Triangle Y Soccer Club

This is probably the best game the boys played so far. After Joey scored a quick goal, their confidence grew. They dominated the middle of the field, made great runs into space, and moved the ball around crisply. The best thing was they put the ball in the goal when they had the chance.

Goals
     Joey(5), Adrian(2), Buzz(2), Jake Stone(2)

Goalkeeper
     JD: 8 shots, 2 GA, 75%

It was like Jekyll and Hyde. The team that played so well earlier in the day fell back into some bad habits. Not sure where their heads were at, but their aggression and ball control were absent. Although we were up against a Classic level team, the boys could have made a much better showing if they had remembered what they did in the first game. Solid play in goal by Gerald helped keep the score down, and Graham and Andrew were relentless on the left side.

Goals
     none

Goalkeeper
     Gerald: 14 shots, 4 GA, 71.4%

That was my Hibs!!! Even though the score doesn't show it, they played an outstanding game. A questionable penalty shot and their only real breakdown of the game were the difference. Buzz, Joey, Andrew, Gerald, and Adrian totally controlled the middle of the field while Jake, Nick, and Graham stopped their attack cold. JD's solid goaltending and punts made our counterattack really effective. It was just our last through pass that went more towards the goalie than across the field. It was great to watch them play like I know they can and run until the final whistle. Graham wins the energy award for his tireless effort the entire weekend.

Goals
     none

Goalkeeper
     JD: 10 shots, 2 GA, 80.0%

A cold, dark February Sunday to start off the season. The team played very well. They moved to the ball, made some pretty crisp passes, and generally controlled the game. Unfortunately, we didn't take advantage of the many scoring chances that came our way.

I was very encouraged to see some really creative play out there. It looks like all that yelling during practices is starting to pay off. I rarely saw the ball kicked with no purpose. And, I thought Buzz and Joey were reading each others minds. The one-two passes and runs into space created break after break.

I'm proud of them for staying in there and fighting back. It's tough to work so hard and do all the right things, but not get rewarded. Looks like we'll be working some shooting drills this week in practice.

Goals
     Buzz, Jake Stone

Goalkeeper
     Gerald: 5 shots, 3 GA, 40.0%

An excellent game all around. Good passing and movement into space. It really looks like the boys are applying what we're teaching at practice. Also, it's encouraging to see them get creative, identify a situation, and execute as a team. Jake Benedict's goals are a direct result of seeing the situation and taking advantage of it.

Goals
    Jake Benedict(2), Gabriel(2), Joey, Jake Stone

Goalkeeper
    Gerald: 1 shot, 0 GA, 100%

A very good game against a good team. The Speed had difficulty penetrating our defense all game as Nick, Graham, and Gabriel shut them down cold. They resorted to taking shots from far out. Their first goal came from a long-range shot that caught JD off guard.

The Hibs rebounded well, with the halfbacks controlling much of the play at midfield and creating opportunities with counter-attacks. A one-two passing combination from Buzz to Adrian sent Joey free behind the Speed's defense. He finished that breakaway nicely with a shot to the far post for the tie.

In the second half, the Speed went up 2-1 when JD couldn't completely handle a deflected shot and their forward put the rebound into the back of the net. The Hibs continued to play well working hard in the middle of the field. Their hard work paid off as Jake Stone broke free on a thru pass but got clipped from behind in the box. Buzz drilled the ensuing penalty shot for the 2-2 tie.

The Hibs continued to get scoring chances, but the post and good goalkeeping by the opponent kept them out of the net several times. Late in the game, JD misjudged a high floating shot that put the Speed up for good. Kudos to the entire team for playing so well against a physical opponent that took us out of our game the last time we played them.

Goals
    Joey, Buzz

Goalkeeper
    JD: 10 shots, 3 GA, 70.0%

The Hibs started out flat and the Arsenal made them pay within the first 5 minutes. A scramble for a loose ball in front of our goal got tipped in by an Arsenal player, putting the Hibs down 1-0. But, they didn't give in. With JD, Jake, and Graham leading a stiff defense, the Hibs shut down the Arsenal attack for the rest of the half. Going against the wind, Andrew and Gabriel set up some nice opportunities that weren't finished.

With the wind slightly at their backs, the Hibs were able to change the tide in the second half. The Arsenal keeper turned away several shots before Buzz's thru-pass to Nick streaking up the sidelines caught him out of position. Nick put the ball away for the tie. The Hibs were fired up after that and looked like they would score again. With less than 3 minutes left, the Arsenal got a breakaway and Graham's attempt to tackle the ball got the player's legs instead, setting up a penalty shot. That put the Arsenal up for good.

