斯坦斯特德开局非常好. We were all up for this match, excited to play, and ready for what the Pipers would throw at us. 这是高尔特的功劳, 他们知道我们为他们准备了什么, 太, 这场比赛是我们本赛季第五次面对对手.

 

It didn’t take the Spartans long to find their tempo and passing rhythm as we strung passes between our defenders, midfielders and wingers that unlocked the Piper defence and allowed us to create a couple of excellent early scoring chances. Henry 里德尔 was his usual lively self and was only 太 keen to get his team the lead, 但是有几个十字架, 先是加布里埃尔·德桑蒂斯，然后是利亚姆·华莱士, 是打得好，但只是打偏了，还是打过了网. 而里德尔在这场比赛中并没有找到进球的机会, 他在后来的比赛中扮演了关键的角色.

 

上半场双方的后防线都很坚固, 不让球通过任何空位, 他们对每一个50/50的球和三分球进行挑战. It didn’t take long to reconcile the fact that this game would be a low-scoring affair, 多亏了两队防守队员的吝啬. The stats told the story of the first half… 4 Spartan shots, 1 on target – 1 Piper shot, 0 on target. 尽管防守很强, 尤其是中后卫查兹·格雷尼尔和毛里西奥·洛佩斯, 后卫梅森·比斯和利亚姆·华莱士, the quality of the game was good with each team looking to play the ball on the ground in hopes of building a solid attack that would break down the opposition. The half flew by in what seemed like no time at all and before we knew it the referee blew his whistle for the halftime interval.

 

The CAIS tournament was an awesome experience because it taught us a great deal about the game and about ourselves, 特别是在与LCC和St. 安德鲁的大学. One such lesson was that we knew we had more energy and ability in the tank than we thought we did.  他们让我们相信，我们总是可以付出更多. 和, 在我们季后赛的关键时刻, 我们知道我们必须把比赛提升一个层次，表现出更多的紧迫感. Not that the first half was poor, because it wasn’t, but we knew we could exert ourselves further. 认识到这一点，我们在下半场开始努力.

 

下半场我们以进球开场, 或者至少我们认为我们做到了, 但我们被判越位了. Spartan assistant coach ‘Doccie’ Standage still adamantly believes the goal was a good one, 但不幸的是, 他不是裁判. 不管. 朝派珀球门开了12枪, with five being very good scoring chances and a few going wide that would have been high quality as well had we been more opportunistic in front of goal. Luke DeLaBruere’s right-footed blast from just inside the penalty area was labelled for the far side of the goal only to be thwarted by the lightning-quick reflexes of the Piper keeper. Erik Fabian’s well-directed header off a corner kick looked like it was goalward-bound until Piper #1 flashed out his long arms and snared the ball.

 

The Spartans’ sustained pressure in the Galt half of the field and especially in and around the penalty area was impressive, 但它并没有产生我们想要的结果, 尤其是随着时间的流逝. These moments brought back haunting memories of our home game vs MVR before Thanksgiving, 我们对游戏的控制到底在哪里, 在投篮和机会上胜过他们, 但我们没能把对手干掉. 也许是dsamujovu?

 

这已成为我们的习惯, the boys kept their heads down and continued to work in and around the Galt backline, 特别是在我们的右翼中场德拉布鲁埃尔, 德桑蒂斯, 里德尔, Matteo Paradis and Ryder Bustos combined plays and threaded passes that began to create some excellent crosses into the Piper box. 后卫华莱士, 热衷于参与其中, 通常提供初始传球，使攻击者采取行动.

 

 就在看起来我们可能要进入9对9的加时赛的时候, 男孩们又使劲推了一下. 在最后的时刻——我是说最后的时刻——下半场, Erik Fabian timed his attacking run to a “T” when he got on the end of Gabe 德桑蒂斯’ cross from the right wing and flicked the ball with the outside of his right cleat past the Piper goalkeeper and into the back of the net, 他跑开庆祝, 他的队友在他身后紧追不舍, and jumped into the collective embrace of the varsity boys hockey team who were cheering the boys on from the sideline. 多么特别的斯巴达时刻啊! 谢谢你,男孩! 进球时间……还差39分零几秒!

 

Just to clarify, games at the senior level of play are made up of two halves of 40 minutes. 像我们一样尝试, 我们竭尽全力，终于击败了高尔特队的门将, 谁一共面对了13次射门，除了最后一次，都被挡了出去. Great Spartan defence led by goalkeeper Emanuel Ganz and his backline earned them their 8^th 本赛季零失球(无失球).

 

随着胜利, 斯坦斯特德将于周三前往里士满, 10月25日对阵里士满地区高中骑士队, 谁在另一场半决赛中以1比0淘汰了MVR维京人. 本赛季斯巴达队和骑士队的比分非常接近, 非常接近, 每支球队都在本土获胜……9月，RRHS以3比1获胜, 斯坦斯特德上周获胜, 3-0. It should be a dandy ETIAC senior boys soccer championship game beginning at 3:45pm.  让我们去!