The Saints traveled away to play against the Saber Cats of Souhegan High School. We arrived with about 15 minutes to warm-up. Some of the players are traveling incognito due to the imagined fame of being in first place. I guess they are tired of being hounded by all the female fans.
At the beginning of the game Coach told everyone that we had never beaten Souhegan in the last two years. We even lost to them in a shoot-out in the tournament last year. Coach told Bryan Hennigan the score would be 3-0, and that he would score a goal.
Game Captains Andy Stone and Colin McBride went out and won the toss to start the game.
St. Thomas started out with their successful defense of Colin McBride in net, Matt Roginski as Stopper, Nick Blunier and Tom Gibney as Fullbacks and Mark Miller as Sweeper. We put in 5 Midfielders Bryan Hennigan, Andy Stone, Justin Guilbert, Jamie and Jerry Phontharaksa to control the game. Tom Carroll was the lone striker to attack the right side.
5 minutes into the game the striker was switched and Owen " Taco" Cook went in to attack the left side.
Cook made a run on a ball as the Sabers keeper came out off his line. Cook made a play with his head as the keeper kicked him in the throat. (No dangerous play was called.)
Peter Shwaegerle went in as striker as Cook recovered.
Souhegan was playing a flat back four and St. Thomas was getting caught in the offsides trap. Coach changed up the 4-5-1 to a 4-4-2 and told the players going in to dribble against the trap.
At the 15 minute mark Peter Bergeron went in as the second striker. Sean Waters, Taylor MacDonald, Keith Hallock and Lenis Kenter went in as midfielders.
It was a sunny day so it was difficult to get a lot of photos.
Players form a wall as Souhegan prepares for a direct kick. There was quite a bit of pushing for position in the wall. There were also a lot of bantering going back and forth.
At the 25 minute mark Brent Snyder, Guilbert and the Phontharaksa brothers went in at midfield and Cook and Carroll went in as Strikers.
At 27:23 the Saints drew first blood as Guilbert took a throw in to Cook who made a move and then sent a rocket into the net past the Souhegan keeper getting a bit of revenge.
Souhegan took the kick-off to restart the game. St. Thomas quickly pounced on the Sabers and stole the ball. Guilbert sent a pass up to Jerry Phontharaksa who beat the keeper at 28:35, just over a minute since the last score.
Once again the Saints stole the Souhegan kick off and went on the attack at 29:50. The play was called off sides just as the Saber keeper came out to scoop up the through ball. He made a frustrated comment to the referee using improper language and received a yellow caution. He couldn't keep his mouth shut and was then show the red card and sent off. Not only did his temper cost him the remainder of the game and the next one, but his teammates were also punished by having to play a man down for the remainder of the game.
At 39:02 St. Thomas scored on the new Souhegan keeper when Cook assisted Carroll on a combination to make the score 3-0.
St. Thomas was up 3-0 at the half.
They had out shot the Cougars 12-4.
(Coach was half right on his prediction.)
To start the second half Hennigan and MacDonald went in as strikers. (Coach was looking to get the other half of his prediction.) Snyder, Stone, Hallock & Waters went in at midfield. The defense of Miller, Roginski, Blunier, Gibney and McBride took up position. The Souhegan coach played dumb and put out 11 players. Game Captain Stone pointed this out to the referee who called the coach on it and sent a player off before starting the half.
Quite of few of the St. Thomas shots were going over the goal and comming close to hitting the bus, so Coach reminded the players that it's "under the bar"...
Two minutes into the second half MacDonald made a great run down the side and sent a cross pass to Hennigan who put it under the bar to score. It was 4-0, and Coach was looking clairvoyant .
At 44:52 McBride made a save on a Saber through ball, but a player kicked the ball out of his hands into the net. The Referee awarded Souhegan the goal making the score 4-1.
At 52:10 Carroll and Cook went in at Striker, Bergeron, Gibney and the Phontharaksa brothers went in at midfield.
Even with the score in the Saints favor the Sabers still made the defense work.
The Game continued to be a back and forth battle for the remaining 20 minutes. At 68:20 Schwaegerle took a shot that hit the cross bar.
At 78:15 Guilbert sent a pass to Stone who banged it in the saber goal for the Saints 5th score.
The game ended with St. Thomas up 5-1. The Saints out shot the Sabers 24-7.
We stopped at MacDonald's on the way home - it wasn't pretty watching them wolf down all that food.
St. Thomas plays host to Merrimack Valley on Friday.