BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK

FOR THE BLACK SHIRTS

It was all going so well. Too well. Six game winning streak, 5-0 record, & firmly entrenched in first place. And in this much anticipated match, the first since a narrow 4-3 win by SSL last session, the black shirts had jumped out to a comfortable 3-0 lead about half way thru the first period. Everything looked great. Playing stellar defense, creating lots of offensive pressure, scoring opportunities aplenty, the black shirts had it all going for them. Then, a strange thing happened. The Cobras scored!

Not known for their offensive prowess, the normally low-scoring side of the Cobras weren't thought to present too much of an offensive threat to the black shirts, & surely, with a sizable 3-0 lead, SSL could just about put this one on cruise control. And they did.

While on cruise, the black shirts stopped marking. Stopped getting back. Stopped playing team defense. Not a good combination. Meanwhile, the Cobras kept pushing. Kept running. Kept marking. Kept being aggressive. Their efforts provided them their first goal of the game, narrowing the score to 3-1. Not to worry, right? Wrong!

The black shirts stopped doing what had been doing so well. Passing the ball. They started dribbling, & losing the ball. They they started forcing the ball, but instead, passing the ball to players with the wrong color shirts on. They started giving way too much space to the Cobra attackers, not marking tightly at all, in many cases, 10 or 15 feet away from their opponent. Again, a bad combination for the black shirts. As we've said in this space before, "if you can't touch them, you're not marking them".  The Cobras took advantage. Quickly.

Just like that, they scored their second goal of the match, narrowing the score even further, to 3-2. It was game on & it appeared the only team with game at the moment, were the Cobras. Momentum had clearly moved to the other bench.

It was worse in the second half. Much worse. SSL continued their poor play. They couldn't recapture the edge & aggressiveness with which they started the game. Now they found themselves playing uphill, fumbling away more chances, even though they had the lead. But, you could see it coming. And come it did. The Cobras went on to score four more second half goals to a lone SSL tally, upping the score to 6-4, & they never looked back. It could have been worse. The Cobras had two goals nullified by the referree for sliding.

It was a complete breakdown across the board & it overshadowed a marvelous night by Jason Adelsberger, who garnered a "hat trick", with three goals on the evening. Now, with a week off due to the Thanksgiving Holiday, the black shirts will have both some good fortune & some misfortune to comtemplate.

The misforune is how poorly they played in this match & what  they'll need to do differently in the next match to right the ship. The good fortune is that In spite of the loss, the black shirts still retain their hold on first place, two points in front of the Cobras. And both the black shirts & Cobras have accumulted enough points to seperate themselves from the rest of the pack which will assure a re-match of last weeks contest, & it'll be for the league championship. That should be some pretty exciting football.

But first, SSL has one regular season match left on its schedule before meeting the Cobras in the finals. Off this Thursday for Thanksgiving, their next match won't be until 12/3 @ 10:20 on field #1 versus SoCo Utd. This should give the black shirts ample opportunity to work out the kinks & get back on the roll that they've worked so hard to achieve during their previous six game winning streak. It will surly be interesting. Hope to see you there. Thanks for reading, & have a wonderful holiday with your loved ones.

	SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS O-30
	NAME		GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS
	JAYSON ADELSBERGER		6	11	2	24
	GUILLERMO CORTEZ		6	9	4	22
	EDIN CORALIC		6	7	8	22
	DAVID HIPPERSON		4	5	8	18
	MIKE HOGAN		6	3	2	8
	WILL SUK		5	2	3	7
	GIANNI PENS		5	2	0	4
	RONNIE ROWDEN		5	1	2	4
	BERNARD ANIC		4	0	2	2
	TONY MEADOWS		4	0	2	2
	CASEY WALSH		6	0	2	2
	JOHN KOZUSCEK		6	0	2	2
	SLADAN KURTOVIC		2	0	0	0

