Triangle Y Soccer Club

A tough start to the tournament. With 3 players out, the Hibs played with 1 sub. The last thing they needed was an inury. But, 20 minutes in, Buzz injured his leg and was done for the game. Still, the Hibs played well enough to win the game. They won the 50-50 battles and turned the Predators back time after time.

Gabriel, Colin, Brian, and Will worked hard to dominate the middle of the field, while Greg, Gerald, Juan, and Graham shut down any threat of a Predators' attack. The Hibs' attack stalled about 30 yards out as they just couldn't penetrate the Predators' defense and get on the scoreboard.

When you let a team stick around long enough, they eventually get some breaks to turn the game around. And, that's exactly what happened. The Predators got an occasional attack throughout the course of the game, but in the 60th minute they hit paydirt. The Hibs were pretty much out of gas by then and the Predators got another in the 69th minute for the win.

Goals
     None

Goalkeeper
     JD: 12 shots, 2 GA, 83.3%

The Hibs tried hard to recover from that disappointing loss in the morning with a better effort under the lights. And, they did come out strong, getting a goal in the 4th minute. Brian's deep run went past the Cobras' defense and Evan buried the cross for the 1-0 lead.

The Cobras took advantage of some Hibs defensive miscommunications in the 11th and 23rd minute to take a 2-1 lead. Just like in the earlier game, the Hibs controlled the middle of the field, but lost it when they got close to the Cobras' goal area. The Cobras used a quick counter-attack to get the Hibs' defense on their heels. They got another goal in the 35th minute to extend their lead at halftime.

The Hibs came out with a vengeance in the 2nd half, winning the 50-50 balls and playing much more physical than in the 1st half. In the 43rd minute, Graham misplayed a long free-kick and the ball squirted into the goal. The Hibs buckled down and continued to dominate the middle of the field.

As the injuries began to mount -- Buzz, Colin, Joey, Gabe -- the Hibs were left with not too many options. But they tried to spread it wide and get deep. In the 52nd minute, Brian got behind the defense again and crossed the ball. The Cobras' keeper couldn't handle the ball and Will was there to pound it in.

The Hibs still fought hard, but by the time the final whistle blew, they were completely spent and fell to 3rd place in their group, putting them in the consolation game on Sunday.

Goals
     Evan, Will

Goalkeeper
     Graham: 11 shots, 4 GA, 63.6%

The Hibs tried to suck it up for one last game and finish strong. But, the injuries were just too much to overcome. With Colin out, Buzz, Graham, and Joey nursing nagging injuries, it would be difficult to put forth their usual effort with just 2 subs.

A pretty even game, the Hibs controlled much of the action and got a few scoring opportunities. The United pushed the long ball and worked the wings to create some of their own chances. Juan, Josh, and Greg were there to shut them down. However as fatigue started to creep in to the Hibs players, United got the break they needed and grabbed a 1-0 lead in the 9th minute.

A flukey goal off a throw-in made it 2-0 in the 20th minute. The Hibs got a bit down after that and frustration set in. The rest of the half was played mostly in the middle with not many scoring chances.

The second half didn't start out well as the Hibs let in another in the 39th minute. But, then it got physical. JD, Juan, Greg, Gerald, and others let out their frustrations, but it created some good scoring chances, one of which was shut down by a handball in the box. Brian buried the penalty kick in the 46th minute, and that sparked the Hibs.

They pressed hard for another, but the United keeper was up to the challenge. United popped in one more and the Hibs were totally out of gas by the final whistle. A tough tournament full of injuries and absences had finally come to an end.

Goals
     Brian

Goalkeeper
     Gabriel: 9 shots, 4 GA, 55.5%

A very cold and windy day greeted the Hibs for this game. Still trying to get going in a new formation, the Hibs played smartly into the wind. They moved the ball sharply and worked it up the field for several excellent chances. Gabriel and Colin worked the middle and sprung Evan a few times. Several corner kicks also created good scoring chances. Unfortunately, the Hibs couldn't finish them.

