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2009 Fall - Game Recaps
Monroe Thunder
2009 Fall Season Game Recaps
Congratulations to the Monroe Thunder for a wonderful Fall 2009 season!
 7 - 3 - 0 - 3rd place in MNJYSA Flight 6
Great Job!!
Season Recap:
The Monroe Thunder as usual finished real strong. The Thunder rolled to a 6-1 finish after starting out 2-2. They rumbled to win their final 3 games of the season moving them into a 3rd place finish for the season. We finished the final weekend with 2 impressive road victories over two very good teams. A very impressive run to the end of the season. The Thunder’s 3 losses were to the top 3 teams in the flight; A 10-0 Plainfield team that outscored their opponents 59 to 5, and two tough losses to Piscataway 7-2-1 and Glen Ridge 7-3.
We really played our best soccer this fall. We continued to improve all season long, and played our best soccer at the end of the season, and I was really proud of the way we finished. Coach Craig indicated the Monroe Thunder was by far the most improved team he has been associated with. He is really looking forward to working with the team in the Fall. We are one of only a couple of teams that he wanted to keep coaching.
The Thunder recorded 4 shutous and we had 5 games where we scored 3 or more goals. Our offense really picked up this season as we scored a total of 26 goals (2.6/game).
Overall an excellent season.
Week J - Win - Monroe Thunder 1 - Westfield Parana 0 --- Record: 7-3-0 - Sunday, 11/22/09
The Monroe Thunder rumbled to another well earned victory. The thunder rolled into Westfield and were able to earn a hard fought 1-0 shutout victory. They put the finishing touches on a highly successful fall season, finishing up with 2 strong wins on the final weekend of the season against 2 quality opponents. This was a total team win as we had contributions from many different players. The defense played very well and the offense converted on 1 of many opportunities to score and were able to squeak out a goal in the second half, after a 0-0 tie in the first half.
First and foremost the goalies and the defense played extremeley well. Both Ryan S (3 great saves in the 1st half) and Ethan (2 great saves in the second half) played unbelievable in goal and contributed to a well earned shutout. Ryan saved two separate 1 on 1 opportunities with Westfield’s best player as he made a diving save to his left and a foot save to his right at point blank range. Ethan had two equally incredible saves...one moving along the goal line with a cross and using perfect technique took away the shooters angle and smother the shot. His other save was also a nice diving save from point blank range. Easily our goalies most complete game of the season.
The defense played extremely well all game, Ryan M used his speed on several occasions to turn a breakaway to the outside and clear it up the field. Brandon W also saved quite a few breakaways and he was right on top of his clears. In fact, I don’t think Brandon missed a clear all game, he was very solid. His best game of the year. Joseph Z and Tyler W logged some very important minutes at left fullback. Both were very solid. David A was able to consistently control the middle of the field and beat the opposing mid-fielders to the ball, which was key for us controlling the middle of the field. As a unit, I believe that was our best game of the season.
The game started out very positive, it all started with Monroe controlling the ball on the offensive side of the field for most of the first half. Within the first minute of play, Tyler M made a nice run around the end and took a hard shot on goal. The opposing goalie made a great diving save, and Michael C was there in perfect position for the rebound and he mishit it right at the goalie. In the first half, outside of 3 nice runs from Westfield which resulted in 3 hard shots on goal that Ryan S saved, Monroe kept the ball on Westfield’s side of the field.
In the first half, Tyler M made quite a few runs and had 3 shots 1-1 with the goalie that just went wide. Tyler M did a really nice job of using his speed off the dribble to beat the defenders. Something we have been working hard on in practice, I think he benefitted alot from our 3v3 and 4v4 drills. He also had several nice crosses in the first half. Ryan W and Jair also had good open shots that went wide in the first half. I think in the first half Monroe probably had 10 or 12 good opportunities to score and Westfield may have had 3 or 4, but Monroe was very unlucky and couldn’t conver their chances, ending the half knotted at 0-0.
