Troop Out: 30 August (1-1 2OT)

Game 1: 30 August @ STA @ 7:30 vs. St. James Academy

Another BWhite Event scored by Lisa Stoecklein, Mary Beth Brown and Dena Bartlett with lots of help from girls' soccer (Can you say Perz) and, of course, boys' soccer: The momentum just built all week with kids writing letters at lunch to soldiers, daily announcements about the game and the Wounded Warrior fund, t-shirts sold by the boys and at lunch, and then worn on a Friday that ended with an assembly.  

As we started the walkout, donning our Futbol Club-Sponsored Camo's, all we could see was an endless line of people trying to buy a ticket to the match. Those 3, 000 plus created the largest soccer crowd for an STA home match, ever. And what a student section! Add to that a Grammy-award winning singer for the National Anthem and a flag that occupied all of the shield, and well.

The game really did not disappoint although it appeared that it might during the first 20 minutes. The Thunder already had plenty of size and athleticism to show up with before their boys decided to shave their heads completely bald. That look took them to some level of surreal. Thank goodness Derek Engel came light on his feet for those opening fifteen. He made two tremendous saves during that span. (After that opening he did not really have to make another big-time save the rest of the match.)

BWhite's man of the match was, of course, Ben Moss. Ben marked out Enna for most of the match. (Yes, they did score for the short period of time Ben was out --great coaching.) Ben decidedly took away virtually all of their attack by winning ball after ball, clearing dangerous balls, competing for every header, and just taking a beating.

But when Joe Pasley entered the match just before the 18 minute mark, things changed. He closed space at that outside wing position. That strategy and toughness seemed to spread throughout the team, and we were a different team after that.

We were the better soccer team from that point on. We got a nice goal off our throw-in play, and we generated several other good looks before the double overtime ended.  

But both teams left nothing on the field. It would be hard for me to recall when two high school soccer teams played harder than those two teams tonight. It certainly wasn't always great soccer, but this was one heck of an entertaining match to watch with kids just competing, giving it everything they had for 100 minutes, 100 minutes.

And I know, lots of people told me after the match, that the match needed a winner. Don't worry, this match will happen again in post season when a lot more is on the line. And for the way both teams played tonight, a tie, and a joint prayer to end the event, just feels sort of right.

STATS:

First Half: STA: Shots 6 (2) Corners: 2

Feuerborn @ 23:40 (Velasco heaves it off the targeted Hagenkord flick with Bartlett striking it off a defender for the ground follow.)

SJA: Shots: 7 (3) Corners: 0

Enna @ 11:55: (SJA crossed it from their right corner area for a chest down and shot.)

Second Half: STA: Shots: 7 (4) Corners: 1

SJA: Shots: 4 (1) Corners (4, I guess, all in a row in the second overtime)

STA Shots: Hagenkord 7, Bartlett 3, Moss, Velasco, Johnson, Feuerborn
Corners Created: Moss, Stoecklein, Bartlett

TROOP OUT summary video.