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Last updated
05-21-09 06:54 AM
 
Green Hope Falcons
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2500 Carpenter-Upchurch Road
Cary, North Carolina
27519
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Middle Creek Mustangs |
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Game Played 3/20/2009 5:00PM
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Falcons hang tough, hustle past Middle Creek, 2-1
This game was almost a disaster for us. In a competitive conference, you cannot afford to lose a game that you are controlling, and looking at the shot chart (Green Hope 26, Middle Creek 6), a loss or tie here would have stung after doing that much work to get chances. Middle Creek is a much better team than last season, and has some bite to their forwards. They almost made us pay for not finishing the game early.
In the first 10 minutes of the game, we were all over them. We got our first goal just about 8 minutes in, with Grace Hamashima making a run during a free kick, and almost scoring herself. She challenged the goalkeeper, and forced the ball loose, which was finished off by Reilly Brown. The goal exemplified our play in the first 10 minutes.
Then, we took our foot off the accelerator. We relaxed, thinking that this would now go easier. Middle Creek proved us wrong. They scored about halfway through the first half, and gained confidence with the goal. From that point on, we were in for a tight match, but couldn't get ourselves going like we should have. That, along with the pressure from Middle Creek, made a tense finish to the half.
For the most part, Shea Reynolds and Emily Dunn kept the backs organized well, and with only 3 shots against us each half, were able to keep most of the danger away from Morgan Burk. Overall the defense played a good game, though we did have some mental breakdowns. In the midfield, we needed to recover better, and while we were possessing well, we didn't go forward as quick and as creatively as we needed to. One thing the mids did do very well is keep the Middle Creek midfield from creating attack themselves.
Our forwards were getting chances, as our 26 shots indicate, but we need to create better quality chances, and need to finish more of them off. We also are not making all the correct runs in our corner kicks, something we need to do to take advantage of the fact that our kickers are getting it there.
In the second half, we were pounding the ball on goal, but just could not get it in. Reilly Brown was having calf cramps, but was able to stick on the field, though wincing the whole time. Maria Rodriguez was kicked in the knee and needed a sub, but aside from some adjustments right at the end of the game, we needed our starters to try to salvage a win for us. Finally, after some good hustle and effort, we caught a break. With 2 minutes left, Brown got a shot off that ended up at the feet of Emily Dunn, who hit a roller though a crowd and into the lower left side of the net.
This Middle Creek game has shown us that ANY team in the Tri-8 is dangerous, especially if you don't keep up a steady effort the whole game. We were fortunate, or maybe we just finally had all those chances pay off. Either way, this can be used as a lesson, and from talking to the ladies afterward, I think/hope it is lesson learned. We now turn our attention to a game that many of them were looking ahead to, Apex on Monday night. This is the game we have been waiting for, and I think we are going in ready if we can make some slight adjustments after this match. We shall see Monday night.
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