Triangle Y Soccer Club

The Hibs started strong and dominated the play early on. It took them a while to get used to their new playing formation but, once they did, they really came alive.

Buzz and Will controlled much of the play in the middle of the field to set up Joey, Jake, and Gabriel for scoring opportunities. Buzz opened the scoring on a penalty shot after Joey got tripped working in the box. Collin made it 2-0 with a spectacular diving header off a cross from Buzz.

The second half was all Hibs. JD, Gerald, Conor,and Gabriel anchored the defense and wouldn't let the Arsenal get any opportunities. In the meantime, Joey and Collin made a nice passing combination to set up Brian in front of the net. His cannon beat the keeper easily for the 3-0 lead.

Collin got his second goal of the game by putting away a cross from Will. Greg made it 5-0 when he scooped up a loose ball 15 yards out and put it over the Arsenal keeper's head. Collin got the hatrick and rounded out the scoring with a nice finish on a thru ball from Jake. Graham had a pretty easy day in goal, but made 4 saves for the shutout.

Overall, a good first outing in the new 11v11 scheme. There were some positional breakdowns, but the Hibs worked hard on offense and defense and won most of the 50/50 balls. They used their speed and size to their advantage.

Goals
    Collin Hardee(3), Greg, Brian, Buzz

Goalkeeper
    Graham: 4 shots, 0 GA, 100%

The Hibs came out strong this week and put it to the Alliance quickly. Within the first minute of the game, Joey was fouled working his way through the defense. Jake buried the direct kick from 20 yards for the 1-0 lead. Shortly afterwards, Colin Rex sent Joey wide where he used his speed to beat the defense and put the Hibs up 2-0.

The Hibs continued to press in first half and Buzz's quick throw to Will behind the Alliance defense sent him in alone for the 3-0 lead. Jake made it 4-0 when he scooped up a rebound in front of the Alliance goal and put it away. Greg finished up the scoring in the first half when Gabriel's quick throw caught the Alliance defense off guard again.

The Hibs may have been too overconfident coming out for the second half, because the Alliance pressed early and got one back. But Gerald, Collin, and Graham tightened the up their defense and the Hibs turned up the heat again.

Gabriel's punt got through everyone and JD found himself breaking in alone on goal. He pushed it past the keeper for the 6-1 lead. Later, Joey hustled his way through the Alliance midfield and made a nice thru ball to JD who banged that one home for his 2nd of the game. JD then made a nice switch of the field to Josh, who beat his man and lofted one over the Alliance keeper.

Jake finished off the scoring for the Hibs with his 3rd of the day when he ran onto Collin's thru ball behind the Alliance defense. The keeper made an aggressive save to stop the initial shot, but the rebound got behind him. The Alliance added another goal late, but the game was pretty much decided by then.

Another strong effort by the Hibs. A relentless attack and stiff defense were the stories of the game.

Goals
    Jake(3), JD(2), Joey, Josh, Will, Greg

Goalkeeper
    JD: 3 shots, 0 GA, 100%
    Gabriel: 7 shots, 2 GA, 71.4%

The score really showed how even this match was. The Hibs had some terrific passing sequences, but couldn't find the handle to put the ball in the net consistently.

The Hibs were on their heels from the opening kick-off but turned the tide after about 10 minutes. They started putting pressure up front, which caused some good things to happen. Joey got fouled breaking through the defense and Buzz's penalty shot to the upper corner was unsavable.

A few minutes later, Greg controlled the ball up top and made a beautiful wide pass to Joey in stride. He beat his man at full speed and blasted a shot under the crossbar for the 2-0 lead. The Crushers gained their composure and started pressing hard. Their persistence paid off as a long shot caught Gabriel off-guard and found its way into the net.

The second half was a very even battle with both teams getting opportunities to score. Josh, Evan, and Joey gave the Crushers' defense fits, but just couldn't put one in the net. The Crushers pushed hard for the tying goal, but JD and Brian were stellar in the back, turning away their attack time after time. The Hibs dodged a bullet midway through the half when a Crusher forward streaked down the left wing and crossed the ball to his charging teammate. Fortunately for the Hibs, he was offside and the goal was waved off.

However, the Crushers would get a second chance to tie when one of their forwards was fouled in the box. They made good on their penalty shot for the tie. The Hibs had a few more opportunities but, once again, the Crushers clogged the area in front of the goal and made it difficult to score.