At halftime, we stressed a couple of things, put your shots on goal, because you can’t score unless your shots are on goal and keep working hard and passing the ball. This was the laft half of the season. Monroe came out firing again, this time, we had more shots on goal than the first half. Matt K played solid at center striker and had several good opportunities to score. Mike C, Jair, and Ryan W all had great shots from around the 18 that their goalie came up and saved. Tyler M had a nice cross that was caught by the goalie. Ethan continued to make great saves, and the defense played well.
At about the 15 minute mark of the second half, Monroe finally broke through on a goal that was a result of the entire team doing the right thing. Ryan M cleared the ball from the right side, David S picked it up at the mid field point and sent it wide down the right sideline. Tyler M picked up the ball and was moving down the right sideline preparing for his cross that he did probably 5-6 times earlier. However, he cut it back into the middle of the field and crossed the ball with his left foot to Ryan W. Ryan W took the pass and launched a shot that hit the left post. Ryan S at left wing converged on the ball, trapped with his left foot and shot with his right foot on the ground into the corner for the only goal of the game. The goal was made by starting with the right fullback and scoring on a rebound by the left wing. A total team effort.
Monroe had a couple more opportunities to score as Ryan W and Eric S both launced hard shots just over the crossbar. We kept the pressure up and didn’t collapse into a defensive shell after the goal, and we were able to hold onto a well earned 1-0 victory.
A complete team effort. I thought David S played a solid game, he really made good decisions with the ball and was very aggressive. Ryan W was all over the field at center mid, and Matt K played a strong second half. Jair played well, despite being slowed by an injured foot. Michael C had a better second half moving back to mid-field.
Overall a great team win and I would love to be able to play the teams again a second time, because we were playing our best soccer at the end of the season.
The halfat Monroe Thunder continued their great play. This was their biggest win of the season. Middlesex only had 2 losses coming into the game and they were playing extremely well. The boys played their best game of the season. Communication, passing, ball control, and trapping were all strong. Monroe Thunder roared to a huge 4-1 win. It was a very tough and hard fought game. What made the win even more impressive, was that the Thunder played the game shorthanded again, as both Jair and Tyler M missed the game.
Week F make-up game - Win - Monroe Thunder 4 - Middlesex Cyclones - 1 -- Record: 6-3-0 - Saturday, 11/21/09
Monroe Thunder continued their great play. This was their biggest win of the season. Middlesex only had 2 losses coming into the game and they were playing extremely well. The boys played their best game of the season. Communication, passing, ball control, and trapping were all strong. Monroe Thunder roared to a huge 4-1 win. It was a very tough and hard fought game. What made the win even more impressive, was that the Thunder played the game shorthanded again, as both Jair and Tyler M missed the game.
It was nice to see Jair come out and support his teammates even though he wasn’t able to play. He really provided some great advice on the sidelines. It was a tough game for the Thunder, as they really dominated play in the first half. Monroe had several shots on goal and several near misses. Matt K had a couple of opportunities to score, and David S played very well at the right wing. He really made a difference by pressuring the fullback and being able to steal and cross the ball. A different set of skills from Tyler M, and the team adapted well. Both Michael C and David S played very well on the right side of the field. Both usually don’t play those positions, but they really worked well together. Michael played extremely well, and he has shown improvement each and every week. Michael switched positions (Good call by Coach Joe) with Matt K and he ended up scoring a goal on a good cross from Ryan W right in front of the goal. That was a big goal, because that gave the Thunder a cusion and a 3-1 lead.
In the first half, Ryan W carried the offense and was able to score 2 goals in the first half. The first goal was on a great play where he beat the goalie to the ball off of a rebound. He was able to pounce on the ball and give us a well earned 1-0 lead. Middlesex came back and scored a pretty good goal as the ball just bounced over Ryan’s diving arm. With the score tied 1-1, Ryan W was able to beat the goalie to the ball again and score a well earned goal to give us a 2-1 halftime lead.
