3/10/02

Weather: temperature around 65, north winds 5-10 mph, partly cloudy.

LAprepSoccer.com rebounded in convincing fashion with a 7-1 drubbing of Current Malaise.  LAprepSoccer won the coin toss and defended the side with the wind.  They controlled the first ten minutes of the game, and Current Malaise rarely had possession for more than one pass as it remained on the CM side of the field.

In the 10th minute, Andrew Crawford sent a corner kick into the prime scoring area where Mickey Kleinhenz headed it down pass the goalie.  After not scoring on any corner kicks last season, LAprepSoccer.com already has two goals off corners at this early point in the season.

LAprepSoccer.com quickly responded in the 11th minute when Kevin Truxillo sent a perfect ball to a sprinting Andrew.  Andrew dove in with a sliding shot and sent it past the CM keeper.

The scoring barrage continued in the 18th minute when Charles Sutcliffe sent a cross in that the CM keeper batted up.  Mike Murphy was there to tap it in on the second bounce.   LAprepSoccer.com clearly was dominant with an early 3-0 lead.

Though the pace remained in favor of LAprepSoccer.com, no goals were scored for the remainder of the half.  LAprepSoccer was, nonetheless, content to go into half with a 3-0 lead.

Current Malaise kicked off the second half, but LAprepSoccer.com quickly intercepted a pass.  LAprepSoccer.com started a beautiful string of passes.  Kevin Truxillo sent a great ball to Zach, who sent another great ball to Benji.  Benji drilled it in at the 41st minute mark for a 4-0 lead.

LAprepSoccer.com did not let the ball cross the midline but a few times.  In the 51st minute, Zach Kinler shot a ball that hit off a CM defender.  Kevin T. was there and sent a very hard volley into the back of the net for a 5-0 lead.

Kevin Truxillo continued his great game by serving a perfect corner kick to Benji Walton.  It was Benji's second goal of the game.  Five minutes later in the 76th minute, Maurice controlled a loose ball about 30 yards out.  He quickly sent a shot that passed through the outstretched arms of the CM keeper.  The ball then bounced off the crossbar and went in.

Up 7-0, LAprepSoccer's defense went up to play offense as the offense likewise played defense.  Perhaps it wasn't a great coaching decision as it led to a Current Malaise penalty kick when Mike M. fouled a CM player in the box.  Michael El Koubi had no chance at the shot and his shutout was erased.  The game ended five minutes after the penalty kick.

LAprepSoccer.com will return to action as the play reigning state champion, Fahrenheit at 1 pm, March 17 at Burbank field 8.

Thanks to all our soccer moms for coming to the game.  Angela continues to be the lucky charm -- the team is 7-0-0 when she attends and 0-2-1 when she is not there.  Kina did a great job, too, and Laura and Emily returned to LSU early just to see LAprepSoccer.com.
 
 
 

3/3/02

Weather: temperature around 33, north winds 15 mph with gusts to 25 mph, cloudy with snow flurries early.

One of the worst days weather wise of the year set the stage for the first game of the Spring season for LAprepSoccer.com.  The frigid weather may have played a part in only eleven players showing up for the game.  Outnumbered and playing against the wind, LAprepSoccer.com started the first half.

The first five minutes was controlled by LAprepSoccer.com with crisp and accurate passing.  Warriors soon figured out that with the wind at their backs, they could send long balls through easily.  For the rest of the half LAprepSoccer.com was reeling, trying to get out of the half without being down.  The Warriors pressured the goal several times with serious threats.  Mickey Kleinhenz and Freeman Tabony were able to track down the Warriors players with their surpassing speed to prevent any goals for the first twenty minutes.

In the 23rd minute, the Warriors played a great through ball to one of two open players who was able to finish the ball with ease past the diving Michael El Koubi.  Surprisingly, LAprepSoccer.com came out after that goal with a lot of fire.  Nice passing set up a clear run for Mickey.  Mickey sent a great cross to the penalty box.  There, one LAprepSoccer.com player drilled it off the post.  Fortunately, Charles Sutcliffe was there to dink it off the far post for the tying goal.