The Hibs played a much more disciplined game this week and set up some terrific scoring chances. Their inability to finish was the difference in the game.

Goals
    Joey, Buzz

Goalkeeper
    Gabriel: 10 shots, 2 GA, 80.0%

A very tough game against a physical opponent. The Express came out and used their size to gain position on the Hibs and get them off their game a bit.

The Hibs controlled most of the action in the first half with Joey, Collin, and Buzz creating several scoring opportunities. They just couldn't finish them up for the goals.

Colin Rex played solid defense to shut down the Express attack for much of the first half. So the Express made a habit of taking long shots that kept Graham busy. The first half ended with no score.

The Hibs didn't press as hard in the second half and found themselves with their backs to the wall for a good portion of it. Gabriel and Gerald made creative plays to turn away the Express offense and start the counter-attack.

Late in the game, a bad bounce on a clearing ball gave the Express a good opportunity from 20 yards out that found the back of the net. Overall, a pretty even game. The Express did a nice job of shutting down the Hibs' attack and playing wide on the transition. The Hibs just couldn't find a way to make their chances count.

Goals
    none

Goalkeeper
    Graham: 11 shots, 1 GA, 90.9%

The Hibs came out sporting a different formation and played it well. They moved the ball up the wings all game and created several scoring chances, including the 4 they converted.

It took a little while for the Hibs to settle into the game, but they were aggressive to the ball from the opening whistle and moved it around smartly. The Rovers had a hard time getting anything going while the Hibs dictated the pace of the game.

Evan opened the scoring about 10 minutes into the first half. Buzz took the ball down the sidelines, beat several defenders, and crossed it thru the goal mouth where Evan pounded it into the open net.

Gabriel, Josh, and Graham shut down the Rovers attack for the rest of the half, while Joey and Colin Rex controlled the middle of the field. The Hibs didn't convert several more scoring chances and went into the break with a 1-0 lead.

The 2nd half was all Hibs as Brian and Buzz tore up the wings and generated a lot of offense. A thru ball to Joey sent him towards the left corner where he crossed it into the goal mouth thru the entire defense. Collin pushed that one into the open net for the 2-0 lead.

Gabriel and Will played creatively in the midfield while Gerald and Greg stopped the Rovers' attack cold. On the counter-attack Collin sent Buzz down the wing once again and he crossed it back into Gabriel for the 3-0 lead. Shortly afterwards, it looked like instant replay as Buzz pushed another cross thru the middle. This one was cleared out by the Rovers' defense right to Greg who was checking up on the play. His high shot caught the keeper off guard and finished off the scoring.

The Hibs played a good, wide game and generated plenty of scoring opportunities off the cross. They controlled the pace of the game in sloppy conditions and pressed hard on the counter-attack. We still need to make some minor adjustments, but the different formation looks promising.

Goals
    Gabriel, Collin Hardee, Evan, Greg

Goalkeeper
    JD: 5 shots, 0 GA, 100%

A beautiful day on a large field seemed to favor the Hibs from the opening kickoff. They began the game by moving the ball smartly, getting into space, and putting pressure on the Force defense.

Will opened the scoring early in the game when he received Brian's free kick, turned, and lofted a shot out of the goalie's reach. The Force stayed steady and slowly turned the momentum their way. By the end of the half, they were putting constant pressure on the Hibs' defense. Their long corner kicks gave us real problems. They finally put away a long shot late in the half and went into the break knotted at 1.

The Force tried to quickly gain the lead, but Graham, Gerald, and Greg would have none of it. JD, playing goalie in relief of Gabriel, got into the game right away as the Force attacked. The Hibs finally settled down and took over the game.

Collin and Colin Rex controlled the middle of the field while Will and Brian tore up the wings. Joey and Buzz also created problems for the Force defense. On one of their clearing balls, Graham stole the ball cleanly from the Force attacker and pushed it to Colin Rex. He hit Buzz on the sideline who turned it right back in to Gabriel. Gabriel made a move around the keeper and pounded the ball into the net.

The Hibs seemed to get a charge from that goal as their attack got stronger and they owned the middle of the field. When Evan got fouled at the top of the box, Collin's rocket on the free kick tucked under the crossbar at the far post to make it 3-1. Shortly afterwards, Gabriel sent Evan streaking behind the defense. He collected the ball and pulled it to the right, away from the defense, and fired a shot into the corner of the goal. The Force tallied a late goal to make it 4-2.

