Game report: ACU vs. Hunter Tornadoes (October 30th)

Game 6170, away at Hunter Tornadoes

At the risk of giving away the ending, Technical Director Chuck Gesing would like me to note that ACU Maroon has now gone 210+ minutes without giving up a goal. In fact, the boys have played 280 minutes of regular season soccer with only one goal surrendered; like the 150-mnute shutout run during the Walsh tournament, this is certainly a record for the team.

ACU faced a new challenge in the Hunter away rematch: A team that was aggressively running an offside trap, and winning the desired offside calls from the ref. The boys felt the sting of the trap in the 2nd minute, when Mike P scored a goal that was nullified because of an offside call. Jimmy and Harry would also draw calls in the early going, and it seemed to take the team about 20 minutes to adjust, though Harry and Jimmy both made multiple runs culminating in legitimate shots on goal. Footing on the field was also difficult because of morning dew, which also made the ball slippery and its movement unpredictable. The team's real breakthrough came in the 22nd minute, when Mike P drove home a goal on an assist from Nate. Hunter got a shot on goal early (4') from a foul, with keeper Connor C making the save, and the Tornadoes would take four more shots in the half, with no result.

Second half action opened up with an early skirmish from Hunter, but it was ACU that found the back of the net once again (44'), this time on a pinball setup in the box that rewarded Nate for his persistence. There was probably an assist on this goal, but from the vantage point on the sideline, it looked like about five guys put a touch on the ball before it landed home. Brad took bracketing shots (43' and 45') before and after the main thrust of the attack. Jimmy G notched one more for the road (52') on an assist from Harry, and then the ACU scoring machine fell quiet, with only two more shots in the half. Hunter built up a steady cadence of shots in the half, taking six in all, but could not sneak around Maroon's defense. Final score Hunter 0:3 ACU.

Attacks and Shots
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Game report: Ukrainian National Karpaty (October 23rd)

Game 6166, home vs. Ukrainian National Karpaty

The rematch part of the season is in full swing, and after opening the season up at Karpaty, ACU welcomed the Ukies to Ardsley Park. Mike P got on the board quickly for Maroon with a goal (4') that was set up by a corner kick a minute prior. Jimmy G took the shot that forced a corner, then took the corner, and also got the assist on Mike's goal. The Ukies turned around and went upfield for two shots on goal (5' and 6'), but keeper Steven H was not seriously tested. Both teams fell silent for about ten minutes, and then Nate, Harry, and Jimmy steadily built up an attack that culminated in ACU's second goal (19'), booted home by Harry on another Jimmy assist. The Ukies regained their composure around the 25th minute, taking two shots and requiring Steven to make a save, but they were unable to score.

The second half was opened up with a shot (35') by Brad T, who would go on to take four shots in total during the half. Nick S joined in with two more shots of his own (39' and 62'). Meanwhile, Jimmy and Mike were kept busy with corner kicks - seven of them in total during the half, coming in clumps around the 42nd, 55th, and 61st minutes. The Ukies challenged Steven and the defense again with multiple shots around the 47th minute, which Steven ably answered with two saves. Karpaty got in three more shots, but it was AC United who had the last word, with Nate slamming home a third goal on a monster throw-in from Kyle. Final score ACU 3:0 Karpaty.

Attacks and Shots
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Mid-Season Review

This is a fun year. Six matches down, four to go, and AC United stands head and shoulders above the bracket, with an undefeated record and a +12 goal differential. A critical upcoming date will be November 6th, when the second-place Plymouth Fire come to Ardsley Park for a rematch. ACU stole the Fire's lunch money on September 19th, and as of today's standings, the Fire haven't lost another match since then. With the MUSC matches finished (1:2 and 3:0 wins for ACU), United will close out the season with rematches against the Ukies, Hunter Tornadoes, and Upper Dublin Black Knights. That, and maybe a little more tournament action.

A few notes:

Good to see Ricky back in action... that was a scary way to open a season. As the boys get bigger and older, the injuries are getting real.

