The stage was set. A big crowd of supporters from both Portledge and SSDS jammed the sidelines of Sawyer field and there was a great sense of anticipation that this was the first step on a march to Portledge's first IPPSAL championship in 5 years. It was not to be though, as the upset minded Lions of Solomon Schechter prevailed on this perfect day for "football".
How Did the Game Unfold?
The game began with SSDS carrying the play through extended possession. The Lions midfield worked the "rock" around with crisp short passing and confidence. For their part, the Portledge Panthers seemed a bit tentative and did not really challenge or pressure the Lions possession in the early going. It was Portledge though, that had the best early chance. Junior Trevor Wolfson, a key to the Panther attack throughout the season, broke loose at the top of the box and sent a hard shot towards the Schechter net. Wolfson's effort passed the goalie, but struck the post solidly before bouncing harmlessly to the corner. The rest of the half was dominated by fine defensive play from both sides and the halftime score was nil/nil.
The second half opened promisingly for Portledge as Senior captain Ray Weinmann sent a quickly played free kick forward in the direction of Freshman striker Chris McCloskey. McCloskey skilfully chipped the ball over the Schechter keeper's head and into the yearning Lion's goal. Now that the Panthers had the lead, it looked as if a date in the championship game was set. This, however, was not to be, as the Lions of Solomon Schechter had other ideas. Mid way through the half SSDS evened the score at 1 when one of the Lions headed in a perfect corner kick to the back post. Portledge seeemed to lose their composure a bit in the following minutes and before too long SSDS added another tally to take a 2-1 lead. This one came from a scramble in the home side area during which the Portledge defense was momentarily confused. All of a sudden the unthinkable was happening, as Portledge trailed 2-1 with time dwindling down. The Panthers threw everyone forward to try and get the equalizer, but the SSDS defense was very solid on this day. When the final whistle sounded the Portledge players were stunned, but to their credit they held their heads high, congratulated the winning side and thanked their loyal fans for all the support throughout the season. Thus, although the scoreboard said they did not win, in my mind the Portledge players were victors. The boys had a great season and displayed some excellent sportsmanship at a very difficult time. Great thanks go out to the seniors on this team. You provided fantastic leadership and helped elevate the entire Portledge soccer program. Also, congratulations to all the underclassmen on a great season, and get ready to work hard next year to get yourselves another shot at "football" glory.
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3 comments:
Who donated the score board?
who donated the score board?
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