Goals
    Nick

Goalkeeper
    Gerald: 11 shots, 1 GA, 90.9%

A very dominating performance. JD only touched the ball 3 times and we spent most of the game in their half of the field. Gabriel opened the scoring midway through the 1st half on a free kick from about 30 yards out. The keeper misjudged it and bobbled it into the goal. We were off and running after that. The passing became crisp and the 1-2 combinations were beautiful. Andrew and Buzz were having their way with the opponent's defense. The 2nd goal came when Jake Stone sent a thru ball past the defense to Nick streaking past them. He finished it nicely to up the lead to 2.

The good play continued into the 2nd half as Gabriel began to take over the game and control the action. He finally sent Jake Stone on a breakaway that found the back of the net. Shortly afterward, Nick put the ball away after a corner kick turned into a scrum in front of the goal. Late in the game a nice passing combination from Gerald to Andrew found Nick, once again, tearing thru the defense. He buried that one to complete the hat-trick.

Only Joey and Gerald's head collision on a high ball put a damper on the game. Gerald ended up with a nice lump, but Joey required stitches to close the gash over his eyebrow. A nice effort against a very tired TFC Green team that had no subs.

Goals
     Nick(3), Jake Stone, Gabriel

Goalkeeper
     JD: 3 shots, 0 GA, 100%

After a terrific 1st half where we controlled most of the action and attacked their defense, it looked like we never came out of the locker room for the 2nd half. Everyone played well in the first half, moving the ball smartly and challenging the other team for 50/50 balls. Joey opened the scoring on a quick throw-in from Nick. The crushers countered for the tie, but the Hibs continued to press hard and get plenty of scoring chances. Jake Stone put away a rebound from one of Gabriel's many shots to put us up once again. But the Crushers would not be denied and came back to tie it again. Late in the half (actually 3 minutes past the normal 30 minutes), JD took a pass from Adrian and scored his first goal of the season.

Unfortunately, the good, aggressive play didn't continue into the 2nd half. There was a lot of watching and loose marking. The passes were off target and we didn't chase 50/50 balls anymore. It seemed as though we'd lost that edge we had in the 1st half. The Crushers quickly tied the game and then took the lead a short time later. As we tried desparately for the tying goal, the Crushers put one more away to finish us off.

Goals
    Joey, Jake Stone, JD

Goalkeeper
    Gerald: 11 shots, 5 GA, 54.5%

A very solid game by everyone. The quick passing and movement worked well on this short field. Jake Stone opened the scoring by being in the right place at the right time as a scramble began after one of our corner kicks. Jake scooped it up and deposited it in the net. The Hibs really came alive after that and controlled the flow of the game. Jake Stone placed a nice thru pass to Nick who finished it well for a 2-goal lead. Right before halftime, Gerald made some nifty moves before sending the ball thru to Joey behind the opponents. Joey used his speed to pull away and finish it off.

There was no letdown this week as Adrian, Buzz, and Andrew controlled the middle of the field and our defense rarely let the opponent into our half of the field. Graham made a nice play on the ball to Gabriel, who beat his man and then the goalie. The Flames' keeper would get no rest as the shots came in bunches. Adrian collected one of the rebounds and put it away for a 5-0 lead. Then he made an unselfish pass to Buzz tearing thru the defense. Buzz rounded out the scoring with a beautiful shot.

Playing as they did gave us an opportunity to move players around even more than in the previous games. From Graham at halfback to Joey at fullback, everyone contributed to this big win.

Goals
    Joey, Adrian, Buzz, Jake Stone, Gabriel, Nick

Goalkeeper
    JD: 4 shots, 0 GA, 100%

Another solid game for the Hibs. This was a good team we were up against and we were able to play them pretty evenly throughout a majority of the game. There was plenty of passing and running into space. Andrew and Graham did a nice job working together and moving the ball from defense to offense. Buzz and Adrian also played well and controlled the middle of the field. The Force opened the scoring midway thru the 1st half and then took a 2-0 lead shortly after the start of the 2nd half. But the Hibs battled back and pulled within 1 when Gabriel ran under one of Gerald's long punts and one-timed it over the keeper's head. Now pumped up, it looked like they were going to get the equalizer, but a miscommunication sent a Force player free behind JD and he put the ball, and the game away. A solid game all around though.

