What a difference 24 hour makes...... On Monday evening we are struggling to keep the large banners on the fence during the storm and tonight, skies are clear and the temperatures are comfortable. Tonight's opponent has been scored on 22 times in 5 games so we know that defense is not their strong point. The same starters from the last game take the field but this should be a night where everyone on the bench should get minutes on the field. Swing players' time needs managed a little different since they can only play 36 halves in a season so they should only take the field where they get valuable playing time but to the point where it does not interfere with JV time. So two minutes in one half and 7 in another equals two halves but does little for the swing player but having said all that, tonight is hopefully a night where all players get a good amount of time. The game starts a little late due to the Lakeland bus not being able to leave on time and a very very long huddle competition before kick off. Despite NW possessing the ball a lot from the kick off, we play sloppy. Our passing is not very accurate. We have to wait until the tenth minute before we see our first effort on goal (Dom shot that gets saved awkwardly). Finally, in the 28th, we get our first goal when Grant passes to Dom who, from distance, shoots the ball high at the Lakers goal, 1-0. Dom gets involved again in the 32nd when he splits two Lakeland defenders to find Andrew whose shot finds the woodwork. After 7 NW passes in minute 39, Grant tries a long distance shot which sails over the short Lakers backstop for the 2-0 half time lead. After a team huddle which ended with a "one two three let's go" in spanish, we really did not in half number one. The half time talk focuses on better and quicker passing and using the wings to stretch the opponents' backline. The second half starts out better than the first. Three minutes in, Dom takes a long distance shot and places it high into the net for the 3-0 lead which effectively takes the air out of Lakeland. An Alex Escamillo pass gets dummied by Dom on its way to Joel Guzman; Joel decisively puts the ball over the line. In Indiana a running clock is institued once a team goes ahead 5-0 in the second half; this fact occurs when a Wes Bell to Joel Guzman in the box to Carlos Alvarez-Ramirez ends with Carlos' first goal of the game and NW's 5th in minute 58. 108 ticks later sees a howling NW bench begging for different players to take the free kick. Drew Davis, who entered the match only minutes before the foul, and Aiden stand by the ball. Drew takes the direct free kick and after a fake move by Maddox, sees the ball disappear into the goal for his first ever NW Varsity goal; 6-0 NorthWood. In the second half we have numerous chances of running up the score but close by chances get diverted by the Lakers keeper in some form or fashion. The last goal of the night happens a minute before the final whistle when Wes Bell finds the feet of Jack Walter who slots the ball home for the final score, 7-0. Trent Iwema and Trace Roja combine for the shutout tonight (which makes two shut outs thus far this season). There is little wrong with tonight's result and match overall (even though our first half could and should have been better). The referee crew did not get themselves into the limelight tonight; a compliment for sure. A nice reprieve from some atrocious arbiter action we have experienced before tonight's match. All players on the roster who are eligible (Allessandro Longo, our foreign exchange player from Italy, does not have the required 10 practices in yet)see the field tonight. Randy Cripe was immaculate from the announcer table tonight and as always, the national anthem goes off without a hitch. We were a little disappointed that the NorthWood version of a F16 fly over from the last game (a Ford F150 truck with an American flag in the bed of the truck circling the field during the anthem) is absent tonight. NOTES - The Panthers move to 3-2 on the season. Next up is the away game at Rochester Thursdayat 5:30 (Varsity only) while the JV plays Warsaw's C team at home at 5:30 pm.Wednesday's practice is at the complex on grass.
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