Date			Location
Thu 10/8 10:30 PM	W 11-4	at Freaky Shakra(WHITE/BLUE)	Concord, Field 2
Thu 10/15 9:30 PM	W 5-4	at Sinclair & Rush	Concord, Field 1
Thu 10/22 9:35 PM	W 5-4	Sinclair & Rush	Concord, Field 3
Thu 11/5 9:30 PM	W 7-6	Zoom Motors(GREEN)	Concord, Field 1
Thu 11/12 7:05 PM	W 8-2	at Zoom Motors(GREEN)	Concord, Field 3
Thu 11/19 9:30 PM	L 4-7	CD Cobras(BLUE)	Concord, Field 1
Thu 12/3 10:20 PM	50 minutes	Soco Utd (BLUE)	Concord, Field 1

SSL TO PLAY AT SOCCER PARK THANKSGIVING WEEKEND

SET TO PLAY IN "HOOTERS" 7V7 OVER 35 TOURNEY

SSL will participate in the St. Louis Scott Gallagher Thanksgiving Tourney, held at Soccer Park, Friday, 11/27 & Saturday, 11/28.  The draw for the brackets & seeding will take place @ the Hooters in Maryland Heights, this Wednesday @ 6pm. Following the draw, I'll forward the game times & field numbers along. This will be a great warm-up for the January Mitre Tourney.

The roster for this tourney is limited to eleven players. At this time, ten of the eleven spots are taken, with just the goalie spot yet to be filled. The roster so far:

1. Ronnie Rowden. 2. Bernard Anic. 3. Casey Walsh. 4. Ken Brigden. 5. Tim Ford. 6. Steve Rankin.

7. Stewart Intagliata. 8. Ed Muehlhausler. 9. Todd Loretta. 10. James Ahearn.

Hope to see everyone there, getting some excercise & working off that turkey. Thanks.

BLACK SHIRTS CARVE OUT NARROW WIN

POST FIFTH VICTORY IN LAST FIVE

To say this match was nip 'n tuck would be an understatement. Each team traded goals for the first six tallys of the game. Vintage scored early for a 1-0 lead. SSL answered at 1-1. SSL scored the 2nd goal for a 2-1 lead. Vintage answered at 2-2. Then Vintage scored the 3rd goal of the match for a 3-2 lead, but then again SSL answered & tied it at 3. And in spite of sorties by each side for the rest of the half, each keeper turned away all the challengers & the score remained tied 3-3 at the interval. Interestingly, this first half would just be a preview of the way this see-saw match would play out all the way to the final tick of the clock.

With the black shirts continuing to press the attack, counter opportunities presented themselves aplenty for the Vintage side. SSL keeper John Kozuscek had a remarkable match, but on two of these odd man counters, he had no chance. As it got later in the match & SSL having only a single sub (again!!!), fatigue again played a part. The black shirts were slow getting back, & on two of the Vintage counters, they struck paydirt. Lead by striker Nick D'Amato, who had 3 tallys on the evening, they converted these counters into two goals, taking a 5-3 lead late in the 2nd half. Time was running out on the black shirts.

Then the tide started slowly to turn in the form of SSL forward Ken Brigden. Down 5-3, & Vintage pushing up for some add-on goals, Brigden found himself in space with the ball. He turned toward the goal, released a shot & it caromed off a Vintage defender & into the goal. That narrowed the deficit to 5-4 with a little more then 5 minutes left in the match. Bridgen would then be involved in the tying goal as well.

Vintage, in possesion of the ball in their defensive end, was under pressure from Brigden. Brigden then dislodged the ball & fed it directley to an on-rushing Joe Baer, who had two goals on the evening. Baer continued towards the goal & let go with a shot that eluded the keeper & into the back of the net, tying the match at 5. So, with about 5 minutes left in the match & two goals down, the constant pressure of SSL had resulted in two unanswered goals and a tie match. However, the real fireworks were yet to come.

