2022 NorthWood Invitational

NW-BREMEN - The threat of thunderstorms means the starting times for today's games have been adjusted. The first matchup therefore starts at 9:30 am instead of 11 am. Let's just blame the early start for our sub par first half performance.Our only threat comes in the 24th when a NW corner gets directed twice by way of NW headers but the Bremen keeper has no trouble stopping the effort. Class 2A #12 Bremen has the best of the play but is unable to penetrate our defense. Half time score is 0-0. The half time locker room speech is therefore not too positive. Obviously we need to clean up our passing and play in general. The second half brings a better effort albeit not a formidable one. We have to wait until the 68th minute to see the first goal of the tournament. A beauty of a pass from the center to the right from Chelsea fan Maddox Brown to Carlos Alvarez-Ramirez is the start of the threat. Carlos takes the ball at speed into the Bremen box. He beats the defender and the keeper with his shot in the upper left for the 1-0 lead!

CARLOS' SHOT THAT PUTHS THE PANTHERS AHEAD.

THE PANTHERS CELEBRATE The Panthers withstand a barrage of Bremen attacks and take the win to earn a spot in the 4 pm Championship game. ***pictures courtesy Dale Tobias*** Manchester ends up beating Western in a PK shootout after an entertaining 3-3 draw in regulation. Manchester faces NorthWood in the Championship game. Bremen ends up defeating Western in the consolation game. The Championship game sees a NW team that is much more lively this time. A good start to the game with the support of the student section (all in red) in the soutHern part of the new stands. NW passes easily and is in control of the game. In the 14th the crisp passing results in the first goal of the game after Luis finds Solomon Yegon. Sol smoothly dribbles into the box and his shot finds the back of the net for the 1-0 lead. Despite some chances and the Panthers domInating play no more goals are added and we start to head to the locker room for our half time break with the 1-0 lead. The second half starts the way the first ended. Three minutes into the second act it is Dominic (De) Freitas who gets into the box and seems to shoot for the second goal but the Manchester GK stops the shot and the ball comes back to Dom with a high bounce and a second shot is not an option. The 60th minute gives the Panthers a reason to celebrate again! Luis places a free kick from the right onto Maddox's head. His header spins away from the keeper and floats into the upper left for the 2-0 NW lead! It seems all the Panthers have to do is keep their composure and finish out the game and the trophy stays here. But about 8 minutes after the second NorthWood goal, the Squires manage to score to come within one goal of tying the game (which would send the game to PK's). Despite some sloppy and panicky play, the Panthers hold on and finish out the game without giving up another goal. Our defense has played a very solid tournament and kept us in each game. The final score is 2-1 and the Panthers end up winning their own Invitational. After winning the pre season Panther Classic, the Panthers can cross the first two of four goals off their list! A big Thank You to Randy and Kyle Cripe for doing the announcing and running the scoreboard, Ball Boys Jackson, Isaac, Kyler and Caleb and Jeff Iwema for running the camera for both games.

The Final Score!

2022 NORTHWOOD INVITATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!!!!