Let's take a minute and give a big shout out to the mids and backs. It's the nature of game reporting that I am going to end up writing about the guys up front who score goals and make assists. Even so, every attack always begins with strong defense, superior ball handling, and constant pressure on the opponent. Our back lines have never been so fit, so aggressive, and so consistent in their performance. They're pretty sharp in transition, too. More hours in motion have helped: Running cross country seems to agree with Jake pretty well, while Nick S (and probably several other guys) might be doing about a hundred hours a week of soccer practice between ACU and school teams.

John very nearly scored the winning goal in OT in the tournament champs. Awesome.

Speaking of goals, Jimmy posted up five goals on the tournament, but Kyle scored four, and one of them on a sick stomach the first day. Jimmy would win the Golden Boot, so maybe there's a Golden Bucket for Kyle.

And since goals come from shots, and shots come from service, a couple more shout outs to Steven, Andy, Brad, Michael, and Nick P, who are the glue that holds together the offense. For all the attention that our big forwards will draw during matches, it's the 'regular size' guys who are delivering good service to the forwards and fighting for possession midfield.

This is a team that is firing on all cylinders. It's a real treat for us parents to see this whole Maroon machine come together on the field. Thanks again, and always, to Coach Price, Coach Galasso, and the new Technical Director in Charge of Shooting the #$%&! Ball, Chuck Gesing.

Game Report: Jack Walsh Tournament

GAME 1 (Cheltenham)

Over the years, the Maroon boys have struggled with early morning games. Blame it on late night partying, decaf coffee, or simple biology - teenage boys aren't meant to be awake at dawn on a Saturday. (Then again, the same has always been true of the other teams....)

Given the team's history of morning sluggishness, it was a relief to see ACU post up two goals in the first six minutes of the Jack Walsh Tournament. Facing off against a local squad from Cheltenham, the ailing Kyle M (stomach bug) came on the field, took care of business with a header into the net on a setup from Jimmy G on the left side (2'), and came out of the game soon after that. Jimmy started up his own personal tournament goal factory with a run from the top of the box (6'), assisted by Michael P. ACU dominated possession during the rest of the half, making 21 visits to the attacking third of the field, but took only two more shots (Jimmy G, 16', and Ricky C, 19'). United held Cheltenham to one corner kick and zero shots on goal in the half, leaving Connor C with a lot of free time in goal.

Cheltenham did some waking up of its own to start the second half, taking its first shot on goal in the 27th minute and forcing another corner kick two minutes later. ACU's defense withstood the early attack, helped by deft footwork and strong physical presence from John C. Maroon steadily put Cheltenham back on their heels, with Jimmy G, Ricky C, and Brad T all taking shots during the rest of the half. ACU capped the win with a penalty kick by Michael P in the 40th minute. Final score ACU 3:0 Cheltenham.


GAME 2 (HUNTER STRIKERS)

The second game on Saturday saw ACU match up against the Hunter Strikers, a U-13 elite team from Delco playing up in the U-14 bracket for this tournament. The Strikers brought a high-tempo playing style to the early minutes, drawing two corner kicks in the first two minutes and notching two shots on goal in the 6th minute. Age, guile, and brute force will usually prevail over youth and beauty, and the Maroon boys dug in for a long defensive fight. Jimmy G landed two shots on goal (6' and 11') early in the half, and finally broke through on a long unassisted run to the goal (21') off a beautiful service from Andy A. ACU yielded three other corner kicks in the half, but the defense and keeper Connor C held the Strikers at bay.

The balance of power continued to shift in favor of AC United with the second half, as Kyle M (27'), Nathan A (28'), and Jimmy G (29') launched attacks that all led to shots on goal. Hunter regained its footing briefly, and took their lone shot on goal for the second half (31'), before the game settled once again into a defensive struggle. Jimmy G (39') and Brad T (40') got in a few more licks later in the half, but there would be no more back-of-the-net joy for either team. Final score ACU 1:0 Hunter.