With less then two minutes remaining in the match in a 5-5 game, Vintage had two particularly dangerous sorties that were turned back by Kozsucek, who had another outstanding match turning back 20 to 25 shots & a half dozen of the dangerous variety. On each of the two late chances by Vintage, Kozuscek had to sprawl to turn back shots from unmarked opponents & on one, dove out from the goal where he made the initial save. As the ball bounced crazily in the air, it went behind him where he reached behind him & latched on to it, just as it appeared to be crossing the line & into the goal. Huge! That kept the match tied & the black shirts in the game.

On the ensueing counter, SSL attacked the Vintage goal. Joe Baer, the "man of the match", was making a run to the right of the Vintage goal. He then slotted the ball across the face to a slashing Tim Ford, who one-touched the ball & banged it off the Vintage keeper & into the back of the net for only their 2nd lead of the match at 6-5, & 3rd unanswered goal. As time ticked off the old Bulova, SSL ran out the clock & secured a difficult, back 'n forth, hotly contested victory, solidifying thier hold on 2nd place in the division. It was a truly entertaining, end to end game. Of note was Tim Ford performance, participating in only his 2nd game, notched his 2nd straight game winning tally. Not a bad way to start a session.

Next up will be the Vetta Red side, winless on the session, next Tuesday @ 8:35. A win in this match would secure a championship playoff berth for the black shirts, so it'll be a win that they'll surely covet.  Hope to see you there. Thanks for reading.

 

SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS O-40
	NAME		GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS
	JOE BAER		5	4	7	15
	GIANNI PENS		4	4	4	12
	KEN BRIGDEN		5	5	2	12
	STEVE RANKIN		3	5	1	11
	TIM FORD		2	3	1	7
	MICHAEL HARTSOOK		4	1	1	3
	WALLY STOKES		5	0	1	3
	STUART INTAGLIATA		2	1	0	2
	JOHN KOZUSZEK		5	0	1	1
	ED MUEHLHAUSLER		2	0	1	1

Date			Location
Tue 10/13 8:35 PM	W 5-2	Vetta 40+ RED TEAM	Concord, Field 3
Tue 10/20 9:25 PM	W 6-5	Vetta 40+ BLUE	Concord, Field 3
Tue 10/27 10:15 PM	L 3-4	at Triad Painting 40+ (White)	Concord, Field 3
Tue 11/3 9:25 PM	W 3-2	at Lampert 40+	Concord, Field 3
Tue 11/17 7:45 PM	W 6-5	Vintage Utd 40+	Concord, Field 3
Tue 11/24 8:35 PM	50 minutes	at Vetta 40+ RED TEAM	Concord, Field 3
Tue 12/1 7:45 PM	50 minutes	at Lampert 40+	Concord, Field 3

SSL TO PLAY AT SOCCER PARK THANKSGIVING WEEKEND

SET TO PLAY IN 7V7 OVER 35 TOURNEY

SSL will participate in the St. Louis Scott Gallagher Thanksgiving Tourney, held at Soccer Park, Friday, 11/27 & Saturday, As information is distributed as to the game times & fields, we'll pass that information along. This will be a great warm-up for the January Mitre Tourney. Hope to see you there. Thanks.

BLACKS SHIRTS DOMINATE FROM START TO FINISH

UNBEATEN STREAK REACHES SIX

After a scintillating game versus this same PLS Zoom club last week, in a match that ended with a 7-6, breathtaking one goal win for the SSL side, this match was anticlimatic. It was everything that last weeks match wasn't. Except for a few things.

Some of those few things that carried over from last weeks match were the clockwork precision  in the explosian of the offense that produced 8 goals on the heels of last weeks 7 goal outburst, & the confident, aggressive game management of the black shirts. Aside from that, it was a different match.

Last weeks Zoom side was a handful. Aggressive in their own right, forceful, physical & quick, they brought their "A" game & threw everything they had at the SSL side. Every SSL goal was answered with a Zoom goal. This week, a different team showed up.

From the outset, the black shirts were quicker, more aggressive, distributed, defended & countered better than the Zoom. That was no small feat considering that the match was played on field #3. Certainly not one of the favorites of the black shirts, but in spite of the small size of the field & their history of underperforming on it, they played perhaps one of thier best matches in this short six game winning streak.