The Hibs played a very aggressive but controlled, team-oriented style in the 2nd half to dictate the pace of the game. They played tough in the middle and distributed the ball wide to create opportunities. And, they finished them. The Force defense was on their heels for most of the half.

Goals
    Collin Hardee, Evan, Will, Gabriel

Goalkeeper
    Gabriel: 8 shots, 1 GA, 87.5%
    JD: 7 shots, 1 GA, 85.7%

A wet, sloppy field was the story for the Hibs' final home game of the season. It was tough for either team to gain traction, but the goals came in bunches anyway.

The Knights opened the scoring with a long shot tucked under the crossbar. They made it 2-0 shortly afterwards with a low shot that skipped under Graham's dive. The Hibs finally got going when Joey took a quick throw to Evan down the left sideline. He beat the defender and pushed the ball across the goalmouth. Gabriel slipped on one-timer, but Buzz was there to punch it into he back of the net. The Hibs continued to press and made good on their next opportunity. Joey's thru ball made it to Gabriel; the goalie had no chance on the shot.

The Knights didn't give up and received a penalty shot for their efforts. The conversion put them in the lead once again. But, on the Knights' next attack, Greg stymied the attacker and sent a long ball to Gabriel breaking in on goal. He put that one away to tie the game again before the half.

The Hibs came out a bit flat in the second half, and the Knights gained the lead. But, once again, the Hibs would not be denied. The thru balls to Gabriel were working nicely, so it was no surprise that Evan's pass behind the defense got Gabriel breaking in all alone to tie the game again.

The Knights continued to give the Hibs trouble and took the lead on a defensive breakdown late in the game. But, with 90 seconds left, Buzz played a long ball to -- who else -- Gabriel behind the Knights defense. He beat the keeper clean to tie it up and get his fourth goal of the game.

The Hibs seemed a bit off their game today and didn't maintain the great passing and movement that created the scoring opportunities. When they moved the ball and played aggressively, they controlled the game. But, the opponent took advantage of their stretches of passiveness to put some in the back of the net.

Goals
    Gabriel(4), Buzz

Goalkeeper
    Graham: 16 shots, 5 GA, 68.7%

Every season we travel to Southern Pines and each time is different. Some equipment issues before the game may have been a predictor of bad things to come, but the Hibs would shake that off and come out strong.

The first half was controlled by the Hibs, but they couldn't finish anything until midway through. Brian jumped on a Speed clearing attempt and it floated over the defense to Joey who put a long shot over the keeper's head. Conor, Gabriel, and Gerald shut the Speed attack down to make it easy on JD in the net.

In the second half, Colin Rex and Buzz totally dominated the middle of the field, while Gabriel and Graham played like a wall in the back. Collin played tough and generated excitement with his physical play while Josh forechecked well and created real problems for the Speed defense.

The shots were flying high and wide as the Hibs couldn't finish their chances. But, a quick counterattack from Colin Rex and things changed quickly. His thru ball was one-timed by Buzz across the front of the goal for Joey to bang it into the net for the 2-0 lead.

The Hibs continued to dominate but the Speed pulled one back off a free kick. JD made the initial save on the hard shot, then made a dandy on the shot off the rebound. However, a Speed player was able to put his head on the 2nd rebound and the ball trickled into the net.

It wasn't enough to spoil the great performance by the Hibs, though. They played tough, won the 50-50 balls, and controlled the flow of the game. A solid effort that paid off in usually tough surroundings.

Goals
    Joey(2)

Goalkeeper
    JD: 5 shots, 1 GA, 80.0%

Once again, the Hibs found themselves with an early first game in this tournament. They came out very strong against an able Johnston United team. The Hibs jumped out to an early lead when Buzz's free kick from 30 yards landed in front of the goal for Collin to put away.

For most of the first half, it looked like the Hibs would run away with this game, but they couldn't get one into the back of the net. Collin and Brian tore up the left side of the Knights' defense and gave Joey and Jake some nice scoring chances.

The second half was a tale of 2 teams, as the Hibs came out flat and let the Knights dictate the pace. As the Knights attacked, they found themselves with plenty of scoring chances. They finally put away one of their corner kicks to tie the game. That boost of confidence got them going and they scored again to take the lead.

