Okay, enough with the chit chat. Let's get down to business.
Game 1 - Wellspring Parable 7, Clark Physical Therapy 1
In the battle between the Young Guns and Clark, I thought the field would be fairly even. A zero hour pullout by Elliott left Clark short handed. Lightning player Sam Arends stepped in to fill the void, but ultimately got injured (sick?) and left before half time. Lightning player Boyd offered to play in his stead (and has now been moved to Clark permanently).The difference in the game was the ability to maintain offensive possession. Once again Wellspring demonstrated their ability to possess the ball which narrowed Clark's ability to generate any offense. The smaller bodies seemed to worm their way through Clark's talented d-poles and find the back of the net. Crites was on fire and Gardner put a nice side arm past Clark goalie Fitch.
It was a noble effort by Clark, but ultimately their more direct and rushed play led to their downfall.
Game 2 - Mi Casa Rustic Furniture 0, Lightning Wear 13
After practicing on Sunday, Mi Casa had a solid plan for pregame warm ups. Unfortunately due to the mowing, the games were behind schedule and the warm ups were cut short. Making matters worse, after reffing the first game my legs were shot so I did not feel up to taking face offs and running midfield. By moving to attack, I was stuck with the league's biggest d-pole, Patrick "Mechelle" Shelton, covering me like a lead blanket all night. I could not shake the big man.The Bolts came out as strong as ever. Their aggressive play on both sides of the field ensured very few turnovers and even fewer attempts by our offense. Not only did they score early and often, but they improved their passing game as well. Their movement - both off and on the ball - was quite impressive. They never let up on their game plan and deserved the win.
Before the first quarter ended, Boyd left Lightning bench to play for Mi Casa. This eventually led to his move to the understaffed Clark team. The Bolts won this game without Arends, Symons, and Boyd.
***
Although I picked the winners, the score differentials were way off. It's still early in the season and there too many unknowns. Yeah, we'll go with that...