Just a few minutes into the match, Guillermo Cortez, leading scorer of the black shirts, got things started with another of his patented left-footed bombs, putting SSL up 1-0. They would never look back. That first goal started the avalanche. Five different players scored for the black shirts, not the least of which was Edin Coralic, who lately has been a beast, who chipped in with two goals & two helpers. That pressuring offense contributed  to a solid first half lead of 5-1, a cushion they would never relinquished.

One of the things that SSL has done exceedingly well as of late is the defense. Consisting of Bernard Anic, Casey Walsh, Mike Hogan & Ronnie Rowden, who also contributed a tally for the match, they marked exceptionally. Typically SSL would have at least four players back defending, with the forwards getting back to help out. Keeper John Kozuscek was called on to make only two difficult saves, far different than last weeks eight or ten.

The black shirts also played dazzling offense. They ran off the ball well, passed well & put an enormous amount of pressure on the Zoom keeper, who was called on to make a multitude of difficult saves. As a result of this pressure, SSL was stubbornly opportunistic, so that when presented with those chances, they were able to finish.

Perhaps two of the prettiest of the eight goals scored on the evening for SSL, involved defender Mike Hogan. On the first, Hogan carried the ball into the right offensive corner. Well marked, he was able to beat his man, turn to his left & serviced a ball directly into the middle of the box, where an on-rushing Jayson Adelsberger hit a one-time lunging header past the keeper & into the back of the net. It was a bang-bang play.

On the second of his two goals, Hogan made a rush out of the back up the middle of the field. Upon reaching the Zoom penalty area, he received a ball from a black shirt stationed in the left hand corner that he one-timed & buried a lazer into the back of the net. It was a beautiful thing. Scoring for the evening: Edin Coralic with 2 goals & 2 helpers; Guillermo Cortez, 2 & 1; Jayson Adelsberger, 2 goals; Mike Hogan, 1 & 1; Ronnie Rowden, 1 goal; Will Suk & keeper John Kozuscek, 1 helper each.

Next up will be a difficult match for the black shirts. Thursday @ 9:30 they'll face the 2nd place club, CD Cobras, who sport only a single loss & a tie. They're always a difficult match. These two teams don't care for one another & always play each other tough. SSL is 5-1-4 overall against the Cobras including a 4-3 win last session. These are always tight, physical, close matches & this upcoming match Thursday should prove to be no different. Hope to see you there. Thanks for reading.

	SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS O-30
	NAME		GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS
	GUILLERMO CORTEZ		5	9	4	22
	EDIN CORALIC		5	7	5	19
	DAVID HIPPERSON		4	5	8	18
	JAYSON ADELSBERGER		5	8	2	18
	MIKE HOGAN		5	3	2	8
	WILL SUK		4	1	3	5
	GIANNI PENS		4	2	0	4
	RONNIE ROWDEN		4	1	2	4
	BERNARD ANIC		3	0	2	2
	TONY MEADOWS		4	0	2	2
	CASEY WALSH		5	0	2	2
	JOHN KOZUSCEK		5	0	2	2
	SLADAN KURTOVIC		1	0	0	0

 Schedule

Date			Location
Thu 10/8 10:30 PM	W 11-4	at Freaky Shakra(WHITE/BLUE)	Concord, Field 2
Thu 10/15 9:30 PM	W 5-4	at Sinclair & Rush	Concord, Field 1
Thu 10/22 9:35 PM	W 5-4	Sinclair & Rush	Concord, Field 3
Thu 11/5 9:30 PM	W 7-6	Zoom Motors(GREEN)	Concord, Field 1
Thu 11/12 7:05 PM	W 8-2	at Zoom Motors(GREEN)	Concord, Field 3
Thu 11/19 9:30 PM	50 minutes	CD Cobras(BLUE)	Concord, Field 1
Thu 12/3 10:20 PM	50 minutes	Soco Utd (BLUE)	Concord, Field 1

 SSO O-40, 3, LAMPERT, 2

BLACK SHIRTS HANG ON

NOTCH TWO 1 GOAL WINS

This match was unlike any other match that the SSL O-40 side has played since 9/29/09. They had two subs! Not since that September match, one they lost to this same Lampert side, have they had as many as two subs. In the previous 4 matches, SSL fielded 0, 1,1 & now 2 subs. That alone would have been cause for a celebration, had it not been for the victory in this hard-fought, white-knuckle nailbiter of a contest.

