SCOTLAND YARD NEWS: Northwood Match
09-09-08
We came into our game against the Northwood Timberwolves this past Tuesday with high hopes following a decisive victory over Rochester last Wednesday. The guys were given the weekend to rest and recover, as well as get acclimated to being a ‘student’-athlete since classes were now in full swing. Several opted to take the opportunity to travel home and relax, while a handful stayed around campus.
We arrived at the field a tad early so that the guys could support the women’s team in their competition against Northwood. After a shortened warm up, the game was under way and we quickly learned what we were up against. In the opening half, we were unable to put pressure on their attackers as they checked into target positions. This allowed them to turn and come at us without difficulty, creating several dangerous scoring opportunities. Our defense, anchored by Dave Korte and Anthony Bergstrom, was able to weather the storm.
Despite their attacks, we had our chances on goal as well. Dan Laatz and Santi Lopez were able to string together a couple of passes and get Santi in behind their defenders. However, the Timberwolves escaped danger was Santi’s shot went high and wide. Later in the half Mark Daisy had another good scoring attempt off a free kick just outside of the box, but he too was unable to convert.
At the end of the first half, the Scots were down, but not out. It has been said that a 2-goal lead is the most difficult lead to maintain, and we hoped to prove that point as we came out for the second half. With some slight personnel changes and minor tactical adjustments, the guys came out hungry for another chance at the Timberwolves, and overall the second half faired much better than the first. We were able to bring the ball down and possess it through the back and the mid at times.
Ultimately, the international flavor and the physicality of Northwood proved to be too much as they were able to squeeze one more in behind goalie Jon Nowak on a rebound after an impressive point blank save. With a final score of 3-0, it would be easy for the guys to be discouraged, but we made it clear that we will not see another team like this in our schedule and that teams such as Northwood are schedule so that the guys can experience a variety of playing styles and attacks. All we can do now is get ready for our next match against Allegheny in the Adidas Classic Tournament in Ada, OH.
Posted: Tue, September 9th, 2008 at 11:52AM
