Northview Titans Varsity Boys Game Summary
South Forsyth v. Northview, 3-0
March 15th
Game conditions: 55 degrees, at game time 8:00 pm
The Titans were defeated 3-0 on their home field by a South Forsyth team that pressed for openings and kept the Titans from finding openings. The War Eagles forced Northview to shoot wide on most of their shots this night.
Titan keeper Brian Luksis came out several times off his line to cut down South Forsyth attacks with sliding cover-ups on balls at the corners of the penalty area. Nine times in the first half, the Titans were taking free kicks from 25 to 45 yards after Alex Alonso, Stephen Gulia, and Jeff Scannella were all held, pushed or tripped by South Forsyth, but the free kicks could not be converted into scoring chances.
Scannella, Alonso, Andrew Cameron and Josh Carter did find some open passing lanes, but the Titans could not finish with solid shots. On a play typical of the night for Northview, a good crossing pass from Cameron to Alonso back to Cameron at 25 yards and in to AJ Johnson at 5 yards, ended with the War Eagle goal keeper coming out to stop the play.
In the 28th minute, Luksis stopped a point blank shot from 8 yards out while 4 yards off his line, denying a War Eagle an excellent chance at the net, and a minute later intercepted a pass at nine yards before an attacker could shoot. The War Eagles found an open lane in the 36th minute with a low shot from 22 yards to the right side of the net that a diving Titan keeper could not get to. The half ended 0 - 1.
In the 41st minute, Brian Colyer headed clear a long free kick that came in to 10 yards following the first of eight Titan fouls in the second half. Then the Titans seemed to find a spark with Brandon McCollum winning more balls at midfield, and Alonso starting to beat South Forsyth defenders one on one. Northview had a good chance to score at 46 minutes as Scannella fed Jeremy Stille at 20 yards out, but his shot went just wide right as South Forsyth defender challenged hard. After the ball went over the end line, Stille earned a yellow card for dissent.
The War Eagles second score came at 49 minutes as a lone attacker outmaneuvered Gulia and shot from 25 yards out on the right, to find an opening just inside the far post. The Titans' next offensive effort came quickly, after Josh Carter blocked South Forsyth trying to come upfield at 40 yards from the War Eagle goal, and made a clean steal. Carter found Andrew Cameron open at 30 yards on the right side, who took it in to 15, and then tore a low shot across the box which went just wide of the far post.
The Titans had more chances a few minutes later, after some fine dribbling by Carter around defenders, gave way to his pass to Scannella at 22 yards in the middle. Jeff was tripped, and the ensuing Northview free kick was blocked for a Titan corner kick on the left side. The corner kick crossed in to Cameron Pratt whose shot from 15 yards on the right side was blocked for another corner. Gulia collected the crossing kick on this next corner, but shot high.
Back on defense, Colyer found himself having to clear from 5 yards for a South Forsyth corner. The War Eagles got a shot from 20 yards on the right after the corner was cleared, but it hit the bar and was recovered by a War Eagle attacker in the left corner, who wasted a shot over the end line. South Forsyth was guilty of holding or pushing in the Titan penalty area multiple times in the second half as well, both on corner kicks and while attacking, giving some breathing room to the Titans.
At 64 minutes, South Forsyth held a Titan attacker in a footrace for the ball deep in War Eagle territory, and earned a yellow card after the foul was called. But Alonso's free kick from close in went high. After both teams traded the ball at midfield, South Forsyth found the net for their third goal after passing in well, for a one on one. Battling Colyer, the attacker finally got off quick low shot from within the penalty area on the left side before Brian could turn him outside.
Pratt and Carter each took shots wide left in the next several minutes after making fine runs. At 73 minutes, Andrew Cameron had another drive as he dribbled to the right at 20 yards. A South Forsyth defender challenged, and on a rough tripping call, Cameron was shown a red card. Northview played the last seven minutes down a man, Alonso managed another shot that went wide left, and Stille put a header low from 8 yards which the keeper scooped up. One final corner earned by the Titans led to a strong shot by Scannella from 20 yard that went high, and the match then ended as Northview found itself with its first scoreless game of the season.