The Warriors attack continued.  El Koubi kept the team in the game by making two diving saves on one-on-one breakaways.  However, the relentless attack yielded a goal finally on another breakaway.  The goal was a back-breaker, as there were only three minutes remaining in the half.  The game went to halftime with Warriors leading 2-1.

LAprepSoccer.com, accustom to halftime deficits of one goal, started the second half with much confidence.  The pace of the game settled into their likings, and it seemed as though LAprepSoccer.com would pull off another comeback.

In the 48th minute, the Warriors were called for a foul about 25 yards outside their goal.  Andrew Crawford and Kevin Truxillo set up the apparent cross by passing it off to each other.  Kevin took the ball, and then sent a curving ball into the box.  The ball kept curving and sailed over the keeper's head.  It was a beautifully placed ball.  The linesman raised his flag, signaling an offside call, but the head referee overruled his call because no other player was in position to play the ball.

Tied at 2 and with total control of the game, thanks in large part to the strong wind at its back, LAprepSoccer.com seized control of the game's momentum.   But thanks to several defensive breakdowns, the Warriors were able to capitalize on rare breakaways.  In the 62nd minute, a Warriors player beat an LAprepSoccer.com player down the right line.  Koubi came out to get the ball, but the Warrior sent in a gentle cross to a wide-open player who easily headed it in.

LAprepSoccer.com, down by one again, had lost control of the game.  They still held the ball the majority of the time, but without the lead, passing was not as fluid.  In the 70th minute, the Warriors got a corner kick.  The perfectly placed ball was met by the foot of a Warrior who sent a hard volley into the goal.  There was no way anyone could have saved that goal.

In the 83rd minute, LAprepSoccer.com made a surge when Mike Murphy trapped a ball off a corner kick and fired it in the center of the goal.  Kevin T. did a great job of positioning his specimen of a body to prevent their defensive player from clearing it.

LAprepSoccer.com applied tremendous pressure the rest of the game, resulting in several easy opportunities.  Unfortunately, though, LAprepSoccer.com was unable to finish any of them.  LAprepSoccer.com dropped its first game of the Spring season, and second game overall.  They return to action to play Current Malaise, whom they have defeated twice already.
 
 

Weather: temperature around 70, east winds 5-10 mph, mostly cloudy.

The big game finally came around after LSU's huge win over Auburn to clinch the SEC West the night before. Win and LAprepSoccer.com would be the Fall champions. Lose and we would be nothing.

LAprepSoccer came out from the start slowly. The Storm appeared to dominate the opening moments as they kept the ball on our side of the field. There were a few chances, but the defense anchored by Mickey Kleinhenz, Freeman Tabony, Bryan Fillette, and Maurice Rougette at midfield kept most opportunities from becoming goals.
In the 24th minute, Mickey sent a free kick from midfield into the box. The perfect ball was right to Charles Sutcliffe. Charles dribbled once, then curved the ball in for his second goal of the year. It was Mickey's third assist.

LAprepSoccer was energized from that goal and played well for the next ten minutes. Ten minutes before the half ended, however, the team slacked up. One Storm player had a one-on-one with Michael El Koubi. El Koubi stood his ground and saved the shot from only ten yards out. That save was huge. Unfortunately, LAprepSoccer continued to play poorly. On a free ball, the Storm made a run and burned Scott Crawford to get an easy goal.

The half ended with a tie score at 1.  LAprepSoccer got fired up at halftime. We knew we could and should win this game.

From the kickoff, LAprepSoccer played well. The passing was fairly good. In the 55th minute, Andrew Crawford took a swing pass down the left line. He beat his man and sent in a cross to Tim Bain. Tim easily guided the ball in the net for his fourth goal. Andrew had his team leading seventh assist.

LAprepSoccer would not back down. It was our game, and we kept the ball on their side for the next ten minutes. The persistent pressure payed off in the 68th minute when Bryan sent a beautiful cross to Mike Murphy. Mike finished with a nice shot for his team leading seventh goal of the season. It was Bryan's first assist.

Up 3-1, complacency replaced urgency for LAprepSoccer in the next few minutes. On an extremely questionable call, Bryan was called for a foul about 25 yards outside our goal. The Storm player was able to launch a ball over Koubi's head to make the score 3-2.

