The Saints traveled to Oyster River for the end of season JV tournament. They were in first place for the year with a record of 14-1-1 (16-1-1 overall). They were playing the fourth place team, Hollis-Brookline, who they hadn't met in the regular season.
The bench area before the game - look like anyone's room at home?
Also thanks to Mrs. Phontharaksa for sending the munkins, Owen enjoyed most of them...
Players laughing and joking before the game.
It was a bit cold, but not as bad as previous years.
Game Captains Ryan Price, Keith Hallock and Mark Miller went out to represent the team.
The Saints started out with Keith Hallock and Ryan Price at Striker to scare the opposition with height on the front line. The midfield was Bryan Hennigan, Justin Guilbert, Jamie and Jerry Phontharaksa. The defense was Andy Stone as Stopper, Nick Blunier and Tom Gibney as Fullbacks and Mark Miller as Sweeper. Colin McBride was in the net for St. Thomas.
3:35 into the game Hennigan sent a ball to Hallock who headed it on goal but the keeper came up with it.
At the 8 minute mark Tom Carroll and Owen " Taco" Cook sub into the game as strikers.
Carroll makes a run on offense.
St. Thomas made a number of offensive attacks that were thwarted by the Hollis-Brookline defense.
Jamie Phontharaksa gets some air trying to head the ball into the net at 9:10.
Ten minutes into the game Sean Waters and Brent Snyder went in as outside midfielders.
At 10:17 Carroll got a pass from Cook and headed it towards the net only to have the keeper save it.
At the 18 minute mark Peter Shwaegerle and Linas Kenter went in as strikers. Taylor "T-Mac" MacDonald went in at center mid.
The St. Thomas defense marks up on a corner kick.
At 23:10 The saints moved the ball up field. Jerry Phontharaksa sent a pass to Guilbert who turned and sent it to Hennigan. Hennigan dumped it further outside to Bluiner who made a run from defense. He took a shot down low that looked good, but it went just wide of the far post.
At 34:25 Guilbert sent a pass out wide to Cook who blasted it past the keeper with his left footed shot. The Saints were up 1-0.
St. Thomas continued to press hard and at 32 minutes in Carroll made another run on the Hollis Brookline net. The keeper came out in a slide and caught-up the ball and Carroll leaped over him to avoid the collision.
At 38:20 Owen sent a pass to Carroll who took another shot on goal and the Hollis-Brookline keeper came up with a big save.
The Saints were up 1-0 at the half.
They had out shot Hollis-Brookline 14-6.
St. Thomas took the field in the second half with Hallock and Price as Strikers and Hennigan, Guilbert and the Phontharaksa brothers in midfield. The defense was McBride, Miller, Blunier, Gibney and Stone.
Price goes up for a header.
Snyder works the ball over to MacDonald.
At 14:41 Stone sent a pass outside to MacDonald who hit it up to Carroll. Carroll ran on and beat the Hollis-Brookline keeper to put the Saints up 2-0
Guilbert played a great game controlling the midfield.
Bluiner was fouled stopping a Hollis-Brookline attack, but got no call for it.
At the 28 minute mark McBride came off his line to make a save and the rebound was shot just wide of the post. No worries, if it had been on goal, Miller was there guarding the post.
At 31 :12 Hollis Brookline took a direct kick, as it was up in the air the referee blew the whistle and called offsides. Players stopped and the ball went into the goal. The Hollis-Brookline coach complained loudly and the referees conferred. The call was reversed and the goal was allowed. This shouldn't have happened because the whistle was blown before the ball went into the net. In High School Soccer there is no continuation rule, where ever the ball is when the whistle is blown that is the end of the play. The score was 2-1 and the Saints were dominating so Coach decided not to make a big deal out of it - (A decision he would later regret immensely.)
Players mark up as Hollis-Brookline takes a goal kick trying to get it out of their end.
At 39:02 Hollis-Brookline scored off another set play tying the game 2-2.
The game was tied after the end of regulation. The teams had to prepare for two 5 minute periods of golden goal overtime.
Players mark up as the Saints prepare to take a goal kick.
McBride takes a kick after a Hollis Brookline offside call.
Players were asked a number of time to back off the sidelines, but the game was so exciting everyone was on the edge.
Hollis-Brookline took a shot from a direct kick with 1 minute left in the overtime. It was a high-arcing shot that just dropped under the cross bar out of reach.
The game ended with Hollis-Brookline beating St. Thomas 3-2 in the golden goal second overtime.
St. Thomas would play Souhegan in the consolation game after playing 89 minutes of soccer.