Northview Titans Varsity Boys Game Summaries

Northview v. Norcross Blue Devils 5-4
February 12, 2008

The 2008 Varsity Boys team kicked off their first game of the season with 9 returning players and 9 new players including 3 freshmen.  The weather was a pleasant 64F by the time the team kicked-off in a 4-4-2 formation:-

Will Whorton
Tanner Chamblin         Caulin Collier              Jarrod Neser                Tyler Chamblin
Chris Britton               Jacob Lee                    Jason Scannella           Dan Schwartz
Stephen Dunbar          Eric Carrion

Games against Norcross are usually close and tonight’s game was no exception.  Northview took the lead in the 7th minute when Dan Schwartz headed in a long throw-in from Jarrod Neser.  Ten minutes later Norcross equalized and the game was tied 1-1 at half time. 

Norcross came out strong in the second half and enjoyed most of the possession for the first six minutes but Will “Yellow-shoes” Whorton kept them at bay.  Northview’s first good chance in the second half came when Jason Scannella’s cross from the right wing was brought down by Jacob Lee just outside of the penalty box on the other side.  Jacob turned and shot, but it was over the bar.  Another opportunity came the Titans’ way in the 63rd minute when Jeffery Degen brought the ball in from the right wing towards the Blue Devils penalty area.   He passed to Jamie Sanclemente whose shot was then deflected for a Northview corner.  Chad Elsey headed the corner wide for a goal kick to Norcross.

Following a dangerous free kick from just outside the Northview penalty box, Norcross won consecutive corners but the Titans’ defense held their ground.  With ten minutes left Jarrod Neser got in a shot on goal but it lacked power and the Norcross keeper handled it easily.

One of the two referees (pet peeve….soccer uses three officials!!!!) couldn’t keep his cards in his pocket and following up on a yellow to Tyler Chamblin in the first half, he gave Caulin Collier, Jacob Lee, Jeff Degen and Will Whorton cards in the second half.  I didn’t count the Norcross cards but it wasn’t five ….. mmm, weak refereeing?  It was not a dirty game!!!

With Will leaving the field in the 75th minute, Carter Rhoad came in to play in goal.  Northview had two great chances to win the game in the last couple of minutes as first Eric Carrion broke through on the Blue Devils goalie but his shot was smothered.  Then with seconds left, Stephen Dunbar shot from the left side and forced the Norcross keeper to make a good save.  At full time the score was still tied at 1 – 1.

Neither team had any good goal scoring opportunities in the two overtime periods and the teams went to a penalty shoot-out.  Last year Northview lost one game in overtime (Lassiter) and two penalty shoot-outs (Pope and Wheeler) so we were hoping to turn the tide this season.  Norcross took the first of 8 penalties followed by the Titans:-

Norcross goal	Jacob Lee (saved)	1 – 0
Norcross goal	Eric Carrion	2 – 1
Norcross miss	Jeff Degen	2 – 2
Norcross goal	Jason Scannella (saved)	3 – 2
Norcross (saved)	Jarrod Neser	3 – 3
Norcross goal	Stephen Dunbar	4 – 4
Norcross (saved)	Russell Bradford (saved)	4 – 4
Norcross miss	Carter Rhoad	4 – 5

 

Final score: Northview Titans 5 – 4 Norcross Blue Devils

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