After Michael’s goal, David S playing left wing, was able to break free and make a beautiful left footed cross to Ryan S on the right wing. Ryan S placed a beautiful ground shot in the far corner. A beautiful play by David S and a good finish by Ryan S.
Overall, the team passed and played excellent, this was a tough team, we were short handed and we came out and took it to them. They played extremely well. I thought Eric S, Shawn G, Mike C, Ryan S, Ryan W, Ryan M, and David S all played their best games of the season. They were running overlaps, switching, and communicating all game long. Ryan M, had several good runs from the fullback position, I really like the way he is playing, he was able to make the runs at the appropriate time, and his speed at the fullback position really make a difference both defensiveley and offensively.
Michael C continues to improve and he is starting to become the player we have been pushing him to be. David S played really solid, he really made a difference wherever he played. Mike and David really played well together on the right side.
I also though Ethan played very well at fullback in the first half, he gave us some very important minutes in the field in the first half and then played well and made several nice saves in the second half. He held his line very well, while making a real solid save. He kept the ball in front of him.
Overall a great game and a great team effort resulting in a great team win. We are really finishing the season strong.
It was nice to see Jair come out and support his teammates even though he wasn’t able to play. He really provided some great advice on the sidelines. It was a tough game for the Thunder, as they really dominated play in the first half. Monroe had several shots on goal and several near misses. Matt K had a couple of opportunities to score, and David S played very well at the right wing. He really made a difference by pressuring the fullback and being able to steal and cross the ball. A different set of skills from Tyler M, and the team adapted
Week I - Win - Monroe Thunder 6 - Edison Dynamites 0 -- Record: 5-3-0 -- Sunday 11/15/09
The Monroe Thunder continued their great play and exploded for 6 goals, their highest goal output of the season. The team played very well, they dominated play and it took a little while to get the goals, but when they finally broke through, the goals just kept coming. We were able to play different players at different positions and were able to get the defense up on the fornt line.
Once again, the team passed the ball very well, there were alot of overlaps, thru balls, and give and go’s. I really like they way the Thunder are coming together. Tyler M had several great runs and he was able to make some wonderful crosses. Jair played extremely well distributing the ball to the outside and controlling the center of the field. Shawn, Tyler W, Michael C, and Ryan M all played solid gams. Michael is really starting to play well, he is our best thru ball passer, he also ran some nice overlaps.
It was nice to see Brandon W, Ryan M, Joe, and Ryan S all score goals. They are primarily on defense or in goal, and it was nice to see them get an opportunity to play on the offensive side of the ball. Matt K, andd David S also scored goals. The team played very unselfishly and Ethan was able to get into the field and log some quality minutes and he played very well. Is field play has really improved.
Overall a great team effort and it was nice to add some much needed funds to the goal fund. Great effort - with a big doubleheader weekend coming up next week.
Week H - Loss - Monroe Thunder 1 - Piscataway Black Knights 3 - Record: 4-3-0 -- Sunday 11/8/09
The Monroe Thunder played much better than the final score indicated. Monroe dug a hole in the first half, we gave up a few mistake goals and we were down 3-1 at the half. The second half was a different story as Monroe dominated play but unfortunately couldn’t get the ball into the back of the net. We hit the crossbar, the post, and had several near misses. Sometimes in soccer, you just get unlucky and today was one of those games.
Ryan W played an excellent game. He almost had 2 assists in the middle of the penalty box within minutes of each other. Mike C hit the crossbar on one shot and David S scored on a beautiful feed from Ryan and who launched a shot just under the crossbar. Our team really dominated the second half of play, Matt K, Michael C, Tyler M, and Ryan S all had solid games. David S, Ryan W, and Eric S all had great opportunities to score. Tyler M had several nice runs, and nearly scored on a breakaway his shot landed just outside the far post. Jair also had a near miss on an open goal, he shot the ball just outside the post. Ryan M played a nice game at stopper. Joe Z and Brandon played a strong game in the second half, the defense and Ryan S held Piscataway scoreless over the second half.