The ambush tried to use the wind to their advantage by putting balls over the top, but JD, Josh, Greg, and Juan would keep them from getting any real quality chances. The wind did help in their first goal as a long free kick lofted long and bounced over Graham. So, for all their hard work, the Hibs found themselves on the wrong end of a 1-0 game at halftime.

With the wind at their backs in the second half, the Hibs got away from their short passing game and tried to hit the home run with each attack. It wasn't working well. In the 48th minute, Evan took the ball from about 30 yards out and drew some defenders as he moved towards center. He split the defenders and hit Gabriel in stride as he got behind the Ambush defense. That tied the game 1-1.

But the Ambush would not give in and pressured the Hibs' defense into a turnover deep in their own end. Graham stopped the initial shot, but another attacker was there to punch in the rebound. Down 2-1, the Hibs pushed hard to get the equalizer but it wouldn't come. The Ambush crowded the middle and made it difficult to penetrate.

Goals
     Gabriel

Goalkeeper
     Graham: 8 shots, 2 GA, 75%

Finally, a nice warm day to play soccer. This time it was against the U16 version of the FVAA Ambush. The Hibs were at a size disadvantage and, when the Ambush blasted the opening kick-off deep into their defensive end as a speedy forward ran onto it, they found that they may be at a speed disadvantage, too. The Ambush kept up good pressure for the first few minutes, but the Hibs' defense was up to the task. They slowly turned the tide and started controlling the game in the middle.

Colin frustrated Ambush players while Brian and Buzz controlled the action on the wings. Joey, Zack,and Evan kept the Ambush defense pinned in their own end, but the Hibs were unable to finish a few opportunities.

The Ambush still had some scoring chances as the game went back and forth. In the 26th minute, a deep run down the left side got past the Hibs defense and the cross banged off a defender into the net.  The stunned Hibs were back on their heels for a few minutes after that, but Gabriel turned away some shots and a couple more rang off the post and crossbar.

The Hibs settled down and got physical with their larger opponents, which created some more scoring chances. JD was relentless in the middle, creating good transition and stoning the Ambush attack. The 2nd half was pretty even as both teams had good scoring chances, but the game ended 1-0 as the Hibs began to wear down.

An excellent effort against a good, big, physical team. The Hibs held their own and controlled the action for a good portion of the game, but were just a bit worn out without a chance to rest.

Goals
     None

Goalkeeper
     Gabriel: 8 shots, 1 GA, 87.5%

A rematch under better weather conditions showed just how evenly matched these teams are. The Ambush made some nice long balls down the sidelines but the Hibs' defense was solid. Josh, Juan, Gerald, and Graham turned back attack after attack and transitioned well. Gabriel, Brian, and Buzz worked the middle of the field, which is where most tof the game was played. A few scoring chances at both ends were turned back by the keepers and the half ended with no score.

The Ambush came out determined in the second half and put immediate pressure on the Hibs. JD made some good saves and, once the defense settled back into the game, the Hibs slowly turned the momentum and started putting good pressure on the Ambush defense. Colin and Evan worked the right sideline and for about 5 minutes it was a frenzy of shots, with 2 hitting the crossbar and another ringing off the top corner of the goal. Evan buried the rebound of that one, but he was offside.

While still pressuring, the Ambush keeper made a terrible mistake by trying to dribble the ball up the middle of the field after a routine save. However, he lost control of the ball about 30 yards out and, as Gabriel lined up to shoot on the open net, the Ambush keeper tackled him, which got him a yellow card. The Hibs maintained good pressure for the remainder of the game, but couldn't get a solid shot on frame.

Goals
     None

Goalkeeper
     JD: 6 shots, 0 GA, 100%

After another 2-week layoff due to a rain-out, the Hibs were looking to get back to business. But, with 2 players out of town and 1 more with the flu, they would have to do it with no subs against the U18 Chatham Charge.