In the history of matches between SSL & Lampert in this O-40 division, SSL jumped out to a strong start, winning the first four games. However, SSL then lost the next four, including three last session, resulting in four wins for each side. So, this match last Tuesday would be the tie-breaker. And what a match it was.

The Black Shirts were feeling good about this match, what with two subs & two new players in the form of Ed Muehlhausler & Tim Ford. To further that feeling of confidence, the Black Shirts scored first, &, for that matter, second as well. Ken Bridgen started the scoring for the SSL side with a nice turn to his right with his back to the goal, inside the box & letting go with a quick left-footed shot that found the lower left corner of the goal, getting the black shirts on the board first.

Gianni Pens followed that up with his 4th goal of the campaign & 1st of the evening with a shot from just outside the box that just eluded the Lampert keeper, increasing the black shirts lead to 2-0. Shortly after scoring the 2nd goal of the game, the black shirts dodged a bullet when keeper John Kozcusek snatched a ball off the boards at the corner of the goal, with a Lampert player standing over him, just waiting for the rebound that never came.

They would maintain that lead until the 12 minute mark, when the Lampert side tallied their first goal of the evening, closing the SSL lead to 2-1.  Then, just a moment later, in response to the Lampert tally, SSL hit paydirt again.

On a counter from the SSL defensive end, Gianni Pens found himself in a scramble in the box, but still had the composure to get off a shot from the right side. That shot caromed off the crossbar, & back out to the left side of the box where a waiting Tim Ford, showing great patience, one-timed the rebound with a rocket back into the far corner of the net. That upped the SSL lead to 3-1 with only 27 ticks of the old Bulova left in the half, once again regaining that all important 2 goal cushion. They would need it!

With both teams making constant runs up & down the pitch, & generally making life miserable for both keepers, the score remained the same all the way to the interval, with neither side able to add to the score. 

In spite of the fact that the black shirts good fortune of having two subs, fatigue would still be a factor. As the match grew late & the SSL players slow getting back, Lampert continued to apply pressure on the  defense & in particular the keeper, Kozcusek. Both would rise to the challenge as the match concluded. Lampert continued countering & the attacks ultimately resulted in a ball that an unmarked forward buried in the top right hand corner of the goal, narrowing the lead to 3-2, making everyone's collar just a little tighter.

During the last 5 or 6 minutes of the match, the black shirts were playing keep-away, knocking the ball around, maintaining possession. Sometimes this is good, & others it's bad. If you don't go for the goal, & just maintain the lead & possession, you won't score & perhaps give your opponent an opportunity. On the other hand, if you perform it well, you'll maintain the lead & lock down the win. That was the plan. However, Lampert was having something to say about that.

As successfully as the black shirts performed the keep-away, the Lampert side still got their opportunities. The later in the match it got. the more chances Lampert had. With about 3 minutes left, Kozcusek was called on to make a kick-save to his left, that, had he not made it, would have tied the score. Both Kozcusek & the defense continued to repel the relentless Lampert side, with the keeper saving the bacon again & again.

Then, one of the biggest scares of the match came with only about 5 seconds left. A Lampert player, standing just outside a very crowded SSL box, serviced a crossing ball from right to left, that was bending into the upper left corner, just out of reach of Kozcusek & just out of reach of another Lampert player stationed at the corner of the goal. It continued past the goal & into the corner of the playing field just as time expired. The black shirts were both happy & lucky to be able to hang on, & notch this difficult, well-played, 1 goal win.

With that win, SSL moved back into 1st place with a 3 -1 record. However, the 2nd place team, Triad Painting, having only played 3 matches to the black shirts 4, have a game in hand. However, it's always nice to be in first no matter the game count.

