Game 7: Top Dawg, Round 2 vs. Rockhurst

17 September at Top Dawg vs. Rockhurst (2-4)

Before we discuss the egg we laid tonight, I just have to mention the student body. Our school is smaller than it has been in like 20 years, and we just had a fantastic turnout from our student body, all dressed in black.  

And we were playing so well in the second half. When we tied the score with the stands rocking with about 20 minutes to go, I actually thought we would probably win the match 4 or 5 to 2.  

But within a minute or so we gave up a PK, garnered a red card, thus fell behind 3-2 and now had only 10 guys to get it tied with.  What an amazing change of circumstance in such a short period of time.

I will admit that we did some bonehead things: 1. We created a corner for them with 23 seconds left in the first half. 2. We went flying around during the opening five minutes destroying any shape we should have had in the back. 3. We voluntarily stepped up for a second yellow card after we had already earned the foul call and the deadball. 4. One of our top defenders took himself out of the game with 19 minutes to play with the score now even. 5. We were jawing with the ref after the match had ended to pick up another yellow.  And I am sure we all could add a few more things.

But the corner kick before half was a clear offsides. The ref even said "yes two of the players were in offsides positions, but they did not affect the play."  What? How can you not be affecting the play if you are standing inside the 6-box in front of our goalie. 

Granted we had huge controversy on our first goal. It was not called a goal and then it was a goal. But they got it right.

And then the PK call on the edge of the box. We did not like it, but they got that right as well. 

I do think the great atmosphere of this unreal high school soccer game had the refs pressing as much as some of the players and the coaches, but the center official got most all of it right all night, and under the circumstances that is big time. So hats off to him.

BWhite, and really the whole staff, almost unanimously named Pedro Arias the BWhite Player of the Match. He was just tremendous all game. His touch, his speed of play and his never-ending effort to get behind the ball to defend set him apart. 

This one had to be one of the most entertaining of the Rockhurst/Aquinas matches.  6 goals scored with some other shots ringing off the posts, just going wide. It was wild. It is just fun to watch high school kids play so hard for so long. We did not get the result, but this match certainly is a reason for high school soccer. Wow!

And our play in the second half was pretty snappy. Rockhurst got two shots off all of second half with no corners (we did play with only 10 guys the last 17 minutes of the match as well). The effort, the crowd, the opponent all at their best last night.

So, we need to right the ship Saturday, stay unbeaten in Kansas and put ourselves in position to win the EKL. Keep in mind Northwest beat the Rock fairly easily. But Rockhurst/Aquinas is just a whole different beast.

One more shoutout for our student body. Just fantastic.

STATS:

First Half: Saints: Shots: 5 (2) Corners: 4 (Younger, Johnston, Bartlett, Kutey)

15:33 Bartlett (Stoecklein finds his feet.

Rock: Shots: 4 (3) Corners: 1

35:46 Schieffer (Evans crosses it)

0:02 Dewitt (gets the rebound off the corner)

Second Half:  Saints: Shots: 9 (5) Corners: 1 (Johnston) 

18:38 Johnston (Velasco's throw comes back out)

Rock: Shots: 2 (2) Corners: 0

17:49 Schieffer (PK)

5:44 Dewitt (Evans on a counter)