Storm Fail to Hold onto Lead, Lose 3-1

Sunday April 10, 2010.  Schenley Oval.  On the first hot afternoon of the year, the Dynamo Storm got an early lead but faded in the final minutes and fell to the Vandalians, 3-1.

It was about as early and early leads get.  Tamir Frank made a hustle play on the Vandalian’s back pass on the kick off.  He challenged the ball and it was dropped from midfield to the defensive line.  Tamir ran after the ball again and the defender, just starting to get ready to play the game, made a bad touch that put ball in front of the goal.  Tamir hustled again, got a strike on the ball, and off the goalie’s hand and into the net it went.  Not thirty seconds had gone by and the Storm had a 1-0 lead.

The wind was a factor.  A strong, steady breeze blew in from the ice rink end of the field.  The storm played against the wind in the first half and had a difficult time advancing the ball past midfield.  Most of the half was a like a siege, with the Vandalians pressing but the Storm refusing to let a goal.  The D did not allow a high quality shot.  The half ended with the Storm up 1-0.

The wind helped a little bit in the second half, but the Storm seemed to tire while the Vandalians, if anything, played with more intensity.   The Storm defense held and the offense managed a few quality chances to score.   The Vandalian goalie slapped what would have been a 2-0 ball from David when it was at least half way across the goal line.  But it was not to be for the Storm.  With twenty minutes left in the match the Vandalians got the equalizing goal.  A few minutes later they scored a second and then a third goal.

Said coach Phil, “Physical conditioning is key.   And I’ll take a lot of the blame for playing that darned PISA game in the morning.   I thought our boys played well as a team.   Some of the stitching of passes up the field is getting quick and clever.  And I want to give the defense credit for holding the Vandalians goal-less for the first forty minutes.   The Vandalians stacked their offense so that was a strong accomplishment.    But we have a big game this Sunday.  Our opponent is undefeated and if we can win that game, we’ll have a least a share of first place in the division.   Our attention needs to turn to that.”