Game 1 (2-1)
We opened pool play against Garden City, the team we played in last year's final. This one was also a close match, as we scored the go-ahead goal late in the second half on Luke Kutey's air cross that got knocked down in the box for a Will Cole finish.
We had jumped out early on Luke's long throw-in that Stoecklein headed in during the opening minutes.
Defensively we were solid all match, only getting Ray PecEd for the only goal. Lesson learned.
NB: Skevington will always remember this match, as will Kutey.
Stats: Saints: Shots: 17 (7/10); On: 9 (4/5); Corners: 6 (3/3); GC: Shots: 3 (1); Corners: 0
Game 2: (3-0)
In our second match of the day we drew a decent DeSoto team who had played well in Salina.
We opened scoring early with a great goal. Matthew Brown lifted a long d-ball to the back post where Jay Johnston had come up from right back to head it in 10 minutes in.
We extended the lead to 2-0 right before half when Zack Schneller t-ed a nice ball through a Cole Younger dummy for a Danny Gabriel finish.
Although we were all over them in the second half with 17 shots, we only netted an unassisted goal early from Kutey.
Stats: Saints: Shots: 27 (10/17). On Goal: 9 (4/5). Corners: 6 (3/3). DeSoto: Shots: 2 (2). Corners. 1.
Both teams headed to the Bartlett's lake house for lunch. (Lucas did turn 17 today, as well). This event was quite a bonus to the day, a little bonding, a little team building in a great setting with some good food.
27 July @ Washburn (last game of pool play with semis and finals to follow) (10-0)
8:15 vs. Immaculata.
This was not worth getting up for as Immac offered up little effort. Granted they are missing talent and are quite young, but they did not challenge the ball. Their keeper put out the most effort.
Geist. 2. Gaspo. 2. Kutey 2. Bartlett. Johnson. Johnston. Stoecklein.
Sunflower Semifinals at 1:00 (3-0)
Vs. Baldwin.
Well, very eventual with KU University professor/Baldwin Coach red carded—as he departed, he did leave us a record # of FBombs, quite a few deragatory remarks concerning me, the program, and such. I took it he was not a religious man as well.
The game ground to a halt after THE EVENT with the score staying at 3-0.
We began in a very unfocused manner, having 4 guys back on the first corner, bicycling a ball that should have been left, etc.
We subbed everyone out at 3, and we did pick it up some. At 25 in we scored our first goal as Younger hit one off the keeper, but Geist followed it in.
Younger then scored off the corner that Kutey head-flicked on.
Kutey scored in the first moments of the first half.
STATS: Saints. 24 (11/13). Corners. 14. (9/5)
Baldwin. Shots: 3 (2). Corners. 3.
Sunflower Finals vs. Manhattan College Boys (2-1)
This was another great match for us, and it is why we go "slumin'" . We usually get a couple of great matches with some bigger, stronger players who test us in Sunflower Games—this was one of those matches. And this match was in doubt until its very end, despite the fact the match had become 9 v 11 by its conclusion.
The first shift played its best of the day during the first half, despite (and this fact becomes the ongoing puzzle for us) the fact they could not get a ball into the net. We kept the ball down on our end virtually all of their time on the field together first half, and that shift earned us a man advantage early when Holland, on his long clearance, found Younger for a break-away goal.
The Squad chose to take Cole down just before he entered the box. Red card.
Tony Schiltz and Ben Gasparovich won this match for us as they supplied the offense. Within a minute of each other, the found twine. Johnson's box ball screeched through the box for Tony's finish on the back post. (He framed it perfectly with a sprint onto his shot that kept it down and rocketed into the net. Gaspo finished a 2-minute-drill-drop-into-his-shot shot that went bar-down into the goal.
We did generate some more great chances but just could not finish. The Squad's keeper did help keep us out of the net as well. Even late in the second half, when after a flurry of yellow cards, the second player had to head off the field with his second yellow card, the Manhattan team had a couple chances. They, as well, had a chance with every set piece with their size.
It was a good match!
STATS: Saints: Shots: 15 (8/7) Corners: 12 (8/4)
The Squad: Shots: 3 (1) Corners: 1;
Overall it was a great couple of days for us. Statistically we did hold a pretty good edge in every match, but we just could not score much against the average-plus or the good team. We held GC and Manhattan to very few scoring opportunities but both matches were one-goal decisions as we gave up two deadball goals and we did not cash the chances we created.
So we have work to do, but this preseason was very important for us. And we did defend our first ship.
Sunflower Finals vs. Manhattan College Boys (2-1)
This was another great match for us, and it is why we go "slumin'" . We usually get a couple of great matches with some bigger, stronger players who test us in Sunflower Games—this was one of those matches. And this match was in doubt until its very end, despite the fact the match had become 9 v 11 by its conclusion.
The first shift played its best of the day during the first half, despite (and this fact becomes the ongoing puzzle for us) the fact they could not get a ball into the net. We kept the ball down on our end virtually all of their time on the field together first half, and that shift earned us a man advantage early when Holland, on his long clearance, found Younger for a break-away goal.
The Squad chose to take Cole down just before he entered the box. Red card.
Tony Schiltz and Ben Gasparovich won this match for us as they supplied the offense. Within a minute of each other, the found twine. Johnson's box ball screeched through the box for Tony's finish on the back post. (He framed it perfectly with a sprint onto his shot that kept it down and rocketed into the net. Gaspo finished a 2-minute-drill-drop-into-his-shot shot that went bar-down into the goal.
We did generate some more great chances but just could not finish. The Squad's keeper did help keep us out of the net as well. Even late in the second half, when after a flurry of yellow cards, the second player had to head off the field with his second yellow card, the Manhattan team had a couple chances. They, as well, had a chance with every set piece with their size.
It was a good match!
STATS: Saints: Shots: 15 (8/7) Corners: 12 (8/4)
The Squad: Shots: 3 (1) Corners: 1;
Overall it was a great couple of days for us. Statistically we did hold a pretty good edge in every match, but we just could not score much against the average-plus or the good team. We held GC and Manhattan to very few scoring opportunities but both matches were one-goal decisions as we gave up two deadball goals and we did not cash the chances we created.
So we have work to do, but this preseason was very important for us. And we did defend our first ship.
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