Game 15

Game 15 – 10/10/07
Rebels Get Back on Track in League with 2-0 Win Over JBS

After a difficult 5-game road trip, the Priory J.V. soccer team returned home hoping to reestablish themselves as an ABC league power. They faced John Burroughs on Wednesday afternoon and the Rebel squad knew that they would have to play a complete game to get their desired result. The Rebels came out strong in the first half and put pressure on the Bombers’ goal. Tony Cribbin continuously found ways to get through the Burroughs defense and serve dangerous crosses into the box. Jack Wegman put himself on the other end of these crosses, but couldn’t quite finish. The Rebels also had another strong showing in the midfield with Patrick Mulvihill maintaining his dominance in the air and Liam Ware and Andrew Erker keeping the attacks organized and balanced on the ground. The Rebel wing midfielders also played a solid game. Frost, Lamb, and Kopfensteiner had their usual productive games, but freshman Gustavo Sanchez really stepped it up. Sanchez made several nice runs to contribute to the attack, but he also showed incredible closing speed when recovering defensively. The Burroughs’ open midfielders would suddenly be covered in the blink of an eye and Sanchez played a large part in frustrating the Bombers’ attacks. Defensively, the Rebels shook of their road woes and played responsibly. Doug Hall had another big game winning balls in the air, and Kevin Hess spent the afternoon frustrating the Burroughs’ forwards. Brandon Wehking had a solid game anchoring the defense and stopper Pedro was both a defensive presence and offensive threat all game. In the net, Kevin Yuan extended his season-long shutout streak to 6 halves. Despite solid efforts at every position, the Rebels couldn’t make a dent on the scoreboard and at halftime the score was 0-0.

The Rebels knew that if they continued to play responsible defense and put pressure on the Bombers in the second half, eventually they would be rewarded. Early in the second half it looked like that was going to happen. Chad Huber had the ball on the wing and hit a beautiful cross into the Burroughs box. Jack Wegman, trying to shake off some first-half frustration, got a solid header on the ball and directed it toward the goal. Unfortunately, the ball hit the crossbar and the Bombers were able to clear. It seemed like the Rebels were jinxed. However, Colin Bruns, a second-half substitute, kept the Rebels’ energy up when he entered the game. He displayed the hard-nosed aggressive play that has brought him success in previous games, and he really put pressure on the Bombers’ defenders. Bruns’ hard work was rewarded when he used his body to get the ball from a Burroughs’ defender and then powered his way toward the goal. He ripped a shot that hit off the near post, and then it took a friendly bounce off the back of the keeper and into the goal. The Rebels took a 1-0 lead and their luck seemed to be changing. As the half progressed, Burroughs pushed more players up into the attack. The Rebel defense held and Priory was able to spring some counter-attacks of their own. With about 10 minutes remaining in the game, Pedro took control of the ball in the Rebel zone and looked up for a counter-attack. He brought the ball forward and then played a perfect ball up to Jack Wegman who timed his run perfectly to avoid the offside call. Wegman took a touch on the ball and then looked up to see a Burroughs’ goalie coming way out to play the ball. Wegman saw his opportunity and chipped the ball over the goalie from about 40 yards out. The ball sailed through the air and it wasn’t clear if it was hit just right or if it would soar over the goal. The ball descended just in time to sneak under the crossbar and give the Rebels a 2-0 lead. This lead would hold up until the end of the game, and the Rebels secured a big victory that allowed them to maintain control over the ABC league.

Goals: Bruns (6), Wegman (7)

Assist: Pedro (1)

Shutout: Yuan (3), Hoerr (4)

Game Balls: Sanchez and Pedro