Next up will be Vintage Utd., @ 7:45 & in two weeks, a rematch with this same Lampert side. Soccer isn't just a game, folks, it's an adventure. Thanks for reading.

SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS O-40
	NAME		GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS
	GIANNI PENS		4	4	4	12
	STEVE RANKIN		3	5	1	11
	JOE BAER		4	2	5	9
	KEN BRIGDEN		4	3	1	7
	WALLY STOKES		4	0	1	3
	MICHAEL HARTSOOK		3	1	1	3
	STUART INTAGLIATA		2	1	0	2
	TIM FORD		1	1	0	2
	JOHN KOZUSCEK		4	0	1	1
	ED MUEHLHAUSLER		1	0	0	0

Date			Location
Tue 10/13 8:35 PM	W 5-2	Vetta 40+ RED TEAM	Concord, Field 3
Tue 10/20 9:25 PM	W 6-5	Vetta 40+ BLUE	Concord, Field 3
Tue 10/27 10:15 PM	L 3-4	at Triad Painting 40+ (White)	Concord, Field 3
Tue 11/3 9:25 PM	W 3-2	at Lampert 40+	Concord, Field 3
Tue 11/17 7:45 PM	50 minutes	Vintage Utd 40+	Concord, Field 3
Tue 11/24 8:35 PM	50 minutes	at Vetta 40+ RED TEAM	Concord, Field 3
Tue 12/1 7:45 PM	50 minutes	at Lampert 40+	Concord, Field 3

 SSL O-30, 7, PLS ZOOM, 6

O-30 WIN STREAK REACHES FIVE

SURVIVE SLUGFEST

You may look at the final score of this match & ask, "where was the defense". Don't be mislead. This was an offensive shootout. The goals that were scored weren't the fault of either keeper. The goal scoring was the result of persistant & aggressive offense. In fact, the "Man of the Match" turned out to be the SSL keeper, John Kozcusek. How you say? You should have seen the match.

In spite of SSL holding on to record the well-earned & deserved victory, they were outshot & Kozcusek turned away more than 30 shots for the match. As it was, 3 of the Zoom tallies were on man-advantage counters & a fourth was as a result of a two minute penalty. The black shirts, thru the course of the match, also managed to squander 2 goals leads on two different occaisions, putting Kozcusek in a position where he couldn't make a mistake. It appeared to be one of those matches where the team that scored last would win the match. In fact, it looked like, following the end of the game, as if the Zoom didn't lose, they just ran out of time. It truly was exciting soccer.

Both teams sprinted out of the blocks. These two sides have some history between them, & they came to play. The Zoom drew first blood. Five minutes in, a Zoom forward, who accounted for four of their six goals, hit a bomb from just outside the top left corner of the box. That put the Zoom on top, 1-0. The black shirts would answer quickly.

Gianni Pens got SSL on the board. David Hipperson, controlling the ball down low in the box, let go with a shot the keeper deflected. However, Pens was right there & pounced on the bouncing ball, tucking it into the back of the net for a 1 all score. Then the black shirts caught fire.

Hipperson scored the 2nd SSL goal & first of three straight on a blistering shot from outside the box, giving the black shirts their first lead of the game at 2-1. Edin Coralic then got into the act contributing a goal to the proceedings on a hustle play down in the box, following up on his own rebound & increased the SSL lead to 3-1. It all looked very comfortable. It wasn't.

At about the 10 minute mark of the first half, as a result of an inadvertant handball, SSL was awarded a two minute penalty. While short-handed, SSL could not turn back the Zoom & they scored their 2nd goal of the match, narrowing the score to 3-2. This ignited the Zoom side even further, & sent them on a tear during which they scored two more goals, resulting in their 2nd lead of the game at 4-3. This match was back & forth from start to finish. At that point, momentum had completely vacated the black shirt bench & taken a spot over on the Zoom side. Having squandered a 2 goal lead, taking a two minute penalty that resulted in a Zoom goal & finding themselves behind for the second time in the match appeared to have taken its toll. But, enter Guillermo Cortez.