Overall a great effort, I was really proud of the way we did not give up and we kept pressing and dominating play in the second half. The effort, passing, communication, and crossing was very strong. A tough loss, but nothing to be sad about, as we played well.
Week G - Win - Monroe Thunder 3 - Robbinsville Warriors 2 --- Record: 4-2-0 - Sunday 11/1/09
The Monroe Thunder hung on at the very end to complete a well earned 3-2 victory on the road in Robbinsville. The Thunder were extremely shorthanded on the defensive side of the ball as we were missing 50% of our defense. Both Ryan M and Brandon W were not able to suit up, this really challenged our team and we needed to play some players out of position. We only had 13 players, and so we only had 2 subs, which caught up to us in the second half. I was really proud of the efforts put in by Ethan (played the entire game in goal), Ryan W (reluctantly played sweeper), Matt K (played right fullback), and Ryan S (played Right fullback). Jair also played a little stopper. All these players played a longer time, played out of position and they did a good job by picking up their teammates. That is something we have been preaching at practice, to pick up your teammates, especially when a mistake is made. A true team picks up their teammates when the chips are down. So, all the players put forth a good effort for a good team win.
The Thunder rolled out to a 2-0 lead at the half. Matt K started the scoring on a really nice volley in front of the net, he was able to beat the goalie to the ball and volleyed a nice hard shot into the goal while the ball was in mid-air. It was one of the best goals I have seen scored by a striker this season. Matt made an excellent play off of Tyler M solid cross. Tyler M also played extremely well when making his runs down the sideline, he had 5 or 6 really good crosses in the game. He has really made great strides in this area. Tyler M ended up with 2 first half assists in the game. His second assist came on another excellent cross that Tyler W picked clean and pounded into the nets. The two Tylers combined for a perfect soccer play, a beautiful cross to a person in perfect position that made a solid one touch shot into an open net. Great Goal and great teamwork. We dominated the first half, the defense played extremely well, we were first to the ball, and we had several more scoring changes in the first half. Their goalie was very solid and made some outstanding saves.
In the second half, we started out with many scoring chances as we continued to dominate. Matt K scored his second goal of the game on another really nice shot. The Thunder went up 3-0 at this point. Once again, it seems to be a weekly occurrence we did have a goal called back as Michael shot a ball towards the open net and Matt K deflected it in and was called for offsides. Eric S also had an enormous shot that their goalie saved with his finger tips - I still don’t know how he was able to hold onto the ball.
About 1/3 of the way through the second half, the Thunder started getting fatigued and it showed. Our midfielders stopped winning the ball in the middle of the field and were not getting back as quickly on defense. The strikers were getting caught offsides. Robbinsville made a strong run and scored 2 goals with about 6 minutes remaining in the game. While leading 3-2, Robbinsville hit the post and went wide. Monroe hung on for the win, a well earned win, 3-2.
A great team effort. I also saw some things that really showed me the players were playing as a team. On several occasions, I saw the defense really play smart. I saw Joeseph move to the middle of the field when Ryan W or David A picked up the outside striker. Not only did they communicate who had the ball, they communicated and moved to cover the other player’s position. In other words, with a quick communication they only had 1 person stop the ball and the other cover the open space...just 2-3 weeks ago, both players would of chased the ball and then yelled at each other. It was really great to see. Joseph, David, Ryan S, and Ryan W all communicated well and were able to switch positions and stop the ball. It was really cool to see. In addition, we also saw several overlaps on offense, which is when the mid-fielder and the striker switch positions to make a run. Mike, Tyler, David S, Eric, and Shawn all performed overlaps.
