minutes in Saturday's loss, Heggan will have a good starting point in 2013.
"There's a nice nucleus coming back," Heggan said. "A nice group of young guys."