NORTH DEFEATS JUDGE AGAIN, 1-0 LOCKS UP THIRD PLACE IN PCL RED DIVISION AND A BYE IN THE FIRST ROUND OF PLAYOFFS

A full house at UGH witnessed a neighborhood battle of two Salesian schools that culminated in Dan Venuto’s winning goal as the clock was hitting midnight but the story begins much earlier.  The score came at the death, at the end of the second overtime and insured North of no worse than third place in the highly competitive PCL Red Division.  With one game remaining (Ryan, Friday @ 7 PM), North is three points from first with Judge and LaSalle now tied.  If both win on Friday, and they are heavy favorites, Judge would gain first due to head to head tiebreaker. Each time would get a bye in the first round which starts on Monday.  Wood would also get a bye as the first seed in the Blue Division

The game had a little bit of everything, great shots, great saves, herculean efforts and can be seen online at www.varsity365.com.  After the game, Judge Head Coach, Mr. John Dunlop marched his team and his coaching staff over to North’s “NO SURRENDER” banner to sign their name and join the hundred others who say “keep North open.”

It would be unfair to say there was one hero tonight because great play was shared on both sides of the ball but again, North keeper John McCarthy led his Falcons in this game.  While his back line did yeoman’s work in handling the Judge attack, McCarthy had to make two point blank saves at the end of regulation and in the second overtime, was able to get his hands, no, his fingertips on a cracker of a shot from the Judge forward to parry over the bar from 10 yards from goal.

The game was well played by both teams.  Momentum seemed to ebb and flow between the squads but when it mattered most, North seemed to gain the upper hand for extended periods of time.  In the first of the game though Judge played a patient, possession game but could not really create many scoring chances except for the several corners they were awarded. North had several chances but it too could not find the target.

The second half of the game is when the action really started to heat up.  Judge’s keeper was tested several times mid way through the period from close in but he was able to handle Halls header off a corner and Venuto could not get too much direction on a ball at the six off another corner.  Senior Ira Woodruff, playing in the back joined the action several times near the end and created several scoring situations. When not attacking, Woodruff was the central reason that Judge remained scoreless.  At the end of regulation, McCarthy was called to stop a point blank shot from 12 and the rebound from 6. 

In the first overtime, North really seemed to motor forward and was attacking the more difficult goal because how the field slopes up toward the Judge goal.  Several free kicks in the Judge zone became dangerous.  Pablo Martinez began to spread the Judge defense as he was able to flick many balls to front man Khristian Hall. While Hall did not score, his work ethic was second to none considering he is suffering from flu like symptoms.

The midfield, anchored by Sr. Tyler Ward and Matt Martinez continually pressured the Judge midfielders, disrupting any continuity it tried to create.  When Hall was tiring, Jr. forward, Tommy Goodyear was called upon to chase the defenders, disrupt everything and create chaos and that he did.  Brindisi also called upon Freshman Jadir Espinosa in overtime to add a change of pace to the outside midfield.

The goal was a result of just these types of efforts.  North was awarded a corner kick off a ball that was deflected 40 yards from goal off of a punt by McCarthy. The Judge defender headed the bomb back towards his goal where Hall was able to gain possession at the corner flag. Trying to turn his man toward goal, Hall was able to gain the corner in the final minute.  Martinez lofted a curling ball into the box that was won by Judge and cleared out to the 30 where Frosh Kevin Lockhart headed it back into the box where it was flicked toward the goal. The Judge keeper lunged off his line but Venuto at the 18 easily beat him to the ball and headed over his outstretched arms.