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Norwalk Boys' Soccer Team Scores Goal Off a
Corner Kick to Even Score With Greenwich High 1-1, Both Teams 3-0-2 on
Season. The number 1 was
the theme of the evening Monday when the Norwalk High School boys' soccer
team took on its Greenwich counterpart at Sam Testa Field.
In a game where each team made one key
mistake that changed the outcome, Norwalk was able to use its "No. 1" corner
kick and force a 1-1 tie.
In a driving rain that completely soaked
the turf, the Cardinals had the better play throughout the first half and
some of the second but weren't able to break the gritty defense of the
Bears. The tie took both teams' records to 3-0-2 on the season.
"Tying Greenwich was nice," said Norwalk
head coach Kurt Simonsen. "They are a great team and one of the best in the
league. They have a terrific midfield. To come back and play strong in the
second half defensively and to earn good opportunities for the most part,
the kids did a really good job and showed a lot of guts tonight."
The Cardinals took an early 1-0 lead. With
17 minutes, 34 seconds to play in the first half, Anthony Bowers was given
an indirect kick and blasted it toward the net. The ball landed on the foot
of Norwalk defender Dan Pratt and was accidentally redirected past goalie
Mike Surace and into the Bears' own net.
"They got that one goal off a miscue
because of the bad weather, and we didn't want anything else to happen,"
said fellow defender Matt Mitchell. "I told Dan, 'Don't worry about it.' It
wasn't his fault. On a dry day that doesn't happen. We get a point for the
tie tonight, and that's all that matters."
"It was a great free kick that came in and
basically [Norwalk] didn't get anybody to the end of it," said Greenwich
head coach Kurt Putnam. "We put the pressure on, and that guy from Norwalk
tried to clear it and he just sliced it, and the ball went into the corner
of the net."
Greenwich started the second half the same
way as the first, by pressuring the Norwalk defense. With 32:44 to play in
the game, Greenwich's Bryan Pino drilled a shot from the corner that sailed
through the goalie box. About eight minutes later the Cardinals had another
chance, as Gedward Alba took the ball downfield and was ready to fire a shot
on the net, but Pratt was there to make the sliding deflection.
Norwalk then began to strike back. Anthony
Fraioli got the ball from the midfield and bolted downfield for the
breakaway. On the shot, however, Greenwich goalie Kevin Donahue got a hand
on the ball and Norwalk was awarded a corner kick.
With 21:13 remaining in the game, Fraioli
called for the No. 1 kick, which is a line drive on the ground instead of
the high, arching kick that is used to allow the ball to be redirected off a
player's head. Amid the ensuing confusion, the ball went off Donahue's legs
and was redirected into the net for the equalizer.
"I called that play, and that's when I
drove it in and it just caused chaos in there," said Fraioli. "It went off
the goalie's legs and went in. It was a nice way to get a goal. We were
trying pressuring and everything to get the ball in the net. It came at a
perfect time."
"That's a play we run and actually practice
quite often," said Simonsen. "Part of it is for all the confusion and
commotion up front. I think Anthony made a good call. It was a very wet
surface, and the ball's going to skip. It was a good call."
The Bears' corner-kick goal was especially
deflating for the Cardinals. Not only did it tie the game, but it was also
the first goal given up by Greenwich this season.
"We gave up a goal for the first time in
380 minutes, and it was such a sloppy way to give up a goal," said Putnam.
"I told the team that I thought we did more than enough to come out with a
win, but I did feel like we got robbed a bit. The boys are a little down
right now because they thought they were going to come out with a win."
With the game tied, each team had a solid
opportunity to find the back of the net once more. With 15:59 left to play,
Greenwich's Hassan Munive sprinted down the field and was preparing for a
shot on goal from about 10 yards out, but Mitchell was there to make a
sliding deflection and Munive was unable to get off a shot.
With 12:39 remaining, Mitchell was at it
again, with a direct kick from about 35 yards out. He lofted the ball into
the air, and Fraioli went up for the header, but the ball sailed over the
crossbar.
"Apart from when Norwalk got their goal,
there was really only one team out there, to be honest," said Putnam.
"Norwalk got completely out-played, out-hustled and out-worked. At halftime
I thought we were good with the lead; however, you can't come onto this
field with a 1-0 lead and think that you can hold them. We went out in the
second half, and Norwalk started getting a little more into it."
Although the Bears couldn't do more than
force a tie, Simonsen was pleased with his team's effort. "It's a point, and
it's only going to count if it gets you to the playoffs at the end of the
year," he said. "We're not scared to lose a game. The kids come out and try
to win, and in order to win, you can't fear losing."
Today at 3:45 p.m., NHS will be back in
action when they battle Trinity Catholic. |