| Sudwerk Squeaks By
DAVIS, Calif., July 27 (Reuters) -- FC Sudwerk scored on a penalty kick to down Purple Haze 1-0 in a hard-fought contest Wednesday night. The victory improves the red-and-black's record to 2-1, marking its best summer start ever. Andrew LaMar converted the kick in the 78th minute after a Purple clad-defender handled the ball in the penalty box. LaMar placed his shot just inside the right post as the keeper dove the opposite direction. Goalie Craig Dandurand recorded his first clean sheet of the year, as the Sudwerk defense clamped down and allowed their Jimmy Hendricks-loving opponents few scoring opportunities. "Another week, another great victory," said Juan Carlos, FC Sudwerk's president and CEO. "Everyone played hard and we had lots of subs and depth. That made a big difference." The red-and-black had plenty of other scoring chances, with J.B. Rudell hitting the cross bar from 10 yards out after juking Purple Haze's left back. On another, midfielder Leon Shahinian sprinted up the right wing and delivered a perfect cross to LaMar, who mishit the ball from 15 yards out. The game's last moments were tense as Purple Haze pressed, sending everyone forward to get an equalizer. In the final minute, a Purple attacker missed a wide open header from the six yard line, putting the ball over the cross bar, after receiving a delightful cross from the right wing. Once again, Joncarlo Mark demonstrated his skill as manager, artfully deploying a deep bench of subs and mixing up his lineup to confuse the opponents. After Sudwerk's historic 2-1 start -- the best of its four summer seasons -- players gathered at the brewery to toast their success. The only thing better than victory is to drink to it afterward. Prost! ## |