The game was pretty even as the Hibs did a good job intercepting the Charge's long balls over the top. Gerald and Greg seemed to get their head on everything. On the other end, the Hibs did a nice job beating the Charge's offside trap, but an inexperienced linesman squashed their efforts.

In the 16th minute, JD chased down a Charge player running onto a long kick, but clipped him in the box for a penalty shot, making the score 1-0. Eight minutes later, a long cross from right-to-left found a Charge attacker all alone at the far post for the 2-0 lead. The Hibs finally caught a break in the 38th minute as the referee correctly overruled his linesman's flag and let Joey run onto Greg's thru ball and finish it to make it 2-1 at the half.

The 2nd half didn't start well as the ball bounced up into Josh's arm as he was clearing out around a Charge attacker. The ref called the questionable PK, making it 3-1 in the 45th minute. That seemed to take the wind out of the Hibs's sails, but they still controlled the middle of the field for the most part. Buzz, Brian, and Greg worked the ball well and sprung Joey, Juan, and Will on several good scoring chances. But, the finish just wasn't there.

The Charge added two more in the 61st and 67th minutes as the Hibs completely ran out of gas. There was some very good ball movement and working the ball in the middle of the field, but they were, once again, unable to finish their chances. As the Charge played long ball after long ball, the Hibs got tuckered out chasing them down from behind. With a full stable of Hibs players, this game probably would have had a different result.

Goals:
     Joey

Goalkeeper:
     Graham: 11 shots, 5 GA, 55%

As this strange season rolled on, the Hibs traveled to Sanford to make up a rained out game. As with most other games, we had to play this one without our full roster. The game had a pretty even start but you could see that the Surge were slowly gaining an advantage by the number of corner kicks they were getting. Their long balls over the top were constantly being run down by JD, Gerald, Josh, and Greg with desparate clears going over the end line.

The Hibs moved the ball well on transition but the narrow field kept them from playing it wide and driving down the sidelines like they usually do. About 25 minutes in, Colin split the defenders and sent Joey streaking in on goal. His shot beat the keeper but pinged off the post. A tough break that could've changed the complexion of the game. A few minutes after that, the Surge had a free kick from a wide angle and the lofting shot drifted over Will's head to the back post.

The Hibs got fired up after that and 2 minutes later found themselves pressuring in the Surge box for the equalizer. As a result, Joey got fouled and Brian buried the PK to tie the score. But, in the 38th minute, the Surge made good on one of their corners as the headball squeaked past the post for the 2-1 halftime lead.

As luck would have it, the injury bug caught the Hibs and a few players had to play thru some nagging bumps they collected during the game. The Hibs did create some good chances in the 2nd half but couldn't find the finishing touch. The Surge's long-ball game finally caught up with the Hibs and they got 2 more in the 61st and 68th minutes to put the game away.

Goals
     Brian

Goalkeeper
     Will: 12 shots, 4 GA, 67%

The Hibs were looking to bounce back after this 2-game losing streak in which they didn't play too much as a team and constantly found themselves being outworked. The focus of today's game would be winning the 50-50 balls, pressuring the opponents' defenders, and playing together. They didn't disappoint.

It didn't take long for the Hibs to sieze control and begin maintaining pressure in the Attack's end of the field. Early on, Brian made a great run down the wing. As the Attack keeper waited for the cross, Zack charged in front of him but banged it off the crossbar. Gabriel opened the scoring a few minutes later when he collected a weak clear and cranked it into the back of the net. A minute later, Gerald sent Will thru the defense and he beat the keeper to the ball for the 2-0 lead.

The Hibs continued to win the 50-50 balls and work together to control the middle of the field. Several shots went wide but they persisted. In the 25th minute, Joey flicked a Hibs defensive clear with his head and sent Will past the defense for his 2nd of the game and a 3-0 halftime lead.