Still, LAprepSoccer played down to the competition. Just five minutes later, the Storm took a through ball and put a nice goal in through the diving arms of Koubi.

LAprepSoccer then felt the urgency. For the first time since the first half, the game was in question. Giving up two back-to-back goals made it obvious that the Storm had all the momentum. Just when it looked like LAprepSoccer would tie, or even lose, the team came together. Ben Siddoway was the team's catalyst, and like Mickey, hustled all over the field.

With ten minutes remaining in the game, LAprepSoccer regrouped and played with lots of heart. The ball rarely if ever crossed our halfway mark. With only two minutes remaining. Tim took a pass and dribbled around in the box. He faked out two defenders until he had an open shot on goal. He blasted the shot, but it ricocheted off the Storm's keeper. Fortunately, Mike Murphy was there to score the biggest goal of the season. Mike nearly ripped the shell off the ball's bladder as he scored his eight goal of the year. Tim, just registering his second assist of the game, was right there to congratulate Mike.

This game was extremely exciting and came down to the last few minutes. It was a great way to finish the Fall season. Standing at 6-1-1 and in first place, LAprepSoccer takes the winter off and prepares for the Spring season. Have a great break and see you next month!

11/18/01

Weather: Partly cloudy, about 75 degrees, moderate humidity, variable winds under 5 mph.

The team once again had trouble getting people to show up, and by game time, we only had nine players.  Fortunately, the other team played a man down with only ten.  The first few minutes were controlled by neither team.  Not much happened, though Millenium had several opportunities.  One shot they had was saved as Michael El Koubi dove and caught the ball.

In the 12th minute, Mickey Kleinhenz crossed a ball from the left corner and Mike Murphy finished it.  It was Mickey's second assist and Mike's fourth goal.  Millenium would responed seven minutes later in the 19th minute as one of their players stole the ball, dribbled through two players and snuck it past Koubi.  Tied one-to-one, Andrew Crawford gave a nice pass to Mike Murphy who skimmed his firm shot under the crossbar to make it 2-1.  It was Andrew's fourth assist and Mike's fifth goal.  LAprepSoccer had several other nice opportunities, but as usual, failed to convert.

With the score at 2-1 at halftime, LAprepSoccer came together and was determined to have a better showing in the second half.  They were successful as the second half was completely dominated by LAprepSoccer as usual.

In the 48th minute, Mike Murphy took a pass from Ben Siddoway and finished it giving him his second hat trick in only 3 games at forward.  It was Mike's six goal of the year and Ben's first assist.  The scoring continued.

In the 53rd minute, Andrew passed got a loose ball in the box and tapped it over to Tim Bain.  Tim barely touched it, but got enough of the ball to score.  It was Andrew's fifth assist and Tim's third goal of the year.  LAprepSoccer's defense played pretty well, especially considering it was playing with only three back.

LAprepSoccer kept the pressure on, and in the 60th minute, Mike Murphy shot another hard shot that was surely going in.  A Millenium player, however, threw his hands up and stopped it.  LAprepSoccer was awarded a penalty kick, and goal keeper Koubi came up to take it.  He fired a swerving shot on the ground that just barely got in the left post.  It was a perfectly placed shot and few keepers in the world could have stopped it.  LAprepSoccer now led 5-1, and if it were not for an offside call, Zach Kinler would have scored his sixth goal of the year.

Zach would get his sixth goal a few minutes later in the 70th minute as Andrew gave a nice cross to him.  Zach dribbled around a guy and fired one of his famous rockets.  Zach, who lost the lead in most goals scored on the team, tied Mike M. with six on that one.  Andrew got his team leading sixth assist.

The rest of the game was dominated by LAprepSoccer.  A few more goals could have been scored, but were not.  LAprepSoccer returns to action on December 2 at 3:00 after a week off.  They will play the Storm for the Fall title.  If LAprepSoccer wins, LAprepSoccer will be the #1 team in Division II.  If we lose, we may fall back to #3.  So let's all be there in two Sundays as it will essentially be our championship game for the Fall, and have major implications in the Spring playoffs.