David A played extremely well, he picked up his teammates even though being upset on the sideline. He really played through some adverse situations to help pick up the defense. Matt K, Tyler M, Tyler W, Jair, Ryan W, and Mike played aggressive and passed well.
Nice job!!
Week F - Win - Monroe Thunder 5 - Greater Flemington United 2 --- Record: 3-2-0 - Sunday 10/25/09
The Monroe Thunder picked up a bunch of firsts for this season. The Thunder played their first home game at the new Prospect Plains Fields, they scored their first home goal of the season (They were shutout their previous 2 home games) and most important they picked up their first home win of the season. The Thunder’s offense came to life as they boomed out 5 goals. Playing in much nice weather this week, the team played extremely well. They communicated very well, they passed the ball much better, they were more aggressive to the ball, and they even trapped the ball well this week. The score was a little misleading as to how well we played, as we had a goal disallowed on a questionable call, and we gave up 2 second half breakaway goals while many players were playing out of position. I told the team not to worry about giving up the goals, it was worth it to get some of the defensive players some playing time on the offensive side of the field. The team played very well, especially after last week. We scored 5 goals, which was the best offensive effort of the season, even though Greater Flemington had an own goal scored by their defense. Overall a solid effort by the entire team.
The Thunder opened the scoring by scoring off of a corner kick deflection. Our corner kicks were very precise all day, we were very aggressive at moving towards the goal and keeping our lanes on our corner kicks and we had several opportunites to score off of corners. Jair scored the first goal on a nice hard shot off of a rebound on Eric’s corner kick. A nice shot just inside the left post. A very similar goal to the one Jair scored against East Brunswick. Our second goal was scored by Tyler M who made a very nice run off of a Ryan W over the top pass. Tyler M maintained the ball into the penalty box and took a nice shot that landed over the goalie’s head. It was a nice run and a nice pass from Ryan W. We ended the half up 2-0. The Thunder had several other opportunites to score, David S had a 1-1 with the goalie that the goalie made a good save on. Ryan M had a goal taken away off of a deflection from Mike C off of a corner kick from Eric S. Eric also had a nice opportunity setup by a beautiful feed from Matt K, Eric took his time and boomed a shot that was high and wide.
The Thunder opened the second half with 2 quick goals to make it 4-0. The third goal was scored by Matt K and the fourth goal was scored by the Flemington defense. After our 4th goal, I moved most of the defense out to offense. I had David A, Ryan M, and Joe Z and Brandon W all on the front line. We had a new defense and they were caught up to far twice on defense and gave up 2 breakaway goals. After calming down the team, the Thunder regained their composure and Joe Z scored a beautiful goal on a cutback move from the left wing, moving the ball from his left foot to his right and putting a goal inside the left post for a nice goal.
Overall, a good effort, I thought that Mike C and David A played very well, both were aggressive to the ball and played well together at right mid and right wing respectively. I thought Ethan played well at Right fullback, Ryan W played an excellent game, Jair played a really nice game, and Matt k distributed the ball well. Overall, I thought our trapping was much improved and really made a difference in the game. I thought David A did a very good job on the punts in the mid-field. We also did a much better job of keeping the balls in front of us and not letting the high punts go over our head.
A nice job!!
Week E - Loss - Monroe Thunder 0 - Glen Ridge Lightning 2 --- Record: 2-2-0 - Sunday 10/18/09
The Monroe Thunder continued their roller coaster, up & down, inconsistent Fall 2009 campaign, as they took a tough loss in even tougher weather. As a storm hit the northeast, the Thunder played in a steady rain and 40 degree weather. Unfortunately, the results matched the weather as the Thunder lost the game 2-0 to the Glen Ridge Lightning. One thing for sure our play looked to mimick the weather as we couldn’t generate any offense on a capable but average Glen Ridge team.
