Game 3

Game 3 – 9/11/07
Rebels Beat Duchesne and Improve to 3-0
The Priory J.V. Soccer team faced another test on Tuesday when they played perennial soccer power Duchesne. The Rebels jumped on the attack in the opening moments of the game. Led by Brendan Kelly’s nifty play in the midfield, the Rebels worked the ball through the Duchesne defense and James Kopfensteiner found himself in on goal but his shot hit the post twenty seconds into the game. A minute later Kopfensteiner found himself with another chance in front of the goal, but his header could not muster enough power to beat the keeper. After these initial chances, the Rebels found themselves under attack. Duchesne woke up and started putting some pressure on the Priory goal. Some shaky defensive play by the usually steady Rebel defense allowed Duchesne to have numerous chances on the home team’s goal. However, Duchesne could not put a shot on the goal, and Rebel goalie Kevin Yuan stopped anything that had a chance at finding the net. The teams exchanged chances through most of the first half. The Rebels were clearly the superior team in possessing the ball, but Duchesne dominated the 50/50 balls and kept things interesting.

In the second half, the Rebels showed the depth and conditioning that helped them in their first two matches. They controlled the play and began to challenge Duchesne on any ball in the air. Most of the second-half action took place on the Duchesne half of the field and it was clear that the Rebels were knocking on the door. About 15 minutes into the half, the Rebels earned a corner kick. James Kopfensteiner played a perfect ball into the box and Sam Tankersley climbed the ladder and hammered home a header past the Duchesne keeper. Tankersley, one of the Rebel captains, was not one of the tallest players on the field but he showed that he wanted to win the ball more than anyone else. As the second half progressed, Duchesne became more adventurous in their attacks and the Rebels found themselves with numerous counter-attacks. Jack Wegman had two solid chances to put the game out of reach, but both shots found the keeper. Duchesne kept pushing forward but their forwards could not find any space due to the ferocious marking efforts of Kevin Hess and Doug Hall. In the final 30 seconds of the game, Duchesne earned a corner kick. They pushed everyone into the box for a desperate attempt at an equalizer. A dangerous ball was played into the box, but Rebel keeper Kevin Yuan punched the ball away from danger, preserving the 1-0 victory and a third consecutive shutout.

Goal: Tankersley (2)
Assist: Kopfensteiner (1)
Shutout: Yuan (1.5)
Game balls: Tankersley, Hess

UP NEXT: Friday September 14 @ Priory @ 3:45 vs. St. Mary’s