Based on the history of this opponent, it was unlikely they were going to come back in the 2nd half, and it didn't take long for the floodgates to open. Four minutes into the 2nd half Colin sent Zack in on goal. He finished that one with a terrific strike. Three minutes later, Josh's long clear found Joey in stride past the defense. His booming shot was saved by the Attacker keeper, but Zack was there to pound it home.

Joey finally got one of his own off of Gabriel's long throw-in in the 48th minute. It was all Hibs as it became apparant that the Attack's main objective was to just score. But, JD took care of their 3 lone shots to earn his 3rd shutout of the year. Gerald made good on a penalty shot in the 52nd minute and Evan's 1-timer off Colin's cross a minute later closed out the 8-0 onslaught.

Goals
     Will(2), Zack(2), Joey, Gabriel, Gerald, Evan

Goalkeeper
     JD: 3 shots, 0 GA, 100%

On an very hot day, the Hibs had to travel to Chapel Hill to finish up against a pretty good TUSA Monaco team. After a few early chances by Monaco, the Hibs slowly took control of the midfield and began driving the wings with regularity. In the 11th minute they finally hit paydirt. Brian's corner kick went thru Hibs and Monaco players in the box right to Josh cheating up on the play. His 1-timer beat the keeper at the far post for the 1-0 lead.

While the Hibs seemed to dominate play in the middle, Monaco was determined to work their way up the field and try to get their big guns an open shot. In the 19th minute, they got what they were looking for as the hibs failed to clear. The 20-yard shot beat Graham to tie it up.

With only 1 sub, it looked like the heat might take its toll on the Hibs in the second half, but they battled thru it and continued to dominate in the middle. Buzz controlled the action while Evan and Brian tore up the wings. Cross after cross found the Monaco goal mouth, but they were unable to cash in, including Joey's beautiful flick over the keeper's head that was cleared off the line.

As history tells us, if you let a team hang around too long, it eventually comes back to bite you. And, that's what happened in the 54th minute when Monaco's big gun got free again and fired a low shot into the back of the net from far out. It looked like the Hibs would walk out on the wrong side of another dominating performance.

After that goal, Monaco rarely got past midfield as Josh, Greg, Gerald, and JD shut everything down. As the final whistle approached, Buzz lofted a beautiful pass over the Monaco defense and found Joey in stride. As he's done so often in the past, Joey took a few touches on the ball and cranked it into the back of the net.

An outstanding performance from the entire team that showed a lot of heart and determination to play until the final whistle. Although they probably deserved a win for their excellent play, fighting for, and getting, the late tying goal was a pretty good reward.

Goals
     Josh, Joey

Goalkeeper
     Graham: 4 shots, 2 GA, 50%

The score doesn't tell the whole story of this game. It took the Hibs a little while to get going but, once they did, they controlled the flow of the game. It was pretty even at the onset, but the Fusion got a few chances under their belt while the Hibs were still getting going. Off a corner kick in the 12th minute, the Fusion knocked the ball out of a scrum into the net.

That seemed to wake up the Hibs. Buzz, Colin, Zack, and Evan worked the right side of the field, while Brian, Joey, and Graham tore up the left. By the 20-minute mark of the first half, the Hibs were pretty much in control of the game. The Fusion turned back a few crosses, but their long clears were easily corralled by Juan and Josh to restart the Hibs' attack.

Still down 1-0, the Hibs attacked relentlessly in the 2nd half. Colin, Evan, Joey, and Brian provided cross after cross, but the finish just wasn't there. Finally, in the 52nd minute, Colin's lofting free kick resulted in a scrum in front of the Fusion goal. Joey was there to poke it in.

That's all they needed to turn up the gas. It seemed like wave after wave of sideline runs for the Hibs. In the 58th minute, Gabriel lofted one over the defense and Evan one-timed it off the far post for the 2-1 lead. That seemed to take the wind out of the Fusion's sails. The Hibs continued to control the game, but couldn't punch another one in. A good start to the tournament.