The Thunder’s season has been very unpredictable to date, we are 0-2 at home with 2 shutouts against, and 2-0 on the road with 2 shutouts for. We played our two home games on a turf field, our best surface, and we have yet to score. Our two wins were on slow surfaces away, and we won both contests. Of the remaining 6 games, only 1 game will be played on a turf field. Not that anybody will be able to predict the outcome anyway.
I thought both goalies, Ethan in the first half and Ryan in the second half played very well in the weather. I also thought that the defense played well, Ryan M, Brandon W, and Joe Z had a pretty strong game. Ryan S played a solid first half in the field. I also thought that Michael played better in the second half than the first. Unfortunately, I thought we were never able to test the Glen Ridge goalie as we continue to have trouble with defenses that play a conservative defense. We were unable to go over the top of the defense. When we tried to place thru balls, they were either not wide enough, too strong, or right at the opposing goalie. The few over the top balls we had, we were either called for offsides or our strikers were outplayed getting to the balls. Our passing, trapping, and communication were all mediocre. Our midfielders and stopper were not aggressive as we let Glen Ridge win the majority of the balls between the 30’s.
The weather was unfortunate, I thought that Glen Ridge responded better than us in the weather...they deserved to win as we simply were not a good performing team in bad weather. It is unfortunate because I thought that we were the better team, we just weren’t better on this day.
We have 2 big games next week, and I am sure we will be able to bounce back with a better effort....In addition, I believe the weather is supposed to be much better as well.
Looking forward to next week!!
Week D - Won - Monroe Thunder 4 - East Brunswick Inferno 0 --- Record: 2-1-0 - Sunday 10/11/09
The Monroe Thunder started their third game of the season scoring a goal within the first minutes of play to take a quick 1-0 lead. Matt K scored on a shot in front of the goal off of a nice cross. Monroe played well in the first half, although the East Brunswick goalkeeping was stellar as he made several very nice saves. He also made some high and long punts resulting in several breakaways for the EB squad. Their goalie stopped 3 breakaway attempts, 2 on Ryan W and 1 on Davis S, he also had a save on a nice strong shot by Eric S.
Monroe played fairly well in the first half, Ethan played very good in goal and the defense held a shutout. Ryan S played a good left-Mid and he had several nice traps and passes, one leading to a breakaway for David S at right wing. We were not as aggressive in the first half as I would of liked, especially in the middle of the field. In the 2nd half, to try and better control the middle of the field, we moved David A to stopper and Ryan M to right fullback. David A played very well at stopper and really did a good job of holding his position and winning the balls in the middle of the field. Ryan M, Joe Z, and Brandon W played a strong defense and were able to pull off several defensive traps. In addition, Ryan S completed the shutout with a couple of saves in the second half.
With the new look defense, becoming much more aggressive and controlling the middle of the field, that fed the offense and they really picked up their play. Jair scored the second goal of the game off of a nice pass from Mike C to Shawn G, Shawn made a nice run down the sideline and made a cross to Jair. Jair took a nice shot and hit the left post (and for once) bounced into the goal rather than out of the goal. It was a really nice triangle play, something that we practice all the time. The third goal was scored by Mike C, he one touched a rebound cross utilizing his left foot. It wasn’t a hard shot, just a nice one touch with the left foot, he took it out of the air and placed it into the goal.
Our 4th goal again was a beautiful pass from Mike C to the outside wing, where Eric S took his time and nailed a nice hard shot into the back of the net. This completed our scoring and put us ahead 4-0. We were able to get the defense up into the striker positions and give them a chance to play some offense.
I thought Mike C, David A, Ryan S, David S, Matt K, and Joe Z played exceptionally well this afternoon. I also thought Ethan played well both in goal and at left fullback. We were more aggressive in the second half, our communication and marking was good, we played a good defensive trap, our passing was solid and in the second half our shots were more relaxed. Overall a good game against a good team.
It was a good team victory.
