The Saints hosted their second home game today against the Falcons of Bow High School. After school the irregular warm up saw an addition of frisbee catch.
One player asked if we were going to have a pregame warm-up drill to do before every game and Coach replied that each team is unique and sometimes its best to let players work off stress and warm up in their own ways. Some teams need a standard drill, but this one doesn't seem to.
Bryan Hennigan showed us some great frisbee skills.
Game Captain Justin Guilbert went out for the coin toss to represent the team. The Saints kicked off to start the game.
The Saints started out with Peter Bergeron and Peter Shwaegerle as strikers. Midfielders Bryan Hennigan, Justin Guilbert, Jamie and Jerry Phontharaksa. The defense was Matt Roginski as Stopper, Nick Blunier and Tom Gibney as Fullbacks and Mark Miller as Sweeper. Collin McBride was playing keeper for St. Thomas
The game started out very even as both teams defenses thwarted each attack.
The middle was all stopped up as each team battled for control
At the 8 minute mark Tom Carroll and Owen " Taco" Cook went in as Strikers, and a minute later Taylor MacDonald went in at outside mid.
Hennigan and Gibney defend a Bow attack down the infield. The hot temps and the infield dust add to make the game tougher.
Around the 15-minute mark Brett Snyder and Sean Waters went in as Strikers, and Linas Kenter went in as outside mid.
Kenter took a direct kick after a Falcon foul and pinged the cross bar skipping it just over.
Keith Hallock entered at Center Mid around the 18 minute mark.
Around the 20 minute mark Ryan Price entered the game at outside mid.
31 minutes into the half Hennigan took a throw in from the left side touch line and sent it to Cook who passed it back. Hennigan took about a 25 yard chip shot that went up high into the air and the Falcon Keeper lost it in the sun as it came down under the cross bar to give St. Thomas the lead 1-0. Looks like the Frisbee will have to travel with us...
The Falcons kicked off to start the second half. The Saints had to attack up the right side in the infield. The Saints Defense of Miller, Roginski, Blunier and Gibney went out to keep the shut-out going. Snyder, Kenter, Guilbert and Jamie Phontharaksa started in the midfield. Cook and Carroll were the strikers.
Kenter took another shot that hit the cross bar missing scoring by a few inches. Guess I'll have to stop teasing Cook about hitting the cross bar...
St. Thomas defenders marking up on a Bow throw-in.
Jamie Phontharaksa makes a leaping volley.
Waters and Price went in at Strikers at the 50-minute mark. Two minutes later Guilbert sent a pass over to Water who blasted it into the upper corner to put the Saints up 2-0.
Miller sets up for a goal kick while Blunier check on the Falcon strikers.
Jerry Phontharaksa prepares to trap a ball in the midfield. Roginski, Guilbert and Kenter position themselves for the play.
Price and Guilbert look for a throw-in.
Roginski steps up to stop the falcon attack at midfield while Hollock and Phontharaksa move to help. A check of the scoreboard show the varsity up 2-0 also.
Shwaegerle fights for a ball against the Bow defender while the midfield of Hallock, Guilbert and Price move in to assist..
Guilbert heads out a ball from the Saints wall in front of the Bow direct kick.
McBride shades his view hoping the sun won't effect his play like it did to the Falcon keeper.
At the 78and a half minute mark the Falcons put a through ball attack that took a funny bounce. McBride had come off his line to scoop it up, but the ball bounced back and the Bow striker was able to touch it over his head into the net. Just a minute and a half short of getting a shut out.
The game ended with the Saints up 2-1. St. Thomas out shot the Falcons 9-8 which shows you how close the game was.
St. Thomas travels to Kingswood on Wednesday.