The Final Day of the Saints Classic
Game 5: (3-2-0)
14 September vs. Kapaun Mt. Carmel (2-2) at 3:00 (3-1)
We came into the third and final day of the Saints Classic, playing well but exhausted. The match reinforced both items.
Kapaun jumped on us early, even though Parker set up perfectly. We appear to block the shot away from him.
But before that, we lost Bobby Bjorseth, as his leg had started swelled up. He would not be able to play any more of the match. The good news was Kitts did make the match. We were able insert some fresh legs into the lineup to stay pretty solid in the back we thought.
But his stamina would only allow him to play, but about, ten minutes at a time.
We actually had to call Oliver Sarmiento and Alex Fuentes, two of our extended guys, to have them suit up for the second half. We needed reinforcements.
We did respond to the Crusaders' quick start. Janeway scored the tying goal and then assisted David Weinberg on the Game-Winning Goal (a one-touch opposite-foot shot) shortly after the Crusaders' take-the-lead goal.
This match really showed the character of our guys—they just kept battling despite how tired they were and how much they ached.
And then, about midway through the second half, our centerback got called for a red card as he held a shielding position for an extended period of time, trying to hold off Kapaun's 6'5" 200 lb. center forward. Greyson did a pretty darn good job until he was eventually called for a red card for denying a goal-scoring opportunity.
So here we were again, like in the Rockhurst match. Our coaching staff (I was no longer on the sideline) knew precisely what to do as we moved into a 4-2-3-0.
Five minutes later, Michale Doerfler found Janeway through, and Jaden continued to the baseline to "T" it back for a Siebert finish. It was classical. We had just scored a key goal down a man, using our bread-and-butter attack.
The boys did quite a job keeping Kapaun at one for the rest of the match.
One of our Men of the Match, Jayden Janeway (a goal and two assists), took a spill holding the ball in the corner with about 7 minutes to go and had to be rushed to the hospital with a dislocated elbow. We are all praying he will be back this season.
We will have some time off before the Southwest match, but we will be missing a few people, including myself, for that match next Thursday.
This was our Alumni night; so many who have contributed to making Saint Thomas Aquinas special had either come back for our annual 25-minute match between the even and odd years, followed by a taco bar and refreshments (this year with speeches from Brian Collins, Nick DiCarlo, and Jillian Carroll) or had sent me a private text of appreciation.
Sam Paradise coordinated the event, and it was special. Most of those alums got to witness the heart that our boys played with to secure that victory, but unfortunately, they also got to see me behind the fence and down the driveway instead of coaching that match.
I apologize to the whole Saint Thomas Aquinas community for getting, I believe, my first boys' soccer red card in 37 years of coaching. I did rack up a girls' red card back in the early 2000s; I am not too proud of that one either.
MOM: Doerfler and Janeway (at the hospital)
STATS:
First Half:
Saints: Shots: 11 (8) Corners: 5 (Janeway 2, Siebert 3)
27:00 Janeway (Doerfler finds Brody wide where he begins his attack on the baseline, and although he crosses outside of the 18, but Laws rescues the ball at the front post to pop it up for a goalie collision that allows the ball to squirt away from the Kapaun keep, and Janeway to bury it)
18:31 Weinberg (Janeway makes that diagonal run out of the "9" and David feeds him for his drive to the "T." His first cross is blocked, but Jaden recovers the ball and "T's" it again to David, who one-touches it opposite-foot, upper-90). Wow!!
Crusaders: Shots: 6 (5) Corners: 2
33:10 Zachgo (Lacy goes baseline, for some reason, defended by our 6 without a secondary defender to "T" it. Parker seems in good position, but Befort blocks wider and then)
Second Half:
Saints: Shots: 2 (2) Corners: 1 (Rutter)
14:57 Siebert (Playing a man down in a 4-3-2-0, Janeway makes a diagonal run out of the "10," taking the ball down to the "T" to bring it back for Brody to put a textbook finish on it). Quite a goal.
Crusdaders: Shots: 5 (2) Corners: 1
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