Link to Photo Gallery: http://sos.exposuremanager.com/g/091808_abington_vs_cr_north_de
By Alex Frazier
Fitness.
It’s often an intangible on the field, overshadowed by player’s skills and team chemistry.
But there’s no substitute for extra endurance, especially late in a game.
Nobody knows that better than Council Rock North coach Wendell Beres.
Thursday afternoon, the Indians took full advantage of their fitness to score a goal in the final 14 seconds to nip visiting Abington, 3-2.
“I’ve been saying since Aug. 11th that we were going to be more fit than every team we play in the second half,” said Beres. “The second half certainly demonstrated that.”
It certainly worked to the Indians’ advantage to be playing on their home field, which might just be the widest in the National Conference. It certainly attracted the notice of Abington coach Randy Garber.
“It complements their ability on the ball,” he said. “We don’t play on many fields this big. The width is an issue. It creates more chances because when you get stretched out, the center becomes more open.”
It was a great game on a perfect fall afternoon with both teams exhibiting considerable skill.
As Garber said, “It was a tough one to digest. It was well played by both teams. It could have went either way. If you score two goals with our defense, it’s enough goals for us to win. They just kept putting the ball in the mix. We played well enough to win and they have a good side. If we play three more times, the score is going to be different. It could go either way.”
The Ghosts led for a good part of the game, thanks to their talented forwards, Jiddell Roach and Macey Watson, and a disorganized Rock defense.
The two combined on Abington’s first goal, just 1:12 into the contest. The speedy Watson ran onto a through ball and raced behind the defense. Rock keeper Andrew Foran couldn’t handle the shot, which rebounded to Roach charging up the middle. He buried it inside the right post.
“We’re not used to playing kids like that in high school,” said Rock midfielder Alex Ruhfass.
It was the kind of scenario that has given Beres nightmares this season.
“That first five minutes has given us trouble all season long,” he said. “You saw it at Wissahickon (tie), that’s how we ended up losing to Tennent, and Neshaminy got two goals in the first 10 minutes. We’re always battling back even though we’re playing much better soccer than we were at the beginning of the season.”
Part of the problem may be a revamped defense that is still getting used to playing as a unit.
“It will take them some time to get comfortable,” said Beres.
In the 34th minute, Rock nearly netted the equalizer when Ruhfass headed a long, picture-perfect ball into the upper left corner of the goal. But he was flagged for offsides, much to the consternation of the Rock coaching staff.
As Rock began to pick up momentum with its short passing game, Abington keeper Sam Matthews avoided one scoring opportunity when he grabbed a high bouncer away from the charging Dan McNamara.
But ultimately McNamara was not to be denied. When Abington was awarded a direct kick to the left sideof the penalty box, Bryan Attanasio drove the ball toward the right post. McNamara charged the ball, leaped and headed it inside the left post to tie the score with 24:16 left to play.
While Matthews and Foran both grabbed high balls that could have proven dangerous, neither team had much of an opportunity to score until the final minute of the first half.
Roach once again was in on the play. He dribbledin from the right side and crossed the ball. Foran was out to stop it, but couldn’t keep control and the ball ricocheted to a charging Greg Hill, who fired it inside the right post with 17 seconds left.
Although Rock North had several shots in the first part of the second half, none of them was particularly dangerous.
As time wore on, Rock began applying some high pressure on the Abington defense, pushing to tie the score.
The Indians nearly scored the equalizer five minutes into the second half. With Matthews out of goal, Hill kicked a shot heading into the left side out of harm’s way.
Rock’s intensity began to pay off, giving the Indians a huge break with 16:08 left in the second half when Abington’s Hill took down Nick Becker in the left side of the box. A penalty kick was awarded, and Steve Neumann drove it low to the left side with Matthews guessing right side.
“We got caught in two re-starts,” said Garber. “It was unfortunate it ended up that way, but I told the boys that there was probably going to be a penalty kick in the game right from the get-go, so they understood what I was saying.”
The goal gave the Ghosts some incentive and they began to take the offensive. Long thrower Ian McMillan gave them a chance when he tossed a ball into front of the goal, but Foran leaped and pulled it in among a crowd of players.
At the other end of the field, Matthews saved a laser shot by Ryan Tessler at the left post with nine minutes left.
Just when everyone thought the game would be decided in overtime, Neumann passed a ball out to Erik Mazurkiewicz on the left flank. Mazurkiewicz sent it across the goal to the right post where a waiting Ruhfass tapped it in for his fifth goal of the season.
“I thought they cleared it,” said Ruhfass. “I picked my head up and it was sitting right there in front of me, so I pushed it to the corner. It was lucky. I didn’t know where the ball was.”
“It’s just unfortunate there wasn’t communication between our back and our goalkeeper,” said Garber. “One thought one was going to get it and they left it there. Whoever finished it did a nice job of putting it away for them.”
Ruhfass credited the Indians’ fitness as a factor in the outcome.
“In preseason we worked really hard. We knew we were going to be the most fit team and this game proved it. We got unlucky in the first minute, (but we knew) if we kept working hard it would come.”
Ruhfass might have had something else to prove since he plays with several of the Abington players, including Roach, on his club team.
“Abington’s a really good team,” he said. “They’re real solid, but we kept working and got lucky, I guess.”
Council Rock North 3, Abington 2
Goals: Jiddell Roach (A), Dan McNamara (CRN), Greg Hill (A), Steve Neumann (CRN), Alex Ruhfass (CRN)
Assists: Macey Watson (A), Bryan Attanasio (CRN), Jiddell Roach (A), Erik Mazurkiewicz (CRN)
Saves: Sam Matthews (A) 2, Andrew Foran (CRN) 2
Corners: Abington 4, Council Rock North 5
Fouls: Abington 14, Council Rock North 11 (Alex Ruhfass yellow card)
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