The team opened up with a slightly different
formation. There would be an extra defensive marking midfielder as well
as two other inside midfielders to win the middle of the pitch. Eli
Cowie was first tasked with this new position. It was one of hard work
and little glory, but one he took to very well especially playing it
for the first time. Even though Hanover had fewer players forward, the
small field played to their advantage and they found themselves in the
Cardigan from the first moments of the game. Mark Ralston-Daniel and
Max Patyk-Finkel both pressed and created close
opportunities on goal,
and Matthew Fenner and Eli both worked hard to keep possession of the
ball in the middle. Cardigan managed to get down the field a few times,
but Matt Alibozak and the defense reacted well to the threats. It
turned into a back and forth game with near misses for both teams.
There would be one goal made by Cardigan where they caught Hanover out
of position during a transition. Though Cardigan was leading at the
half, Hanover definitely felt like they were still in the game.
The second half started similar to the first, and the click moment
for the group finally happened with a goal that was befitting for the
final one of the season. The play once again turned into an undecided
advantage for either side. Though Cardigan did manage another goal on a
breakaway down our right flank, Hanover stayed right with them, The
first tough break came with an injury to Mark Ralston-Daniel. He had
truly come to life in the middle, winning loose balls, making quick
accurate passes putting Cardigan on its back foot or simply driving
through with the ball when needed. He was the linchpin for in the goal
previously mentioned. After he was carted off the field, the team took a
while to gain its focus, but it found its way back into the game
again. This would be tested again though when a very apparent handball
by Cardigan made the entire defense instinctively freeze and Matt A. put
his hand up, and by the time they had recovered Cardigan had
capitalized on the hiccup and moved in on the goal.
Down 3-1, and a little dazed. Hanover stayed in it though, and threw
players forward. There was some strong play with good pressure and
passing from Charlie Bell and Aidan Tomlin, and Matt Fenner was the
ultimate everyman this game by playing four different positions in one
game. It was pure hustle. Though there were some setbacks in this
game, I thought the team played some it's best soccer as a team on both
sides of the ball. The loss was a bummer, but as a coach I saw a lot of
growth out there.
As stated above, this game was
one of their better ones, and the team should be recognized for that.
Matthew Alibozak played well, and made many saves to keep this team in
the running for the majority of the game. The defensive line of Caleb
Callaway, Aiden Peterson, Finn Seville, and Eli Cowie played up to the
vaunted Cardigan offense under the the command of Noah Phipps who has
emerged a real leader in the backfield, making any team against them
work for a goal. The subsequent substitutes of Jared Licht, Declan
Flynn, and Van Bailey also held the line well with hustle and
discipline. Van Bailey made several critical stops and reversed the
direction of play in the second half. The midfield of Matt Fenner, Erik
Blix, Boris Devitisky,and Maxwell Lutz presented a constant threat when
they were on the field, and were a dominant line. The midfielders of
Jackson Liu, Charlie Bell, Aiden Tomlin, Koa Schuette, Ayaan Ahmad, Ben
Brooks,Simi Obomsawin and Peirce Siegne also showed great movement and
passing with some slick moves thrown in as well that are hopefully a
good sign in the seasons to come.
Though there were many
highlights, the goal alluded to earlier should have more notable
attention and served well as parting image for this season. It began
when Matt Fenner won the ball and played it to Mark Ralston-Daniel
where he took a few moves and passed perfectly to Maxwell Lutz in motion
who just needed a touch to play it across the goalbox leaving the ball
for Max Patyk-Finkel who had made a quick move away from his defenseman
and finished with a clean strike into the goal. This whole play left
the defense and goalie on their heels. It was a great highlight
reflecting the individual skill and teamwork of this senior group.
The season is over, but this team was a great group to work with,
and as a coach it was really fun watching these guys grow together as a
team.
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