By Ted Waddell
LAKE HUNTINGTON — October 26, 2007 — That’s the way the soccer ball bounces.
Tuesday night’s Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association (OCIAA) Division IV boys’ soccer match under the lights at Sullivan West High School featured the home team Bulldogs versus the Liberty Indians.
A nasty rain created slick field conditions, and by the end of the game both squads were soaked, as the visitors defeated SW, 4-1.
Liberty (10-7, 5-3 Division IV) opened the scoring at 34:34 on a goal by Jacob Kleinberger.
The Bulldogs bit back at 27:06 on a goal by Eric Minton off an assist from Gaston Owen. The match remained tied 1-1 for the remainder of the first half.
The Indians scored two quick goals in the second frame to take a 3-1 lead. Everett Ramirez was assisted by Saeed Robinson at 38:01 on the go-ahead goal. That tally was followed up at 37:36 as Robinson teaming up with Kleinberger.
Ramirez closed out the scoring at 17:54 with a goal thanks to an assist from Robinson.
About midway through the second half, SW (4-13-1 overall, 0-7-1 league) changed goalies as Grishaber moved to another position and Lucas Bauer guarded the net.
Liberty outshot SW by a 20-8 margin. The Indians also held a 4-2 advantage in corner kicks.
Liberty goalkeeper Tom Fix made five saves, while Grishaber and Bauer had 10 and four saves, respectively, for the Bulldogs.
“We had a totally different game than when we played over there,” SW Coach Debbie Owen said. “In the first half, we took care of Saeed Robinson and their defensive layout, and had an offensive run.
“The answer is that we have a new group, trying to learn too many different positions at the same time, so we’re bouncing around and the flexibility isn’t there yet… we’re always just out of it,” she added.
SW will be losing three seniors to graduation – captains Jesse Fadis and Richard Feeney, along with Spencer Oliver.
Owen said she thinks most of the other players on the Bulldogs’ squad will suit up again next season.
“We’re expecting big things next year,” Owen said.
Liberty Coach Anne Ramos used just a few words to sum up the match played under adverse conditions.
“I am very proud of my boys, they played a strong game for me today from the beginning to the end… they were ‘on’, they were organized,” she said.
“They made a few mistakes, but corrected them right away,” Ramos added.