Week C - Loss - Monroe Thunder 0 - North Plainfield 6 --- Record: 1-1-0 - Sunday 10/4/09
The Monroe Thunder started their second game of the season shorthanded, as we were missing Jair due to injury. We ended the game even more shorthanded as both Joe Z and Ryan S left the field in the second half with injuries. The final score was not indicative as to how we played as we just ran out of steam on a hot afternoon with limited subs.
We started out very strong, we switched our formation back to a diamond 4-3-3. Ryan M returned to the stopper position and Matt K took over as the center striker. Ryan W manned the center midfield position. I thought during the first half Ryan W, Brandon W, David A, Joe Z, and Ryan S all played their best halves of the season. Brandon W made some nice goal saving stops on several breakaway attempts. He played excellent. Ryan S made several big saves in the first half, he really came out strong and made some very good saves. David, Joe and Brandon also were able to pull off an offsides trap in the first half on 6 or 7 separate occasions. The defense as a whole had very good communication. The defense communicated who to mark and did a good job of covering the backside. The mid-fielders helped out marking open players and everybody was energized by the individual defensive plays and stops by both Brandon W and Ryan S. We had several chances to score in the first half particularyly on a good over the top pass from Ryan W to Tyler M on the right sideline. Tyler rushed his shot a little, but it was a good run. We ended the first half in a 0-0 tie and I thought we played a solid half especially in goal and on defense.
The second half we remained tied until about the 10 minute mark, when we missed are offsides trap and North Plainfield had a free run on Ethan and he had no shot to save the breakaway. Ethan played pretty solid in the second half, he faced 3 penalty shots and they only scored on one, he also made some very good saves and his punts were the best of the season.
Once North Plainfield scored a couple of goals that opened up the flood gates and with the injured players piling up on the sidelines, we simply ran out of steam. The effort in the last 10 minutes and the frustration shown by the players began to creep into the game and resulted in some give away goals.
Overall, North Plainfield was a very solid team with alot of subs and they simply wore us down as the game went on. A very good effort in the first half and a frustrating second half. I am confident we will bounce back in our next game. We need to reposition our stopper for the next game and that should help us control the middle of the field a little better. Ryan M is going to need to stay disciplined and will be very busy in next week’s game.
Week B - Bye Week no Game
Week A - Win - Monroe Thunder 2 - Montgomery Strikers 0 --- Record: 1-0-0 - Sunday 9/20/09
The Monroe Thunder started their season on a positive note with an opening day road win vs Montgomery. Monroe played a solid game and dominated the play throughout the game. The Montgomery goalies were under constant pressure and they made some outstanding saves. Monroe probably had 10-12 oppotunities to score. The passing was crisp, the communication was excellent, and despite missing several players on a hot day, we kept the pressure on. I thought there was a lot of positive plays. Ryan W and Jair played very well together in the middle of the field. They had several give and go combinations that really opened things up for the offense. David A, Joe Z, and Brandon W, played solid on defense. Ryan S, despite being very sick, played a good game in goal, coming up with a save at the end of the game to preserve the shutout. At one point we were missing Ethan, Tyler W, and Shawn G in the second half, so there were quite a few players that logged significant minutes.
Monroe started the scoring in the first half, Jair started it off with a nice over the top pass from to Tyler M. Tyler M made a nice run down the sideline and placed a nice cross to the far post. As always, Shawn was in the right position and made a sliding deflection into the goal to open up the scoring for the season. The score at half remained 1-0, despite having quite a few runs and shots on goal. In the second half, Matt was able to score from the center striker position. He took a nice pass and shot the ball in the upper right corner for a goal. I thought that we played solid in the second half and that David S, Ryan M, Tyler M, all made some nice plays and created some nice opportunites for the team. I know the Montgomery goalie made a nice save on a hard shot by Jair.
Overall, the players played an excellent opening game, they communicated well, passed the ball well, and created quite a few opportunities to score. They played hard and they played as a team. A good opening to the season!!
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