Goals
     Joey, Evan

Goalkeeper
     JD: 4 shots, 1 GA, 75%
     Will: 2 shots, 0GA, 100%

As has been the story of this season, the Hibs could not find the back of the net while dominating their opponent. The Predators got a flukey goal in the 7th minute when the wet ball slipped out of Will's hands and a forward pushed it into the net. After that, it was all Hibs except for a few minor chances.

Buzz and Gabriel played terrific in the middle to shut down the Predators' passing lanes, while Juan, JD, Greg, and Josh turned back any threat of attack. The only piece missing was the ball in the net. For 70 minutes, the Hibs pressed hard, drove the wings, and created plenty of opportunities. Gabriel rang 2 off the crossbar on long-range free kicks and the defenders threw themselves in front of Hibs' shots like hockey players.

But through it all, the clean shot never materialized as the Predators loaded up on defenders towards the end of the game to protect their slim lead. A terrific game by the Hibs full of 1-touch passing, communication, runs into space, relentless hustle, and physical play was ruined by the scoreboard. The Hibs need to get their reward that they work so hard for.

Goals
     None

Goalkeeper
     Will: 7 shots, 1 GA, 85.7%
     Graham: 1 shot, 0 GA, 100%

Well, not much to write about for this one, mainly because I'm not sure who that was on the field with those yellow jerseys. The team that dominated their two previous opponents never answered the whistle. Too much dribbling, holding the ball too long, and a lot of watching the other team move to the ball were what we saw.

The Crew scored in the 2nd minute and the Hibs defense did all they could to turn back the onslaught. The Hibs never got anything going and whenever it looked like they were going to turn the tide, the Crew just beat them to every ball.

Good individual efforts from the defensive line of Josh, Greg, Will, Graham, and Gerald. Just not enough teamwork all around to get anything working.

Goals
     None

Goalkeeper
     Will: 12 shots, 3 GAA, 75%
     Graham: 6 shots, 3 GAA, 50%

A familiar opponent for an early game to start the tournament. The last time the Hibs played Monaco, they had trouble finding the back of the net while playing excellent soccer. This game would be much of the same. For most of the first half, the Hibs controlled the game with Colin and Brian tearing up the wings. Unfortunately, they tried to push thru the middle when they got into the attacking third and kept getting turned back by a crowd of Monaco defenders.

Scoreless at the half, the adjustment for the Hibs was easy. Keep pressing down the wings and the opportunities will come. However, they would have to fight back on the scoreboard as Monaco got a quick goal at the start of the 2nd half. The Hibs stuck to the plan and created several attacks down the right side for Juan and Evan. But, the forwards got a bit anxious and the offside calls came in bunches.

The Hibs' attack was relentless and Buzz's beautiful header off a corner kick found the back of the net. But, the ball had swung over the end line on the kick, so it was called back. It didn't take long for the Hibs to get one that counted. In the 65th minute, Evan played a nice ball down the right wing that Gabriel ran onto. He turned inside his defender and cranked a shot to the far post from about 15 yards out. It was all Hibs after that, but the game winner would never come. Another tie for their efforts.

Goals
     Gabriel

Goalkeeper
     JD: 2 shots, 0 GA, 100%
     Will: 6 shots, 1 GA, 83%

The second game was expected to be a much tougher test than the first since PTFC White is a 2nd Division Classic team playing their first game of the tournament. But, the Hibs were more than up to the challenge. PTFC moved the ball smartly and beat the Hibs to the 50-50 balls for much of the first half. The Hibs were definitely on their heels and Graham was fairly busy in the goal.

PTFC liked to play with the ball deep in their own end, including passing it back to the keeper fairly often. The Hibs had a few near misses in the first half as the PTFC keeper muffed some of the clears. The Hibs would have to anticipate that better and try to take advantage.