11/11/01

Weather: Mostly cloudy, around 80 degrees, humid, east wind around 5-8 mph.

Even though this was the biggest game of the year to date, only eleven players showed up.  Even without substitutes, LAprepSoccer played its most complete game of the year.  Soccer mom Angela Davis missed her second game of the year due to prior engagements.  In her two absenses, the team is 0-1-1, but with her there, the team is 4-0-0.  The other two soccer moms, Laura Norman and Kina Bain, did well at this game.  The team got a special treat from Benji's aunt as she brought everyone Gatorade power bars before the game to give us that extra energy.  Thanks!

LAprepSoccer started the game slowly as the team tried to feel its way against the Storm.  No real threats were made in the first 15 or so minutes, but LAprepSoccer did have the ball on the Storm's side of the field for the majority of the time.  The only dangerous plays during that span were on their throw-ins.  This remained as their only threat throughout the game.  In the 22nd minute of play, the Storm threw the ball in from about 20 yards from the box.  The ball bounced dangerously in the box, and skimmed off Mickey Kleinhenz and somehow managed to get in the goal.  The freak goal was not even a shot on goal.

LAprepSoccer responded wonderfully.  On a series of crisp passes following the kick-off, Scott Crawford took a give-and-go from Mickey, and gave an switch in the air to a streaking Andrew Crawford.  Andrew took control of the pass, dribbled once, and sent a swerving shot to the far post.  This Crawford-Crawford connection was the first of the season, as well as Andrew's second goal and Scott's first assist.

The remainder of the half was controlled by LAprepSoccer on the Storm side of the field.  LAprepSoccer had several nice opportunities, but the Storm keeper denied each chance.  LAprepSoccer went into halftime tied at 1 even though the Storm had zero shots on goal.

The second half looked to be going well for LAprepSoccer, but in the 44th minute, a Storm player took a ball from about 25 yards and shot a nice, well placed ball to the near post.  Despite being down 2-1, LAprepSoccer kept up the hard work and did not abandon the passing game.  There were many chances, and Mike Murphy almost backheeled a goal, but his shot careened off the post.

The consistent passing and solid defense paid off in the 61st minute.  Maurice Rougette stole the ball, dribbled to the corner of the field, and sent a very long pass to Tim Bain.  The keeper came out, but Tim remained calm and volleyed the ball in the goal with a nice tap of the foot.  It was Tim's second goal of the year and Maurice's team leading third assist of the year (tied with Andrew's three assists).

The rest of the game was dominated by LAprepSoccer.  The Storm had no real threats as the defense led by Freeman Tabony, Bryan Fillette, Scott, and Mickey were like a wall.  The defense was helped in large part because the midfield controlled the tempo of the game, and played great defense, coming back to help.  Charles Sutcliffe, Maurice, Tim, and Andrew played incredible ball running back and forth, controlling the midfield.  Mike Murphy and Benji Walton hustled and played tough all game, creating many chances that would not have been chances had they been complacent.  Michael El Koubi played heroically in goal, stopping every Storm opportunity except one.

LAprepSoccer returns to action next Sunday at 1 pm at Burbank field #11 against the Millenium.  LAprepSoccer defeated Millenium 5-2 on 10/7/01.

11/4/01

Weather: Sunny, 75 degrees, northeast winds at 10-15 mph, low humidity.

LAprepSoccer continues to improve as they beat a decent Goblin Boots team 6-3.  LAprepSoccer started the game missing many players.  At gametime, there were only 9 players on the field.  Eventually, four more players showed up.  Had just one or two more players been missing at game time, LAprepSoccer would have had to forfeit and pay a $100 fee.  Keep that in mind next time.

Despite being down two men, LAprepSoccer came out on fire.  They charged immediately at the Goblin Boots' goalie, but as usual, the shots did not fall.  Finally two more players showed up and LAprepSoccer was at full strength.  LAprepSoccer kept the pressure on as well as the ball on the opponent side of the field.  Eventually, that pressure would pay of with a goal in the 17th minute.  Zach Kinler received a nice pass and layed it back to Mike Sanders who fired a great, swerving shot that knicked the upper-left post to beat a diving goal keeper.  It was Zach's second assist and Mike S.'s fourth goal.