GAME 3 (CRUSA)

Another morning match, another surprisingly feisty performance from the Maroon men. Jimmy G lit up CRUSA for the first goal of the match (6') with an unassisted run straight up the center of the field. Kyle M found the back of the net just two minutes later on a Michael P assist. This CRUSA side, which ACU last faced in the 2008 ICSL regular season, had few answers for United, taking two shots on goal in the first half (10' and 20') and giving up a total of five corner kicks in the match. In the 'feisty' department, Nick P and Nick S rung up matching fouls for pushing in the opening minutes of the match, and Jacob R drew an offside call for having the nerve to make a run for the goal in the 13th minute. Nick P would go on to earn a yellow card (40') in the second half for his... enthusiastic defense. Both teams struggled throughout the match with slippery field conditions because of morning dew, as well as wicked sun glare behind the ACU goal in the first half.

Kyle M opened up the second half with a goal (27') that appeared to put the finishing touches on a third straight ACU shutout. Kyle would take a total of six shots in a match that turned into a shot-fest for ACU, with Andy A (3 shots), Connor C (2), John C (1), Nick P (1), and Brad T (1) all looking for net-swishing glory. However, in the final minutes of the match, CRUSA broke the ACU shutout spell with a goal (49') on a free kick from the top of the box. Until that point, ACU had played 149 minutes of shutout soccer in the tournament, which is surely a record for this team. Final score ACU 3:1 CRUSA.

We were in.


CHAMPIONSHIP (FOX CHASE)

The final match turned out to be a game to remember, in every sense of the phrase. Three things you don't see every day in U-14 soccer: Six yellow cards and an ejection. A coach ejected at halftime. And a golden goal in the last minute of overtime to put ACU over the top.

Fox Chase, like Hunter Strikers, is an elite U-13 team that played up for this tournament, and came out of the other half of the U-14 bracket to face ACU in the champs. Both teams opened the action with energy and focus. Kyle M launched two shots in the first two minutes of the match, and Fox Chase tested keeper Connor C early with their first shot in the 3rd minute. Moments later, Fox Chase drew first blood with a goal (4') on a corner kick. For the first time in the tournament, ACU would play from behind. It didn't take long for Maroon to answer. Jimmy G, eager to keep his name atop the Golden Boot standings for the tournament, parked a goal in the back of the net (8') on an assist from Nick S. The two sides then settled into a back-and-forth possession game, with Andy A (10'), Jimmy G (14' and 19'), and Nathan A (24') taking occasional pot shots at the goal. Jimmy G also opened the yellow card party with a warning in the 23rd minute, followed by a Fox Chase yellow in the 25th minute.

Tensions were running high both on and around the field. The ref had warned the parents at the beginning of the match that any inappropriate commentary would lead to him sending all spectators to the parking lot. ACU suffered a coach ejection at halftime for comments made from the sideline. Little did either side know that by the end of the match, the first half would look like a pleasant, low-key scrimmage when compared to the second half and overtime.

Fox Chase staged a repeat of the first half, winning a goal on a corner kick (33') to put them ahead once more. Remarkably, other than the set piece goal, Fox Chase would take only one more shot on goal in the half, a shot that was saved with some aggressive goalkeeping by Connor C. Fox Chase started surrendering corner kicks, yielding a total of five in the second half. Then, an unusual turn of events: Nathan A was ejected, and Fox Chase warned, for a scuffle near midfield in the 43rd minute. Kyle M scored on the restart of play to bring ACU back to level. But the Maroon men would now have to play a man down for the last 17 minutes of regulation.

Both teams scrapped for the ball. Fox Chase added two more yellow cards to its collection. Nick S drew a yellow card (55') for aggressive play in the right back corner, with Kyle M and Brad T drawing fouls for physical play in the next couple minutes. As the end of regulation neared, both teams made desperate attempts to sneak across the finish line, to no avail.