Scoreless again at the half, the intructions to the team were direct: there should not be a PTFC player moving to the ball without a Hibs player challenging him, and put pressure on their defenders. The Hibs carried out those instructions to perfection.

The 2nd half was all Hibs as the attack was constant and it was PTFC that were now playing on their heels. Shots rang off the post and went wide as the Hibs' attack surged. In the 60th minute, Colin challenged as the PTFC defenders were casually passing towards the sideline. He touched the ball past the defender and charged down the right side. His cross found Gabriel at the top of the box, but he had no shot as PTFC defenders got back. He touched it over to a wide-open Joey who pushed it past the keeper for the 1-0 lead.

The storms that had threatened all day finally came in and a 30 minute delay interrupted the game with 8 minutes to play. The key to finishing off this team would be to get back into the game quickly and not let PTFC get the upper hand. The Hibs picked up where they left off and PTFC never really threatened again.

Goals
     Joey

Goalkeeper
     Graham: 6 shots, 0 GA, 100%
     JD: 3 shots, 0 GA, 100%

Considering what the other teams did in their 2 games Saturday, the Hibs found themselves at the top of the standings heading into Sunday's play. They controlled their own destiny, but had to get past 2 top CASL teams ... the Flyers being the regular season 1st place team.

The game was very even and physical with both teams having their fair share of opportunities. The Hibs played a very controlled game and drove the wings for their chances. The Flyers' defense was up to the challenge. JD and Greg split sweeper duty to keep the CASL attack at bay.

In the 35th minute, Buzz split the defenders to the left and sprung Brian down the wing. His long shot rang off the inside of the far post for the 1-0 halftime lead. Again, the storms rolled in causing a 30-minute halftime delay.

After the break, the Flyers intended to catch the Hibs still trying to shake the cobwebs, but they would have none of it. Juan, Gabriel, and Garrett beat them to every ball and turned it back for the Hibs. Brian's lone goal stood to give the Hibs the victory.

Goals
     Brian

Goalkeeper
     Graham: 5 shots, 0 GA, 100%
     Will: 2 shots, 0 GA, 100%

The Hibs entered the final game needing only a tie to claim the tournament championship. However, they had never even scored on the Annihilators in 3 previous matches. But they were playing well and had a lot of confidence. It showed from the opening kick-off.

Brian, Juan, and Colin created havoc down the left side of the attack and created several opportunities. Every time the Annihilators cleared their defensive end, JD, Greg, and Josh were there to turn it back. The Annihilators got the break they needed, though, in the 17th minute when a long shot drifted over Graham's head. The Hibs continued to dominate, but could not get on the scoreboard.

Another weather delay at halftime had the Hibs wondering if they could make the comeback happen. As the 2nd half started up, the tournament director notified the teams that there would be no more delays; the next weather stoppage would end the game. The message to the team was clear: do not let the weather decide this tournament.

The Hibs were clearly outplaying the Annihilators as the last storm of the day rolled in. The wind kicked up and the driving rain fell. The referee let the game go on as long as possible but the conditions were getting out of hand. In addition, Gabriel's goggles were getting fogged and wet, making it difficult for him to see anything.

In the 50th minute, a long clear by the Hibs went wide to the left of the Annihilator's 18-yard box. Brian raced the keeper for the ball and beat him by a step, touching the ball away. He quickly crossed it and Gabriel pushed it into the net, fogged up goggles and all. Joey was up on the play as well so, one way or another, that ball was going in the goal.

The Annihilators quickly got the ball back into play, but it was barely 2 or 3 minutes later that the ref called the game due to weather, which ended the tournament. The Hibs finally captured a championship in the Seaside Classic in dramatic fashion.

Goals
     Gabriel

Goalkeeper
     Graham: 4 shots, 1 GA, 75%
     JD: 1 shot, 0 GA, 100%