Northview Titans Varsity Boys Game Summary

Northview v. Riverwood - 5-0
February 18th

Conditions: 43 degrees at game time; crisp clear night

It didn't take long for the Titans to take control of a game they would wind up dominating in all facets of the game.

Scannella took the ball into the left corner on the Titans' first possession; the ball went into the box, Riverwood failed to clear and Josh Carter took the first shot of the game in the first minute - Riverwood saved.

At 3 minutes, it was GOOOOOOOOOO-A-L time for Jeff Scannella, who started at midfield, fed to Sayeed Mehrjerdian on his left, then put himself in position for a clean break on goal, hooking up at the end of a great pass from Sayeed. Scannella pulled the keeper to the left post, then rolled it past him on the far side. Titans 1 - Riverwood Raiders, not yet awake.

At 5 minutes, two early challenges by Riverwood were rebuffed with solid defense.

At 7 minutes, Alex Alonso, clear on the right wing, took a shot but it sailed high over the bar.

The Titan defense again and again was quick to the ball at midfield as Riverwood could not penetrate.

10 minutes in, Mehrjerdian gave an outlet pass to Josh Carter, who fed Scannella on the left line, and Riverwood had to push it OB. Carter got the ball after the throw-in, cornered it to Scannella, whose shot went wide left.

At 11 minutes, Alonso went wide left from 25 yards.

By 13 minutes, it was clear that the Titans possessed the ball again and again, at will.

At 15 minutes, Jeremy Stille passed up from deep midfield to Alonso, whose shot went near right for a goalkick.

Riverwood finally got deep into Titan half, but a pass went OB on the left, and the Titans brought it out from deep in the corner with crisp, short passing among the defense. Stille won a header at mid, and Titans lost the ball on a foul by Carter, but Riverwood's shot from 40 yards became an easy save for keeper BJ Luksis.

At 19 minutes, the speed of Stephen Gulia and Sayeed Mehrjerdian on their left side in Titan's half kept Riverwood of the game another time.

With 20 minutes to the half, Riverwood lost a throw in deep on their own right side, Northview's steal went to Jeff Scannella, then to Mehrjerdian who shot from 7 yards, with a quick save by Riverwood's keeper.

At 22 minutes, a Riverwood player went down injured at mid, and Riverwood cleared it out with a booming kick that created a corner kick for the Titans. The inbound kick was taken down by Andrew Cameron, but he couldn't get a clean shot from 15 yards out.

After subbing in with 3 other players, Tanner Chamblin got a shot from 25 yards after a Northview take-away, but missed on the near side.

At 29 minutes, another Titan corner created no opportunity

.

By this time, the entire team has seen action, with the final substitute coming in.

A corner kick for Riverwood at 30 minutes developed as a shot from 25 yards went off an outstretched Titan foot. Chamblin went up and cleared with a header, leaving Luksis with nothing to do, which is about how it went for most of the night.

Riverwood did get a clean shot from 35 yards headed toward the lower left corner of the Titan net, but Luksis made the save with quick reactions.

Yet another corner by Riverwood went for naught, as they were caught offside after a Titan header in the box. Beyond this, there was little offensive penetration by the Raiders in the remainder of the half.

At 35 minutes, Andrew Stoniecki dispossessed a Riverwood attacker and dribbled into the 18, and Riverwood was able to clear deep in their end. The Titans couldn't take advantage after the throw in.

At 36 minutes, one more corner kick by Riverwood came, after a shot from 20 yards was blocked yet again by the stingy Titan defense. David Cantor went up for the header and easily cleared ("away, away" from Titan Keeper).

At 38 minutes, Alex Alonso passed toward Cameron Pratt inside the 18, but Riverwood's keeper was quick enough to scoop the ball before Pratt could get a shot.

At the half, it's Northview 1, Riverwood 0.

The Raiders came out quicker at the start of the second half, but Northview's defense held twice on two early pushes downfield by Riverwood, and then it was time for another GOOOOOOOOO-A-L for the Titans! Jeremy Stille hauled in a pass from Andrew Cameron and drove it into the net in the 43rd minute.

At 45 minutes, Jeff Scannella banged one off the cross bar from 15 yards out after calling for the ball from Andrew Cameron, as he broke into space just inside the penalty area on the left side.

After a foul by Riverwood deep in their own left corner, Carter passed into the penalty area, and Andrew Cameron shot high from 15 yards out.

The Titan defense kept their end of the game solid, with Andrew Stoniecki blocking one of many times as a Riverwood attacker failed to get by. The Titans push deep into the Raiders' end, and Gulia shot but missed right side.

At 48 minutes, Alonso dribbled in, and from 45 yards fed Cameron with an arc that came down just outside the 18; Andrew brought it down, and went past the keeper's right side with his shot for the 3rd Titan GOOOOOO-A-L!

With the Titans solidly in control, a big cheer went up from the stands for Mario Perazza (injured - not playing) as he got up and limped to grab a water bottle.

At 52 minutes, a wicked line shot by Scannella was bobbled by Riverwood's keeper, who was able to scoop it up just as Josh Carter came in to try to capitalize.

At 54 minutes, Brandon McCollum went high on a shot from 35 yards.

Riverwood passed upfield and took one of its few shots, but sailed it high from 25 yards out.

At 58 minutes, Jeff Scannella dribbled past 2 Raider defenders, and his shot from 12 yards just missed on the near side.

At 62 minutes, a Riverwood free kick from midfield sailed into about 15 yards, and Luksis called for and punched it out; a Riverwood 2nd shot went high over the bar.

The Titans sharp passing drove the ball down toward the Riverwood goal yet again, and Andrew Johnson took the ball, and his shot from 15 yards went high.

Northview was called for a foul as Riverwood advanced, but the Raiders free kick was a shot high over the cross bar one more time.

The Titans, taking advantage of some poor passing by Riverwood, kept restarting their attack from midfield. At 68 minutes, Stoniecki's pass from 40 yards out on the right side, a long cross to Josh Carter on the left at the 18, was fed by a quick touch, to Johnson who was open at 15, and his shot went just wide left.

In the 73rd minute, Jeff Scannella's fancy feigns put him past 2 Raiders, and he led Andrew Johnson at the top of the box. This time Johnson was on with his shot, and it was the 4th Titan GOOOOO-A-L, as the ball was driven high into the right corner of the net.

With less than 1 minute left, with victory assured long ago, the Titans pressed again. Gulia came up with the ball at midfield on the left sideline, played it up to Jimmy Mitchell who decided it had to end the way it started - and Jeff Scannella took it at the 18, and executed a shot low and straight --- GOOOOO-A-L for the Titans and final score, in the words our announcer:

Titans 5 - Titan defense - A Shutout