Tournament rules called for a 10-minute 'golden goal' overtime, to be followed by penalty kicks if there was no winning goal during the OT. Hunter went on the attack in the first minute, only to be turned back. ACU went down to the other end a minute later and forced a corner kick, with no result. Remarkably, in the 10-minute overtime, the two teams committed six fouls, four of which were called on Fox Chase. The last of these, in the 10th minute of OT, set up Jimmy G with a free kick at the top of the Fox Chase box. Done. The Goal Machine from Maple Glen swished the net, the team that played a man down for 27 minutes finished the job once and for all, and the ACU sideline went crazy.

The scariest moment of the entire match might have been in the 9th minute of overtime, when Fox Chase teed up a corner kick, its third of the match. The first two had resulted in goals. AC United held them off, got the win, and brought home the hardware.

This week: Jack Walsh recaps

It might take me a couple days to get through all of the recap work, so let's get started with a couple of pretty important pictures:







Champions. Congratulations.

Catching up: Perlini Tournament and Upper Dublin

Since the last game report, your reporter has had an incredibly busy time at work, and the Maroon boys have also had a couple of interesting match days. With the MUSC match not yet rescheduled, and ACU winning 7:2 over Upper Dublin, we're now almost at the midpoint of the season. The team is undefeated so far, and carrying a +9 goal differential. Nice work!

Beth Lochner sent in this great collection of game and team photos from the Perlini Tournament on Labor Day weekend:



We're in a bit of a midseason lull right now, with the next scheduled match away at MUSC on Saturday, October 16th. Plymouth Fire is in second place in the bracket so far, though MUSC and Karpaty have each only played two matches this season.

Game report: Plymouth Fire (September 19th)

Game 6159, away at Plymouth Fire

In the third of five games during a two-week stretch in September, ACU traveled to Plymouth for a Sunday morning match against the Fire, who entered the match undefeated with wins against Hunter and Upper Dublin. Plymouth mounted a strong attack in the first half, led by two talented strikers (#10 and #24), and took 10 shots in the first 19 minutes. Keeper Connor C was tested early with saves in the 2nd, 13th, and 15th minutes. Backing up Connor on the first Plymouth shot of the match (2'), Kyle M made it two games in a row with another incredible goal-line body block to prevent a score. Harry H and Brad T combined for four shots in the first 16 minutes, eventually forcing a corner kick that Michael P drove home for the first goal of the match. The Maroon men picked up momentum and confidence after that, taking five more shots and three more corner kicks. ACU held serve through halftime, holding Plymouth scoreless.

Plymouth roused its offense again at the start of the second half, taking three shots (40', 42', 52') and winning three corners from ACU before landing their first goal (53'). ACU responded quickly, with Michael P and Kyle M teaming up for a goal from a free kick (56') and Harry H driving home an unassisted goal (61') for insurance. The second half was marked by physical play from both sides, with three yellow cards issued before match end. Nick S took two late shots (68' and 71') as the ref tacked on a few minutes of injury time. Final score Plymouth 1:3 ACU.

Next Match
Home under the lights vs. Montgomery (1-0-0), Wednesday, September 22nd. The Strikers shut out Upper Dublin last weekend in their only match of the season so far.

Notes and Stats
Shots on goal, 1st half: 10 Plymouth / 10 ACU
Shots on goal, 2nd half: 5 Plymouth / 10 ACU
Corner kicks allowed: 6 Plymouth / 4 ACU
Cards: Nathan A and Plymouth #? (47', yellow, persistent infringement), Harry H (65', yellow, persistent infringement)

Ricky C (concussion) and Nick P (leg) did not play.

Game notes for the 9/22 game will be limited or not available; your reporter has tickets to the Phils game that night.

Attacks and Shots
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Game Report: Hunter Tornadoes (September 18th)

Game 6155, home vs. Hunter Tornadoes

They won't all come easy. The Maroon men notched a 3:2 victory against crosstown rivals Hunter in a rough-and-tumble match that stayed physical until the last minute. Action in the first half was fast and furious from the opening touch, and both teams took several minutes to settle down into the game. In a typical play during those first minutes, Michael P served up a brilliant cross from the right side (5') but there were no maroon jerseys to be seen in the middle.

