CHAMPIONSHIP RE-MATCH HAS SAME RESULT
A SOLID, IF NOT PERFECT, WIN
The final score of 5-4 was actually not as close as it appeard. SSL had pulled away to what appeared a comfortable 5-2 lead & apparently had turned on the cruise control for the remainder of the match. Had the Black Shirts not lollygagged the last 5 minutes of the game, they may well have posted that 5-2 win.
As it was, as time literally ran out the clock, Sinclair & Rush, who worked hard the whole game, short-handed as they were, continued to apply pressure, while the SSL side was ready to retire to the refreshment area. Had there been a bit more time on the clock, this story may have had a much different ending. Let this be a lesson to you youngun's. Don't stop playing no matter what the score or how much time is on the clock. Remember Jauquin Andujar? Youneverknow!!!
The goals scored by the Black Shirts were really things of beauty, a result of hustle & hard work. Too bad the final five minutes did not reflect their work ethic during the rest of the match. David Hipperson & Jason Adelsberger, who had two tallys for the match, were the result of just plain hustle & second effort, following up on misses, being in the right place at the right time & working hard to get there. They got the results they deserved.
Edin Coralic, a horse up top for SSL, always a threat, tough, if not impossible, to mark, always charging the goal, taking on the defenders, again got the prize as a result of his hard work up top. Guillermo Cortez, probably possessing the hardest shot on the SSL side, turned on one, far outside the top of the box & buried a canon in the back of the net that the keeper had no chance on. That also came as a result of hard work in the corner, making space for his shot.
The passwork, goaltending, possession, ball distribution & hardwork by the Black Shirts, was a thing of beauty for 40 of the 45 minutes of the match. S&R scratched out a couple goals in the first half, but really hadn't been a real threat, as SSL dominated play on both the offensive & defensive sides of the ball resulting in multiple scoring chances. In fact, SSL received a two minute penalty, & hardly missed a beat.
SSL took advantage of the single sub for S&R & spread the field, making S&R work hard for any results. It was paying huge dividends as SSL reeled off shot after shot. It got to the point where SSL started becoming concerned with all the missed chances, hoping that S&R wouldn't take advantage of their misses, score a few goals of their own, & jump right back into the match. Not to worryl That is, not til about five minutes remained.
Holding a 5-2 lead, the Black Shirts looked as if they put in in nuetral. S&R did not. S&R kept chipping away, finally scoring their third goal with a little less than five minutes left on the clock. Still in neutral, SSL starting knocking the ball around, eating up the clock, protecting their 5-3 lead as time ran down. However, there still was time on the clock.
With 15 ticks left on the old Bulova, SSL played it back from the offensive end to the defensive end trying to burn off those pesky seconds. A scramble ensued, the ball bouncing like a ping-pong ball, eventually ending up on the foot of an S&R forward, who deposited into the back of the net with 2 ticks left. All that was left at that point was a SSL center off. Whew!!! Everyone could now exhale & were just glad that this one over & the Black Shirts slinked away with a 5-4 win. It just goes to show you, kids, you just can't quit.
By the way, it doesn't get any easier. With some creative Vetta scheduling, SSL gets yet ANOTHER re-match with S&R this Thursday at 9:35 on thier favorite field, #3. This will be their 2nd meeting in a row & 3rd in the last 4 games. Are there any other teams in the league??? You know what they say, don't you? It's tough to beat a team three straight times. Don't lollygag. Hope to see you there. Thanks for reading.
Warning: Your facilities tie breaker rules and rankings may not follow the rules above.
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