The Toll Gate and Warwick Vets girls’ soccer teams are pretty far apart in the standings. The Titans are in third place, gearing up for a playoff run. The ’Canes are in fifth, out of the playoff chase.

But in Thursday night’s regular-season finale at Bend Street, the Titans and ’Canes didn’t look so different. A back-and-forth game ended in a 1-1 tie.

“I thought both teams played well,” said Vets coach Tom Flanders. “[Toll Gate coach Fred Schweizer] should be proud of his kids and I’m proud of mine.”

The Titans were celebrating Senior Night, and Schweizer could see that they were a little distracted. Early on, that was trouble.

The ’Canes controlled the action and got a goal from Stephanie Kondvar with just five minutes gone. It was the first varsity goal for Kondvar, a senior playing her last game.

“We went down 1-0 early and we were distracted,” Schweizer said. “It was Senior Night, and we have 11 seniors. It’s big for them.”

The ’Canes took the opportunity to keep on pushing.

“It’s a nice flat field and we wanted to keep the ball on the ground,” Flanders said. “I was happy with the way we were moving the ball. We were playing to feet a lot.”

Eventually, the Titans turned the tide, gaining possession and creating some chances. Early in the second half, a pile-up near the post led to a penalty kick for the Titans. Kelsey Imondi took it and buried it to tie the game.

“I’m proud of the fact that they battled back and that they created the opportunity that they did to score,” Schweizer said. “We came back from a 1-0 deficit against a team that had nothing to lose. Vets played hard and they played well.”

For Flanders and the ’Canes, the penalty kick was another frustrating turn in a frustrating season.

“It’s par for the course for us,” Flanders said. “We started the season losing 2-1 to North on a questionable PK. Tonight, we had a pile-up in there, and that was the call. You just try to move on. We had some chances after that. They had some chances. It was a good up-and-down game. You just hate to see it decided by something like that.”

Both teams threatened to score after the penalty kick, but nobody broke through. Toll Gate goalie Amy St. Amand and Vets’ Allie Ventura made several key saves. Ventura’s performance meant the Titans couldn’t go home completely happy. But with North Kingstown dropping its last two games, the Titans held on to third place in Division I-South.

“I’m not happy, but I’m satisfied,” Schweizer said.

At halftime, the Titans honored their 11 seniors. Last year, they struggled through an injury-plagued season and finished with just three wins. They’ve helped the Titans more than double that total this year.

“They’re a tremendous group,” Schweizer said. “They had a three-win season last year, but they never gave up. They came back and had something to prove. I believe that they did that this season. They worked well with the underclassmen. I think they’ve taught them a lot. I’m proud of them.”

Thursday’s game also offered a chance for Flanders to reflect on his senior class, a small group that set the tone in a transition year.

“These five kids are special kids,” Flanders said. “They’re nice kids besides being good soccer players. It was tough for me this year at the senior game. I wanted more for them – we just weren’t able to give it to them. They’re kids who worked extremely hard and they deserved a better ending. But it is what it is – it’s Division I soccer and no one’s going to feel bad for you.”

If the ’Canes can build on the foundation they put down this year, no one will have to feel bad.

“We started the varsity season with 13 players,” Flanders said. “Teams were kind of laughing at us. But I wasn’t moving kids up until I was sure. We’ve got 20 now on the varsity. We’ll lose five, but the kids we’ve brought up are quality kids who want to improve. So the future looks pretty good for Warwick Vets. This is a realignment year but we’re not looking to go anywhere.”

As for the Titans, their focus is on the more immediate future. The playoffs are set to begin Thursday. As of Monday, the pairings had not been published.

Whoever the opponent is, the Titans know what they need to do.

“The focus is getting back our touches and getting ready for round one,” Schweizer said. “It’s one game at a time in the playoffs. We’ve just got to work hard, tighten some things up and get mentally prepared.”