Northview Titans Varsity Boys Game Summaries
Northview v. Duluth 1-5
April 11th, 2006
Part of the beauty of the game of soccer is evident in that it can’t be wrapped up in neat statistics. A well defended attack with a diving header to clear, a gutsy choice on a slide tackle, a feint and a spin to set up an open shot, all help paint the picture that has to get put up in lights in just two numbers – one for each team.
Such a match was played by the Titans against the Duluth Wildcats tonight. The scoreboard lights showed 1 to 5 at the end. Yet the game picture held all eighty minutes of skill, of excitement, of chances that just wouldn’t finish in the net for the Titans, of a solid defense that allowed just those quick moments of opportunity for the opponent.
The Titans first chance opened for Jeremy Stille in the 3rd minute, who had to quickly spin for a free ball to shoot from 30 yards, and the Wildcat keeper handled that without a problem. The teams traded passing attacks that each ended in an offside call, and then Northview played smart on defense, passing back to keeper Will Whorton to maintain control and reestablish the attack. In the 10th minute, the Titans put the ball in the net on fine short passing from Jeff Scannella to Sayeed Mehrjerdian to Jeremy Stille after a Sam Bevan free kick from midfield, but no goal was allowed, an apparent foul called against the Titans amidst all the quick passing.
One minute later, the Wildcats scored on a short header from 3 yards after driving to the end line on the right and crossing the ball in, in front of the goal. For the next 5 minutes, solid play centered away from both goal areas. The Wildcats took a free kick from 45 yards that came in to 15 yards, and in a scramble to clear, the ball popped loose on the left side of the penalty area, a Wildcat peeled away from a pack of both teams’ players in the center, and made quick work of a clean shot from 10 yards, to give Duluth a 2 – 0 lead.
Northview’s defense kept the Wildcats from much more in close attacks for quite awhile, with excellent blocking by Stephen Gulia, Stephen Glover and Tanner Chamblin. Keeper Will Whorton fielded an easy header from 20 yards when Duluth put in a free kick from midfield. Then Brandon McCollum got a chance on a header from 15 yards on a Titan free kick, and Duluth’s keeper hauled it in coming out to 8 yards. Scannella was fouled at 20 yards on the left side, and Bevan’s free kick over a 4 man wall went a yard too high over the crossbar.
Whorton proved himself worthy at 26 minutes as he halted a low screaming shot from 30 yards; his bobble allowed the ball over the end line for a corner kick, but the inbound ball went across the field for a Northview throw in. Northview controlled well at midfield with crisp passing and beating Duluth to the ball, and then drove in their next attack on a feed from Andrew Stoniecki to Stephen Glover, who deftly flicked to Sam Bevan. Bevan’s long cross to Stille on the right at 10 yards found its mark, and Stille crossed back in front, but the Titans couldn’t connect for a shot.
The Titans avoided a scare in the 30th minute, as Whorton left his net can came out to 15 yards on the right to challenge as a ball crossed for a lone Duluth attacker; Will poked it away, then retreated back to his line as the defense recovered and Gulia forced a high shot by the Wildcats.
Jeff Scannella drove to the end line, and took a shot on goal that was saved, but bounded out to Jeremy Stille at 15 yards, whose shot came so close…but became the first of numerous shots off the crossbar this night. The Wildcats fouled Scannella two minutes later as he controlled at 30 yards, but a 2 man wall blocked Sam Bevan’s free kick shot. For great style and heads up play, Stephen Glover’s steal near midfield was a snapshot of beautiful play, but the long pass back in for Scannella was nabbed by the keeper coming out before an attack could form.
The Titans earned a corner kick left with two minutes remaining in the half, and McCollum’s header just yards from the near post was cleared by Duluth for a second corner kick. And in the last seconds, a foul to Glover at 20 yards on the right led to Scannella driving the free kick off the crossbar.
Duluth picked up its first yellow card as the second half opened, by tripping Scannella from behind as he advanced along the left touch line one on one. The free kick crossed to Mehrjerdian at 8 yards on the right, but his shot was easily managed by the Wildcat keeper. Scannella drove in on the left at 43 minutes, turned in toward the goal, and shot across, but the keeper went high and yanked it in. As Duluth tried the same thing on their run down the field two minutes later, Tanner Chamblin completely shut down the attack, ignoring the multiple feints and denying the attacker to turn in toward the goal. At 47 minutes, Mehrjerdian was called for a foul on one of a few Duluth “academy award moments” that the official admired a bit too much, but no result came from the free kick.
At 50 minutes, Jacob Lee provided a great pass to Stille, whose shot from 22 yards on the right was just nabbed by the keeper at the far post. Northview kept up the pace, and at 52 minutes, AJ Johnson took in a lead pass at 40 yards near the left touch line, beat his man, came to 15 yards and turned in as the keeper moved out toward him. AJ’s shot beat the keeper for a Titan GOAL, cutting the lead to 1 – 2.
Two minutes later, Whorton kept the Titans close, when he rushed out on a Duluth throw in from 20 yards, to punch the ball clear of a swarm. Then foul calls started to go against the Titans, first at midfield as the trailing official signaled from across the pitch, on a play not five yards from the other official; then a weak tripping call was whistled against McCollum 35 yards from the Titan goal. This one was costly, as the free kick ripped to the left, and Whorton got a hand on it, but it made the goal, for a 3 – 1 Duluth lead.
At 60 minutes, Jacob Lee was called for a foul on a trip, and shown a red card. When play resumed after much discussion among the officials and the Titan coach, Duluth earned a yellow card on a push at midfield. A minute later, the Titans got another free kick at 30 yards, the shot passed a 4 man wall and the Duluth keeper dove to block the ball out, for a corner kick.
Chamblin next made a fine recovery after a Duluth attacker got free on the right sided. With a 2 on 1, Chamblin shut down the attacker at 10 yards, when no pass was made to an open Wildcat in the center of the field. Then at 63 minutes, after a Duluth free kick from 20 yards was blocked by a Titan wall, an ensuing corner kick came in, was shoved back out to the right side, then crossed in at 4 yards to an open Wildcat, whose easy tap in opened the scoring gap to 1 – 4.
The Titans kept forming for attacks, and at 68 minutes, Jeff Scannella took a ball at 40 yards on the right, headed toward goal, and was slammed from behind, with the Wildcat collecting only a yellow card for the vicious blindside hit. Bevan’s free kick was saved by the Duluth keeper. With 8 minutes remaining and the Titans trying to push upfield, a Wildcat attacker gained control and was able to maneuver past two defenders in an open field, then tapped it past Whorton who came down to cut down the angle, and Duluth made it a 5 -1 final score in its favor.
