EKL & Huge 5A Clash

30 September @ STA vs. BV West (5-1)

Well, we were all excited for the preliminary of what will also be a huge post-season match-up: Saints against the newly-announced-5A Jags. The first match went soundly to us. But I would bet on a very different looking second match as West is quite good as their 8-1 record coming in suggested.

With both Kutey and Feuerborn out tonight, the door was open for some other forward to walk through it.  Lasse Nilsen ran through the door. He was sensational tonight with two excellent finishes (check those out), and then his earning of the PK on the first goal of the second half topped his performance off. The Norwegian Bandit played so well tonight that he earned the coveted BWhite Player of the Match.

Zach Schneller also played very well at forward, producing a goal and an assist. In fact about five minutes into the match, we we playing so sluggishly and going negatively with so many passes that we subbed half the line. Those subs quickly got us to a 2-0 lead, Lasse on goal one from Geist and Schneller finishing the corner on a great header.

BWhite also gave a shoutout to Nick D'Adamo at centerback as well. BV West had only a limited amount of quality opportunities (their only shot on goal, their free-kick). 

But overall I thought we really got some fine play up and down the line-up. And all of the goals were pretty spectacular. 

Good win, but it means nothing in what will happen the next time we meet.

The national tourney is next.  Let's keep playing with this intensity and enthusiasm.

Go Royals!

STATS:

First Half: Saints: Shots: 8 (5) Corners: 5 (Nilsen, Stoecklein, Geist 2, Heying)

32:23 Nilsen (Geist finds Lasse going forward)

30:02 Schneller (Johnston bends the corner to the PK)

2:19 Nilsen (Younger chips the back line for Lasse to take in)

Jags: Shots: 1 (1) Corners: 2

18:06 Gore (direct free kick from 30)

Second Half: Saints: Shots: 9 (4) Corners: 5 (Nilsen, Younger, H. Brown, Schiltz, Heying)

36:15 Brown (PK as Nilsen taken out in the box by keeper)

8:37 Arias (Schneller squares it for the shot)

Jags: Shots: 5 (0) Corners: 1