It was a chilly night at Belson Stadium. I had three layers on myself, Coach Groves only one; I assume still heated from the last trip. As a staff we were confident in our game plan and that the boys' would execute. The approach was a decision the team needed to make…
Hayward brought Step Brothers from his movie collection. After an overwhelming vote the DVD was delivered by a first-year from the back of the bus. The boys couldn’t get enough. The staff looked around awkwardly, unsure whether to laugh or disapprove.
After a pre-game meal at Joe’s Fleetwood Pizza we filed back onto the bus headed for Belson. It was a stressful affair sitting in bumper to bumper traffic for over 45 minutes (lot’s of nail-biting, and anxious glancing at the wrist watch). It put us in a time crunch forcing our shortest warm-up routine of the season.
Arising from hibernation the boys were lively and ready to get back on track. Two trips to NYC in 4 short days can take a toll on the body, but the team was up to the challenge. Surprisingly, they were full of energy and ready to take on a worthy opponent.
The game began with one of Rob’s signature tackles at mid-field, sparking a cheer from the bench. The red storm seemed tamed to a light drizzle throughout the first segment. Both amount of possession and opportunities on goal were close to even. We were connecting passes well and looked composed on the ball facing a team who had conceded just 1 goal at home this season. It all came down to the mindset. The Bears showed as a team with something to prove after the previous weekend’s result.
Several players contributed to a quality team effort earning a well-deserved tie on the road. Duff and E-rob held off every attack in the back from a highly talented St. John’s front line, which was able to test SKS on a few occasions; he dealt with them successfully tallying the third shutout of his career.
The boys’ fought hard through the overtime periods. Heads were held high upon exiting the stadium. St. John’s 0 Brown 0.
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