| Andre Press Sports Ticker Sudwerk One Bullet Short in Wild Shootout By Joseph Hunter AP Soccer Writer DAVIS, Calif., Feb. 20 -- FC Sudwerk dropped a heartbreaker on Tuesday night, giving up a goal with 26 seconds remaining to lose 9-8 to Julie's Coeds, after a seesaw battle that featured nonstop scoring and multiple lead changes. The red-and-black appeared to have the game in hand midway through the second half when it went up 7-5. Julie's Coeds responded, however, by scoring three consecutive goals and taking an 8-7 lead before Ralph Garcia equalized with just 2 minutes remaining. But Sudwerk's defense, porous for most of the night, couldn't hold off Coeds for the draw. "This game was an offensive shootout that we felt we could have won," said Ramal Werdna, FC Sudwerk's president and CEO. "Our offensive attack sparkled but obviously our defending should have been better." Julie's Coeds was led by John Pedroia's three goals. For Sudwerk, striker Bruce Berry netted three and Ralph Garcia scored two. The game was tied 4-4 at halftime. "Once again, Bruce Berry played spectacularly," Werdna said. "There's no doubt he's our most potent offensive weapon." In another piece of bad news adding to the club's winter woes, defender Andrew LaMar, who returned to the field lineup for the first time in three weeks, re-injured his right knee late in the game. He will undergo a medical exam later today but is expected to be out for the rest of the season. Sudwerk fell to 2-3-0 for the winter season but remains in third place. The red-and-black has a crucial match next week with Big Pern's Posse. With a victory, Sudwerk can clinch a playoff berth and keep the inside track for a second- or third- place finish, which would ensure the club won't play the first-place team in the opening round of the playoffs. In other league play, Davis United suffered its first defeat of the winter season, losing 5-4 to Woodland. And in related news, the league announced it has revised the winter season schedule to ensure that each team gets eight games. Each of the league's five teams had one bye in the first five weeks due to River Plate pulling out. The new schedule has FC Sudwerk facing Big Pern's Posse at 8 p.m. next Tuesday and playing a double-header on March 5 that entails taking on Davis United at 7:15 p.m. and Woodland at 8:45 p.m. "We welcome the March 5 double-header because it will be a perfect warm-up for the playoffs," Werdna said. The playoffs are scheduled for March 12. ## |