LAprepSoccer preserved that lead and continued to dominate the game, but in the 34th minute, Goblin Boots got a break-away on a drop kick by the goalie that was aided by the strong wind.  The ball ended up all the way at LAprepSoccer's box.  A Goblin Boots player then headed the ball over a mispositioned keeper.

With the score tied at one, Goblin Boots would then play a long ball (that was their only weapon).  One opponent took it and scored, giving Goblin Boots the 2-1 lead with just two minutes remaining in the first half.

The half ended at 2-1. LAprepSoccer regrouped on the sideline. Scott Crawford made a great coaching decision when he decided to start Mike Murphy at forward.  LAprepSoccer burst out of halftime with the wind at its back and a lot of confidence knowing that the team had come back from two halftime deficits already.

In the 50th minute, Andrew Crawford gave a nice through ball to Mike M. Mike dribbled through the defense and then put in a nice shot that just cleared the inside of the far post and went out the side netting to tie the game at two.  It was Andrew's team- leading third assist, and Mike Murphy's first goal.

Just minutes later, Bryan Fillette received a great pass from Maurice Rougette.  Bryan dribbled down the left side until he had an open shot and then cranked a left-footed shot to the far post.  It was Bryan's first goal of the year and Maurice's second assist.

Up 3-2, LAprepSoccer would not relent. Mike Murphy would score again for his second goal of the game (not sure what happened).

LAprepSoccer led 4-2, but Goblin Boots would respond with a freak goal. One player sneaked past the LAprepSoccer defense. He then shot the ball before Scott could get there. Scott got a piece of it, but just enough to make it look like a good shot.

LAprepSoccer now only had a one goal lead even though they dominated the entire game and allowed just three shots on goal.  With such a small lead, the offensive stepped up.  Mike M. would score his final goal to give him a hat trick.  It was just the second hat trick of the season for LAprepSoccer as Zach had the other one.

Benji Walton put in the final goal to make the score 6-3.  He stole the ball about 30 yards out.  Instead of shooting right away while the goalie was out of the goal, he gave the goalie time to recover to be a good sportsman.  Then, however, he fired a swerving shot that went in past the hands of the outstreched keeper.  It was Benji's second goal of the year, both goals being very nice unassisted efforts.

The game was well played by LAprepSoccer.  Nevertheless, there are many areas that need improvement.  In the coming game, LAprepSoccer will need to make these adjustments as they face off against the division leading Storm who have only allowed two goals.  Game time is 11 AM at Burbank field #11.  Everyone needs to be there on time.

10/28/01

Weather:  Clear, dry, temps in the low 60's, Northeast wind 10-12 mph.

In a rematch of the first game of the season, LAprepSoccer.com demonstrated what it is capable of doing.  LAprepSoccer started the game poorly as usual.  The first five minutes were kick ball, and Current Malaise had several long ball opportunities that were snuffed out by the defense.  After the game opening jitters, the team started clicking.

LAprepSoccer.com went on the board first when  Charles Sutcliffe received a pass from Andrew Crawford and  rocketed it from about 30 yards out that swerved inside the lower right post.  LAprepSoccer has had many great goals this year, and this goal is another.   Up 1-0, LAprepSoccer kept the pressure on.  A few minutes later, Maurice Rougette gave a pretty pass to a wide open Mike Sanders.  Mike knocked it in easily.  LAprepSoccer would get one more goal before halftime as Andrew got a through ball, slipped past a defender and the goalie, and crossed it in for the goal.  A defender got a head on it and actually put the ball in the goal forcefully, but the ball had crossed the plane before that contact.  Andrew and Charles' goals were their first on the year.

The first half continued to go in LAprepSoccer's favor.  Mike Murphy and Kevin Truxillo each nearly scored.  The midfield with Tim Bain, Charles, Benji Walton, Ben Siddoway, Andrew, and Maurice kept the ball on Current Malaise's side of the field for nearly the entire half.  What few balls that did sneak by were stolen by the solid defense.

