Varsity Soccer v Trinity Pawling played on Thursday October 8th, 2009

With a final score of Dutchess Day School 2, Trinity Pawling 2, I have to admit that this was one of the best games that I have ever seen a DDS Varsity team play. From the start, it was clear that the players were set on erasing the uncomfortable memory of the previous afternoon's fiasco at Rumsey. With Alex Q in goal, the defense played with a new found confidence. Ellie was simply majestic as sweeper, dealing with everything that came her way. Isabel, in front of her, hustled and bustled, winning balls all over the field. Our full backs, Sawyer, Carter and Hannah closed quickly in on players and covered the center superbly. In midfield, we reigned supreme! Eddie was on fire out on the right, Jake was calmly and competently running the show and Roan was free to send balls sailing in to the box with that sweet left foot of his! Maddy, when she emerged from her defensive role at left back, ran and ran to keep up some serious pressure on the TP midfield. Up front, we were cooking. Andrew created many chances for himself throughout the game, darting and weaving through the jungle of tall, strong and athletic TP defenders. It was only fitting that he capped a great display with a superbly headed goal that rocketed in to the net from a Roan corner! Chloe and Neil played their part too, forever chipping away at the TP defense and fighting to get balls in to the opposition box. There are two players I have yet to mention, Kai and Morgan, who up to this game had been sharing goalkeeping duties. Morgan played well up front, showing a great deal of calm in some tricky situations. However, it was Kai who exploded in to action in the second half causing the TP defense to struggle severely under the pressure. Although still developing his fragile soccer skills, Kai hustled the TP defense relentlessly and was clearly instrumental in gaining a penalty which Roan cooly dispatched for our first equalizing goal.
Overall, the display by this team was tremendous. They closed down players quickly and marked their opponents fastidiously. I could not have asked for a greater effort. Alex was in a class of his own in goal and was the platform for all the great things happening on the field of play. The opposition coach was generous in his praise, as he was one of the first to realize that his side had somehow managed to salvage a draw against in his own words "a very good team"!