Fall 2008 - MNJYSA game #3
The Wildcats started their warm-up for the game by getting soaking wet standing in the rain watching the U13 boys LVU Scorpions beat Sparta. The rain had been light to moderate for a few hours prior to kick-off, but the field was still managing to drain, so there weren't puddles of standing water, but conditions were very slick.
The girls were pumped to start the game with their favored 4-3-3 formation, and immediately imposed their will on Watchung, beating them to the ball, winning most 50/50 balls and keeping the ball in the Freedom defensive third. The Wildcats continued pressing and getting some shots off... some well wide, some just wide, and two that could have put us ahead... Reb hit the bar from about 15 yards on the left side of the box, and minutes later the Watchung keeper made a remarkable save fully extended to her right post on the ground. All the Freedom could do was absorb the Wildcats pressure and clear to get a breather and be ready for the next assualt. On one clearance though, they managed to move the ball up their right wing and got a weak cross off that came off our advancing keeper's hands, and was punched across the goalmouth and knocked in for a 1-0 Watchung lead.
The Wildcats didn't put their heads down.. conversely they stepped up the pressure and created more opportunities and got off more shots that were either wide or handled by the Freedom keeper. The half ended with the Wildcats down a goal. The field was getting sloppier, and at the half the Wildcats were reminded not to over-commit on defense, but to move the ball side to side on offense and take even more shots.
Even though we were still dominating play, the conditions were making it more difficult to maintain long periods of possession, and the Freedom were able to bring the ball up a little more, but never enough to worry Bri in goal, who probably only touched the ball four or five times all half. With about 15 minutes left, and still down a goal, we added an additional forward to really push for a goal. The extra body up top confused the defense initially, as they didn't have enough numbers to cover, which left Amy open on a nice lead pass from Syd. Amy touched once and blasted a left foot shot just above the keeper's reach into the roof of the net to square the game at ones. Instead of being happy with the draw, we kept the extra forward up to try for the win, but Watchung countered by booting the ball out of defense early to their front line where they had the numbers advantage. Our defense held strong, though winning balls and turning the play back, but we just couldn't get that second goal, leaving the game to end in a 1-1 draw.
GO WILDCATS !!!