The Hibs finally woke up, but it looked like it might be too late. They wouldn't be denied. Collin took a clearing ball and fed it thru to Joey who finished that opportunity to bring the Hibs even again. They pressed hard for the winning goal, but it would never come.

The tie left the Hibs hungry to face this team again.

Goals
    Joey, Collin Hardee

Goalkeeper
    JD: 6 shots, 2 GA, 66.7%

After a long delay, the Hibs didn't take long to shake out the cobwebs and focus on the task at hand. They needed to win with a 3-goal margin to advance to the elimination round as the bracket winner. They came out energized and took it to the East Wake Arsenal right from the start.

Collin, Will, and Joey made a nice combination pass on the left side that Joey crushed into the top of the net. The Hibs continued to dominate the middle of the field and stifle the Arsenal attack. Late in the half, Evan collected Gerald's clearing ball, beat 2 defenders, and then pushed it past the keeper to put the Hibs up 2-0 at the half.

The Hibs would not make the same mistake as in the previous game and came out strong. They outhustled the Arsenal, who were without subs, and pushed hard for more goals creating opportunities like corner kicks. One of Joey's corner kicks was cleared out of the box, but Gabriel was in perfect position to push it to the top corner for the 3-0 lead.

They did not back off after that and made the most of their opportunities. Collin's lofted shot was mishandled by the Arsenal keeper and Evan was there to tuck it away. Late in the game, Collin took a free kick from a wide angle and Colin Rex one-timed it into the net to finish off the scoring and propel the Hibs into the elimination round as the bracket winner.

Goals
    Evan(2), Gabriel, Joey, Colin Rex

Goalkeeper
    Graham: 3 shots, 0 GA, 100%

The weather threatened to shut the tournament down and many games had delays due to the thunder. But, it started to clear a bit for the Hibs' semi-final game just before the kick-off. Their familiar opponent, Chatham Crushers, didn't take any time to properly warm up before the game and now faced a jazzed up Hibs team.

Going against the wind in the first half, the Hibs moved the ball smartly and generated several scoring opportunities. One of those, a breakaway by Joey, was interrupted by a Crusher defender. But, it was a foul and Buzz buried the penalty shot. He actually had to do it twice since one of the Hibs players stepped into the box before the kick.

The Crushers slowly worked their way into the game and used the wind to send some long balls over the defense's head. As a result, they got a few corner kicks and tied it up on one of them. The Hibs shook that off and went back to their game. Collin's thru ball found Brian in full stride. He got behind the defense and took a hard left-footed shot that the goalie had no chance on.

The Crushers found it difficult to go against the wind and the Hibs kept them pinned in their own defensive end for much of the second half. The Hibs banged several shots right at the Crusher goalie and couldn't find the back of the net.

The game ended 2-1 and the Hibs advanced to the finals against the team they wanted, Johnston United Knights.

Goals
     Joey, Buzz

Goalkeeper
     JD: 6 shots, 1 GA, 83.3%

The Hibs came into the final game confident that they could beat this team that they've tied twice in the past 4 weeks. Of course, the Johnston Knights probably felt the same way.

The game was very even and played mostly in the middle of the field. Collin, Colin, and Will played tough and got the transition game going. Gerald, Greg, Graham, and Gabriel (the 'G' line) played solid defense and would not let the Knights' star forward get anything going. They moved him to different positions on the front line, but the result was always the same.

Joey, Jake, and Evan got things going up front and had a few chances to score in the first half, but couldn't get the ball into the back of the net. The Knights generated some offense as well and kept JD on his toes. He made some super saves to keep the Knights off the scoreboard.

The half ended with no score and set up what seemed to be a sudden death half for both teams. Everyone knew that the first team to score would win the game. Fortunately for the Hibs, their halfbacks were dominating in the middle, which allowed Buzz to find Josh on the right side of the box. Josh worked hard thru 2 or 3 defenders and then pounded the ball into the top of the goal.

The Hibs continued to play solid defense and use the wind to their advantage. The Knights didn't really threaten to score for the last 10 minutes of the game and the Hibs secured their first tournament championship.

Goals
    Josh

Goalkeeper
    JD: 9 shots, 0 GA, 100%