Can't make it you say, hmmm, well then we will bring a snippet of the banquet to you! That's the kind of guy I am (no, not the creepy guy with the sweet track-suit and serious handle-bar 'tache, but the kind that is going to allow you to participate in the festivities even though you can't get here). No closed circuit web-cams (that goes in the tracksuit/creepy 'tache category), just some online voting folks - Goal and Save of the Year voting is back!
New for this year (because we actually scored some goals), we added a third category - Assist & Goal of the Year! I am biased of course, but we play the ultimate team sport and therefore we must have a category that reflects the beauty of the orchestrated pass as much as the end product...don't you agree? So here they are folks, have a look at the links on our Youtube page and then click the link below to vote on our Survey Monkey:
1. Save of the Year
2. Assist & Goal of the Year
3. Goal of the Year
VOTE NOW - CLICK HERE!
Not only does spring mean banqueting, it also means a return to the field for our non-traditional season. The guys have been training hard for the last several months and we will be taking the field again today, Sunday, at the Jersey Shore against Monmouth University (I believe Pauly D. is going to be on the 1's & 2's for pre-game tunes - it's bound to be a blow-out...cricket, cricket...) for a 12 pm kick-off.
Harrisburg City Islanders 1 - Drexel University 1
A cool, crisp evening....perfect weather for a soccer game! So for our first time out, it was not a bad showing. There were definitely some cobwebs in terms of sharpness and quality, particularly in the final third of the field, but this is to be expected when you have a three month competitive lay-off.
Our opponents featured a couple of their signed players, along with many aspiring trialists...including one of our very own, Malcolm LeBourne. The game was a bit of the perfect storm - a college teams first game back paired with a group of starving-artists trying to get their first break in the form of a USL contract! Needless to say, the first 15-20 minutes were a frantic pace before the game actually settled.
The City Islanders struck first with an early goal inside the first 10 minutes of play. A turn-over on our part as we built out of the back and through the middle third, led to a quick counter by our opponent. Teachable moment though for us, as we preach against soft square balls in the middle third and unnecessary one touch turn-overs.
Again, while we were not at our sharpest it was clear that the competitive juices were flowing through our guys and they wanted to turn the game our way. As a coach you always want to see your team compete and play with intent to win, regardless of your opponent or circumstances. Our guys did just that and in my opinion, created the larger part of the chances through the game. In the 76th minute, their commitment to setting the game right paid off on a clever little back heel from Matt Didomenico.
It was our fourth corner of the half and we were really showing signs of pushing the game forward. A Michele Pataia corner found the head of Jarrod Neser at the back post. Nees headed for goal, it was blocked and Dido was there to pounce on the pieces with a nifty back-heel that froze the City Islanders' keeper.
A night of firsts - Dido's first collegiate goal and young Jameson Detweiler's first go at left back. Jame-o put a solid 65 minutes in patrolling the left flank and showed well; and Dido, well you can only score your first goal once...well done Deeds!
Hope to see you out on the fields through April!
All the best,
Doug