The second half started with LAprepSoccer leading 3-0.  Even with the lead, LAprepSoccer continued to hustle.  Zach Kinler applied pressure to an opponent defender, stole it, and was left with an easy goal to make it 4-0.  It was Zach's team leading fifth goal of the season which is only 4 games completed so far.  That shows you what some hustle on the offensive side of the field will do.  LAprepSoccer did not relent with a 4-0 lead, though.  Try after try went unsuccessful.  Finishing has been a problem for the team so far, but fortunately in this game, it had little effect.

Current Malaise got a fastbreak ball and was taken down in the box.  A penalty kick was awarded.  Mike Murphy was in goal, and guessed the right way as he made a beautiful save to preserve the shutout, the first of the season for LAprepSoccer.

The last goal for LAprepSoccerwas a result of a penalty kick.  Tim Bain took a nice pass in the box and had a one-on-one with the goalie.  A defender came from behind and brutally took out his ankles.  Tim was taken off the field, but is doing okay.  Mike Sanders took the penalty kick and nailed it in for his second goal of the game.  As usual, the defense was solid.  Freeman Tabony, Scott Crawford, Mickey Kleinhenz, Mike Murphy, Michael El Koubi, and Bryan Fillette all played well in helping get the first shut out of the season.

10/21/01

Weather: Partly to mostly cloudy with moderate to high humidity and temperature around 80.

This was one game where LAprepSoccer.com dug itself in a hole that it could never get out of it. LAprepSoccer was missing several key players (Ben and Mike M.) for this game, but still came out pretty strong.

The first ten minutes was controlled primarily by LAprepSoccer, but the Snipers got a through ball that sneaked past a defender. The Sniper made a good run and put a shot past Mikey into the right corner.  The game got sloppy after that as LAprepSoccer got out of a passing mode. Both teams controlled the ball evenly. LAprepSoccer had more control on the Sniper side of the field, but the Snipers made better runs and through balls. In the 25th minute, LAprepSoccer was called for a foul in the box. The Snipers converted for an easy 2-0 lead that they took into halftime.

The second half, as past second halves, was dominated by LAprepSoccer. From the very beginning, LAprepSoccer pressured and got deep into Sniper territory, only to be denied a goal.  On just the second time that the Snipers crossed the halfway line in the second half, they scored to put them up 3-0 with about 30 minutes to play.
Bryan Fillette came up about two minutes after that and was fouled inside the box. Scott Crawford knocked in the penalty kick for LAprepSoccer's first goal.

Down  3-1 with about twenty minutes remaining, Mike Sanders sent a cross to Zach Kinler who volleyed it into the goal for his fourth goal of the year.  With the gap closed to only one goal, LAprepSoccer had the momentum. But the Snipers would get the game clincher about five minutes later with ten remaining in the game. In a skirmish in the box, somehow one of their players was able to kick it and chipped it into the goal. It wasn't pretty, muchless planned, but it was all it took for LAprepSoccer to lose its first game.

LAprepSoccer showed heart in the waning minutes as Mike Scrossed it to Zach again. Zach one touched it back to Tim Bain who sent a swerving rocket from about 30 yards into the far upper 90. It was a pretty set up and goal, but just wouldn't be enough for a comeback.

LAprepSoccer learned a lot today. First, we can't let the other team score first on us. Second, we must take advantage of our opportunities. And finally, we must take control of the game with passing in the first half.

10/7/01

The game started off with beautiful weather, temps around 70, low humidity, no clouds in the sky, and a northerly breeze at 5-10 mph.  LAprepSoccer.com played very nice ball for the first five minutes, then hit a rut, and played down to Millenium.  Though LAprepSoccer.com had several easy shots on goal, the team failed to produce any goals for the first 15 minutes.  Around the 20th minute, Millenium took a long ball and followed it down to the goal.  Despite valiant efforts by Maurice Rougette to save the ball, Millenium got the shot off, but Bryan Fillette and Michael El Koubi each had saves before Millenium was able to get the first goal of the game.

In the 25th minute of play, Mickey Kleinhenz dribbled up around midfield and cross a beautiful ball to Zach Kinler.  Zach headed the ball down on the run, controlled it, took a touch, and fired it past the keeper to tie the score at 1-1.  The referee poorly called the next play as Zach had a one on one with the keeper.  He was fouled from behind, then literally attacked by a defender with his shoulders down running at him.  Somehow, the referee called the foul on LAprepSoccer.com and failed to give the attacking defender a yellow or red card.  Calls as such continued the rest of the game.

