St. Thomas played host to the Exeter Reserve team in a non-league match-up. The Saints had played earlier in the season at Exeter and came out on top 1-0. This game would be the first that St. Thomas would play on the Varsity field.
Players were warming up trying to kick field goals. Just what we need - practice trying to kick over the bar...
It was a beautiful fall day and the weather was perfect for soccer.
Game Captains Jamie Phontharaksa, Jerry Phontharaksa and Taylor MacDonald went out and got to choose field position as Exeter called the toss wrong.
The Saints started out with their tough defense of Matt Roginski as Stopper, Nick Blunier and Tom Gibney as Fullbacks and Mark Miller as Sweeper. The five man midfield of Bryan Hennigan, Keith Hallock, Justin Guilbert, Jamie and Jerry Phontharaksa. Owen " Taco" Cook was the loan striker. Guarding the net for St. Thomas was Colin McBride.
The Saints came out on the attack and took away the Exeter kick off after the 3rd pass. They didn't get a shot on net right away, but Exeter was forced to play most of their team on defense.
At 9:30 into the game Taylor "T-Mac" MacDonald went in at outside mid and Andy Stone went in at Center Mid.
St. Thomas was beginning to get through the Exeter defense but the Exeter keeper was coming off his line to scoop up the through balls.
At 13:30 Peter Bergeron entered the game at striker.
St. Thomas was controlling the midfield, but playing through balls either too high or too far ahead to mount an attack.
Twenty minutes into the game Peter Shwaegerle and Tom Carroll went in as strikers. Sean Waters and Brett Snyder went in as outside midfilders.
At 25:15 Stone took a shot that rebounded off the cross bar with a loud noise.
At 27:33 Cook was fouled outside the Exeter 18 yard line. Roginski took the direct kick and in a high arcing shot put one over the Exeter keeper to put the Saints on top 1-0.
At 29:10 Ryan Price and Linas Kenter entered the game.
St. Thomas was starting to get used to the larger wider field and began to control the ball more on the ground.
St. Thomas was up 1-0 at the half.
They had out shot Exeter 9-0.
The Saints took the field in the second half with McBride, Miller, Gibney, Blunier and Roginski on defense. Hennigan, Guilbert, and the Phontharaksa brothers at midfield. Snyder and MacDonald were up front as strikers.
At the 50 minute mark Cook and Carroll went in as strikers. Kenter, Hallock, Stone and Waters went in at midfield.
60 minutes in to the game Bergeron and Shwaegerle went in as strikers. Price, Guilbert and the Phontharaksa brothers were back in midfield.
63:24 into the game Shwaegerle took a pass from Price deep to the goal line right of the net and fired it across, catching it off the Exeter keeper and sending it into the net. The Saints were up 2-0.
At the 68:36 Shwaegerle took a pass from Bergeron and beat the Exeter keeper again for his second goal. St. Thomas was now up 3-0.
Teammates congratulate Shwaegerle after his second score.
The Saints defense was playing solid. Blunier and Gibney were able to shut down the outside lanes and also make some offensive runs on the attack. Roginski and Miller were able to stop up the midfield and thwart the Exeter attack allowing them only 4 shots on net.
McBride see at one of the many quiet moments of the game.
At 77:50 Cook sent a cross pass over that was volleyed by Carroll to Stone who banged it into the onion bag to put the Saints up 4-0.
The game ended with St. Thomas up 4-0. The Saints out shot Exeter 18-4.
St. Thomas plays Monadnock on Saturday at home at 4pm.
On the way home from the game as Coach was coming down off of Dover Point road onto 16 south a jeep pulling a large trailer had a blow out on its two right side tires. The sudden drag of the trailer swung the car around from the left lane to the breakdown lane stopping in front facing the wrong way.
Coach used his red lights to prevent further accidents in the fog.
No one was injured as the driver and his wife were taking furniture to their daughter in Texas. hopefully they will make the rest of their journey safely.