Goals
    Gabriel

Goalkeeper
    Gerald: 13 shots, 3 GA, 76.9%

After a long delay, the Hibs came out sharp against a team that had only 60 minutes to rest after a full game. The Hibs attacked the ball and made the Storm pay with their counterattack. Joey opened the scoring when Buzz sent him alone behind the defense with a beautiful thru ball. It wasn't long before Gerald won a 50-50 ball and sent Joey to the races again. He finished that breakaway as well to give the Hibs a 2-0 lead and force a goalie change for the Storm. But, the Hibs couldn't finish them off. The storm kept their composure and battled back. They cut the lead in half with a long, high shot that was misjudged by JD. Then, a few seconds before halftime, they tied it up on an indirect free kick. The Hibs took that one hard.

The Storm took the lead shortly after halftime, but Nick got the equalizer when he beat their hesitant goalie on a 50-50 ball and it went into the net. From there it was all downhill. The Storm took control and forced the play to us. The next goal came on a penalty shot and the last two were questionable as the game began to get rough. The Hibs gave it as good as they got it, but just couldn't keep up with the Storm, who finished their season undefeated.

Goals
    Joey(2), Nick

Goalkeeper
    JD: 19 shots, 6 GA, 68.4%

The Hibs started out a bit apprehensive as they may have been thinking of going the whole game with no subs. Plus, they've never been much for these early starts. After a few minutes, though, they settled into a good rhythm of switching positions to gain some rest. The Arsenal opened the scoring on a corner kick that found a charging forward. He blasted into the back of the net for the 1-0 lead. Not too long afterward, a clearing ball from our defense rebounded funny off the opponent and caught JD by surprise. The Hibs were down 2-0 at halftime.

However, they came out very strong in the 2nd half and took control of the game. Adrian was superb on defense and sent Buzz and Joey breaking for the goal several times. The long, wet grass really slowed them down and made it difficult to finish. Buzz's persistence paid off as he was fouled in the box and then put away the subsequent penalty kick. The Hibs continued to press, but a questionable tripping call against Gerald gave the Arsenal a penalty kick of their own and a 3-1 lead. A great start to the tournament, but a tough result.

Goals
    Buzz

Goalkeeper
    Gerald: 7 shots, 1 GA, 85.7%
    JD: 9 shots, 2 GA, 77.8%

The 2nd game of the day was against a familiar opponent. The fact that we had dominated the CH Flames earlier in the season gave our players some confidence. The Hibs controlled the game from the start. Early in the game, Jake's throw-in sent Graham on a breakaway. He put the ball into the net for his first goal of the season. Shortly afterward, Gabriel attacked the Flames' defender and scored an unassisted goal for the 2-0 lead. Joey and Buzz put together a nice passing combination that sent Gabriel streaking through once more. He finished that one for his 2nd goal and a 3-0 lead. Jake capped off the 1st half barrage when he collected a nice pass from Gerald, fought off a defender, and put the ball into the back of the net.

The coaches attempted to slow the Hibs down a bit in the 2nd half by putting Gabriel in as goalie since JD hadn't made a save all game. The Hibs played smart in the 2nd half, switching positions and moving the ball around. It paid off when Buzz intercepted a Flames pass and lofted the ball over the goalkeeper's head from 25 yards out. Joey finished up the scoring late in the game as he put a thru pass from JD into the back of the net. A strong game all-around against a much weaker opponent.

Goals
    Gabriel(2), Graham, Joey, Buzz, Jake Stone

Goalkeeper
    JD: 0 shots, 0 GA, 0.0%
    Gabriel: 2 shots, 0 GA, 100%

This was a very exciting finish to the tournament, but you could see the effects of no rest taking its toll on the players. Both teams had an opportunity to advance to the finals with a 3+ goal win. The Perugia put constant pressure on the Hibs in the 1st half, but the Hibs fought it off with solid defense and effective counter-attacks. The Perugia got a break late in the half when they were awarded a penalty kick. However, the shot was right up the middle and JD handled it easily. The half ended with no score.

The 2nd half was much of the same, but you could see the boys starting to lose steam. The counter-attacks were slow to develop and there wasn't much challenging for the ball in the opponent's half of the field. The Perugia finally got one in as a long, hard shot hit right under the cross-bar. The ball came straight down and bounced into JD's hands, but the referee called it a goal. The Hibs continued to battle though and would not give in to defeat.

The Hibs started playing in the Perugia's half of the field and it eventually paid off. Gabriel challenged a defender as he attempted to clear the ball and the resulting scrum sent the ball to Buzz. He took a nice shot from 15 yards that beat the goalkeeper. Without much time left, the rest of the game was pretty even and ended in a 1-1 tie.

Goals
    Buzz

Goalkeeper
    JD: 17 shots, 1 GA, 94.1%