The score was tied at half time.  The second half started off great for LAprepSoccer.com.  The passing was crisp, the runs were excellent, and the overall play was nice.  Unfortunately, the team just couldn't find that back of the net though.  In the 50th minute, Millenium once again played a long ball which was misplayed and ended up going in.  Down 2-1, LAprepSoccer.com took control of the game.  Five minutes later, Andrew Crawford, who had a monster game at midfield and a few clutch saves at goalie, gave a through ball to Zach.  Zach snuck it past the keeper nearly grazing the left post.  Tied at 2, Zach got another goal to secure a hat trick on a loose ball in the box.  LAprepSoccer.com was up 3-2 and wouldn't let go of the lead from that point onward.

In the 70th minute, Mike Sanders faked a defender, the took a swerving shot.  The ball deflected off the cross bar, but Mickey was there to deflect it in.  The last goal came with ten minutes remaining when Benji Walton took a ball a midfield and with a few fancy moves got past three or four defenders before finishing it off with an excellent shot that went in the upper left 90.  Possibly, it was the team's best goal of the season.

Defender Freeman Tabony played great.  Other great defensive efforts came from Bryan Fillette, Mike Murphy, Mickey, Mike El Koubi, and Maurice Rougette.  Andrew Crawford, Charles Sutcliffe, and Ben Siddoway secured the midfield and kept possession of the ball most of the game.  Zach got the team's first hat trick.

9/23/01

Overcast skies and temps in the low 80's with high humidity greeted LAprepSoccer.com for its first game ever.  The team came out strong and clearly dominated the tempo of the game from kickoff.  The ball rarely got on our side of the field in the first twenty minutes of the first half.  The offense and midfield created many, many opportunities at goals, but no one could finish them.  In the next 20 minutes, Current Malaise had a few opportunities of getting the ball past midfield, but had no serious threats on goal.  In the 25th minute, a Current Malaise player was called for a hand ball in his box and a penalty kick was awarded.  Mike Sanders took it, but unfortunately, his shot skimmed just wide of the post.  Five minutes later, Bryan Fillette was called for a questionable foul in our box, and Current Malaise connected on the penalty kick to go up 1-0.  It was a surprise to be down after controling the game, but the team stuck together and kept playing pretty good soccer until halftime.

The team came out in the second half very fired up despite Tim Bain being hampered by a knee injury caused by an opponent's kick.  LAprepSoccer.com passed the ball around Current Malaise like a group of bullies playing keep away from a seven year old.  Finally, in the 59th minute, Tim took a great pass from someone, dribbled to near the box, and then passed it to his right to a wide open Mike Sanders who slammed it into the back of the goal.  Tie score.

LAprepSoccer.com's defense anchored by Bryan, Freeman Tabony, and Michael El Koubi did not allow the opponent to get a shot on goal for the entire game.  Maurice Rougette played goalie the majority of the time, but when he was on the field, he played solid defense making several nice runs down the side.  Kevin Truxillo and Benji Walton both played a solid mix of defense and midfield.

In the 68th minute of play, Ben Siddoway was given a nice ball from Zach Kinler or Andrew Crawford about 25 yards from goal.  Ben cocked his leg and shot off a great kick that deflected off a Current Malaise player and went in for the game winning goal.  The shot would have gone in either way, though.  About five minutes later, Kevin Truxillo was called for a foul, and when he tried to get up, the Current Malaise player started pushing him and apparently hitting him in the face.  Kevin put up his hands in self defense, but unfortunately, that was conceived by the official to be a belligerent act and was ejected.  The other player was also ejected.  Tim Bain came to break it up, and was pushed but the official.  Tim got a yellow card.  The play from that point out was rather sloppy, but the defense held together and preserved a game with zero shots on goal (except for the penalty kick).

LAprepSoccer.com returns to action after a week off on October 7 at 11:00 AM at Independence Field 8 against Millenium.

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