By Ted Waddell
JEFFERSONVILLE — September 30, 2005 – If you want to catch the flavor of a soccer game, ask the goalie.
“Burke is a tough team, and the penalty kick was a tough break,” said Sullivan West goalkeeper Joseph Layman moments after the John S. Burke Catholic School Eagles defeated the host Bulldogs 2-1, in Wednesday’s hard-fought Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association (OCIAA) Division IV soccer match.
“We played hard, but in the end we came up short,” Layman added.
In a game that was marked by the feeling that, according to SW Coach Debbie Owen, the officials “missed a blatant handball in the box,” and the Eagles delayed the flow of the match in the second half to limit the Bulldogs’ field time, Burke (5-2, 3-0 Division IV) struck first in the opening frame with a penalty kick by Pat Rourke.
Burke had another good scoring opportunity a bit later. At about the 13-minute mark, SW (6-5, 1-2 Division IV) was called on a dangerous play, setting up an indirect kick. As the Burke attackers suddenly switched booters at the line, the SW defenders blocked the shot.
In the second half, Burke’s James Delaney beat Layman with a shot at 12:33 to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead. Raul Sanchez assisted on the goal.
With time running out in a game that resembled roller derby in terms of physical contact and high-spirited play, the Bulldogs’ Christopher Franke teamed up with Jonathan Reynolds for a goal that electrified the SW bench.
The Bulldogs outshot the Eagles 13 to 4 and held a 4-2 advantage in corner kicks. Layman recorded six saves, while Burke goalie Tyler Locatell made 10 saves.
“It was a physical game, a little rough, but that’s the game of soccer,” said Burke Assistant Coach Steve Gaschler.
Owen said that her team controlled the ball “65 to 70 percent of the time.”
“[But] I feel that they [Burke] intentionally delayed the game in the second half… that showed us they knew we were a threat, and they had to keep the ball out of the field.”
Her take on the handball save by another player in the box?
“It was very blatant, and it shouldn’t have been missed,” Owen said. “That’s a little tough to take.
Owen praised her players for the way they competed throughout the match.
“When a team comes back to score down 2-0 with 10 minutes left, that shows heart and it shows guts,” she commented.