Harry H recorded the first shot for ACU in the 7th minute, with Jimmy G and Nathan A taking additional shots (10' and 14') before outside mid Brad T gutted his way into the goal box and put home an unassisted goal (21'). Michael P, Jimmy G, and Kyle M kept up the pressure with three more shots over the next seven minutes. And John C, bringing his A game this morning, shut down a probable Hunter goal on the far post during a corner kick in the 30th minute. Steve H, keeper in both halves, recorded three saves and helped to hold the Tornadoes scoreless in the first half.

They say the first five minutes and last five minutes of each half are critical in soccer, and Hunter started the second half with a textbook example, scoring their first goal in the 36th minute. Hunter charged back twice more in the next two minutes, and would have had their second goal if not for a body block in the mouth of the goal from defender Kyle M. ACU took its turn only a few minutes later, with unassisted breakaway goals by Connor C (40') and a limping Harry H (44'), who had suffered an ankle injury in the first half. Jimmy G, playing sick and injured, took four more shots in the half to keep pressure on the Tornadoes. Hunter would land one more goal (59') just to keep the parents on the edge of their seats, but the ACU defense led by Curtis L held out until the final whistle. Final score ACU 3:2 Hunter.

Next Match
Away at Plymouth Fire (2-0-0), Sunday, September 19th. The Fire beat the Upper Dublin Black Knights 2:1 today.

Notes and Stats
Shots on goal, 1st half: 3 Hunter / 10 ACU
Shots on goal, 2nd half: 6 Hunter / 9 ACU
Corner kicks allowed: 5 Hunter / 6 ACU
Cards: Hunter #23 (50', yellow, persistent infringement)

Ricky C (concussion) and Nick P (leg) did not play.

ACU took 9 offside calls during the match, 6 of them in the first half.

Attacks and Shots
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Game Report: Ukrainian National Karpaty (September 11th)

Game 6151, away at Ukrainian National Karpaty

The regular season kicked off on a dry, sunny Saturday morning with an away match against the Ukies. The Maroon men faced Karpaty in the Perlini tournament Labor Day weekend and won that matchup 3-0. A week later, the teams looked more evenly matched. ACU drew first blood with a Jimmy G goal (5') assisted by Harry H on a setup from Nick S. Maroon launched 8 attacks in the first 10 minutes, at least two of them thanks to strong play on the right side from Brad T. Karpaty answered in the 13th with a beautiful top-left goal that not even Kyle M could block. Kyle, who played keeper for both halves, would go on to make key saves in the 18th and 24th minutes. The momentum of the game swung in the Ukies' direction after the first 10 minutes, but ACU held the Ukies to only five total shots in the half. The match was tied 1:1 at halftime.

AC United came out swinging again to start the second half, with six shots on goal in the first nine minutes, culminating in an unassisted Jimmy G goal (44') from the top of the box. Once again, though, the Ukies responded quickly, this time with a ground-ball goal (48') that caught the Maroon defense off guard. And this time, ACU suffered a major setback, as defenseman Ricky C suffered a concussion after going up for a ball in midair.

When play resumed, the Ukies kept up the pressure for several minutes, taking four more shots before the 60th minute. ACU found its way back to the other half of the field, though, and Jimmy G secured a hat trick (66') with an assist from Nick S. The Ukies made a few more runs at the goal in the closing minutes of the match, but the damage was done. Final score Karpaty 2:3 AC United.

Next Match
Home vs. Hunter Tornadoes (0-1-0), Saturday, September 18th. Hunter lost 5-2 to the Plymouth Fire in their opener.

Notes and Stats
Shots on goal, 1st half: 5 Karpaty / 3 ACU
Shots on goal, 2nd half: 6 Karpaty / 10 ACU
Corner kicks allowed: 8 Karpaty / 0 ACU
Cards: Michael P (40', yellow)

Attacks and Shots
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