It has been tougher to keep up with the blogs this year so I apologize for that. We have spent every minute on preparing for the upcoming games and 2010 recruiting due to all of our losses (11 seniors) after this season.
We finished the non-conference schedule by beating SIU-E 3-0 and Canisius 2-1 on the road. We played one of our best games of the year against SIU-E who had come into the match only allowing 3 goals against all season. The game against Canisius was played in very poor weather and we had to work very hard in the last 20 minutes to come from behind and win the match. It put our non-conference record at 5-3-1, just short of our overall goal. However, there is nothing tougher than digging yourself out of a hole when you begin the season at 0-3-1 so I was satisfied to win five straight matches.
Our conference started off with Rhode Island and UMASS with both teams coming off great seasons in 2008. Rhode Island was our first opponent in last year's A-10 Tournament Championship. The game was played in a down pour of rain and our boy's responded very well with two first half goals. We did not let up the second half either and were able to put the game out of reach with two more goals. It was a great way to get started.
On Sunday, we faced UMass who we played in the A-10 Tournament Championship last year in which we captured the title with a 1-0 victory over them. It was yet another exciting match and UMass was a tough team to break down defensively. With few chances on either side of the ball, it was obvious the game would go into overtime. Nearing the end of the second overtime, Alex Torda made a very good play on the left side and broke pressure. He unleashed a quick left footed shot that surprised their keeper and the ball found its way through his hands and into the back of the net. It was a great feeling and with the win, we were on top of the tables.
When we got to St. Bonaventure the next weekend, we woke up to about 5 inches of snow and the match had to be cancelled so we headed off to Pittsburgh to face Duquesne. It felt like we had been on the road for quite a long time with the cancellation and all the travel so you could tell the boy's were ready to take the field. It was great getting back to the field we captured last year's title as well. In the first 20 minutes, we had Duquesne down 2-0. In the second half, they received a very soft penalty kick but Picard came up big and saved the shot and sealed the win.
This past weekend, we headed to Richmond and George Washington riding an eight-game win streak. On Friday, we faced Richmond on a windy night. The first half we had the wind and dominated play but did not do well to finish. In the second half, the game turned to Richmond's favor and they kept us under pressure. We were hoping to get the game into overtime but under a minute left in the game, they put a ball through that found their forward in front of our net and he was able to deflect it in for the win. On Sunday, you could tell the boy's were disappointed and did not want that feeling again that they experienced Friday night. We came out flying against GW and were able to take the early lead. Unfortunately though, we allowed them to stay in the match as we could not convert the second goal and one of the rare times they broke pressure, they were able to tie it up. Our boy's reacted quickly though and came right back and scored the winning goal.
The big weekend is here now. This is the weekend that can determine some of the results of the A-10 Tournament qualifiers. It is a weekend for us that can define whether we are a good team or a great team. Charlotte comes in as one of the Top 10 teams in the nation and Saint Louis is a perennial powerhouse. Nerves and excitement are on an extreme high. It is a great opportunity for our team and there would be nothing better than getting two wins on senior weekend. This class of seniors is a special group that will never be forgotten.
Go Flyers!