Late in the first half, trailing by a goal at 4-3, Cortez singlehandedly evened the score. He collected the ball down deep in the corner & worked his way past several defenders toward the top of the box. At that point he had created a little space. It was all he needed. He let go with a left-footed rocket that blew by the keeper into the back of the net, tieing the score at 4. All the black shirts took a deep breath of relief. They were back in the match. The score at the interval was 4-4, & there was more where that came from.

The 2nd half started much as the first half ended, with a goal by the black shirts. Jason Adelsberger got into the act. After being denied all the first half on two or three memorable chances, that would not be the case in the 2nd. Again finding himself in a scramble in the box, he was able to get off a shot that caromed off a couple bodies. But, showing a lot of hustle as he always does, he followed up on the rebound & re-directed it into the vacated goal, giving SSL a coveted 5-4 lead. That lead was short-lived, again.

The Zoom came right back, knocking in their 5th & tieing goal of the match on yet another man-advantage counter. Kozcusek would have no chance. The black shirts thruout the match had pressed the action, getting a lot of chances, taking the lead & continuing to pressure the Zoom. But the Zoom would only bend, not break, & it was game-on at 5-5.

It was a stalemate for much of the rest of the half, with opportunities for both sides, but nothing to show for it. At one point it seemed this match may result in a tie. No, not a chance! As time continued to trickle down, Coralic again put a jolt in the SSL offense. On a seemingly innocent play with about 6 minutes left in the tie game, he collected the ball from a black shirt defender, just between the center line & red line, with his back to the goal. Unmarked, he casually turned, looked up, & let go with a lazer that whistled past the startled Zoom keeper & into the upper left corner of the goal, giving SSL the lead once again at 6-5 in this crazy game. Still, the Zoom kept coming.

With just under 5 minutes remaining, the Zoom cashed in again, scoring thier 6th goal of the match, again knotting the score at 6. This was the third time this match was tied. There were still 4+ minutes left in this game, plenty of time for more fireworks. Those fireworks were happily provided by David Hipperson.

At about the 4 minute mark, Adelsberger was down in the left hand corner of the Zoom end & spied Hipperson at the top box. He turned & gave Hipperson the ball quickly. Hipperson, with his back to the goal at the top right hand corner & marked tightly, turned to his left. But, he couldn't shake the defender. He put one more move on the defender, giving him just enough space to quickly slot the ball into the back of the vacated goal for yet another SSL lead at 7-6 & Hippersons 2nd goal of the match. This lead would finally stand up. But not without some last minute trepidation & heroics on the part of the SSL defense & the keeper Kozsucek as they turned away a couple of last minute desperate attempts.

But, as time wound down to all zeros, the black shirts found themselves riding a modest 5 game winning streak, & maintaining their hold on first place with a 4-0 record. However, that could all change next week. Vetta, with their creative scheduling practices, managed to have SSL play Sinclair & Rush twice in a row earlier this session, & now they find that they are priveleged to play the Zoom twice in a row as well, albeit next Thursdays match will be at 7:05 on everyones favorite field, #3. That will be followed by the SSL session Bar B Q on the parking lot immediately following the match. Hope to see you then. Thanks for reading.

 

	SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS O-30
	NAME		GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS
	DAVID HIPPERSON		4	5	8	18
	GUILLERMO CORTEZ		4	7	3	17
	JAYSON ADELSBERGER		4	6	2	14
	EDIN CORALIC		4	5	3	13
	MIKE HOGAN		4	2	1	5
	WILL SUK		3	1	2	4
	GIANNI PENS		4	2	0	4
	RONNIE ROWDEN		3	0	2	2
	BERNARD ANIC		2	0	2	2
	TONY MEADOWS		4	0	2	2
	CASEY WALSH		4	0	2	2
Posted: 12:33 PM, Nov. 8, 2009	Comments (0) | Add Comment | Link View more entries tagged with: None