The Eagles traveled 10 hours for a first time match up with the Hershey Wildcats. The Eagles left behind their leading scorer and emotional leader Dustin Swinehart who is recoverying from an injury.
Hershey came in to the game with a very impressive 9-2-3 record and it appeared to be a mismatch. The game started as a defensive battle and continued in that manner for most of the first half.
The Eagles forced by injury into a different starting line-up played very good ball control offense and created a couple of good scoring chances. The best came off a header by defender Ben Parry that was just wide. The Wildcats had a breakaway shot from point blank range which Dwayne Adams caught, another great play by a great goalie.
The second half was much the same however the Eagles were playing better than Wildcats.
Then at the 62 minute mark the game took a dramatic change. The Wildcats played the ball in front of the Eagles goal and the linesman immediately raised is flag for offside and from my view it clearly was. Ze Roberto put the ball in and after a few minutes of discussion the Referee counted the goal.
This was very discouraging for the Eagles and they could let the game get away, but the Eagles from this point on played perhaps their best soccer of the season and Ryan Leib tied the score off a Mark Pinch assist.
The Eagles pushed hard in the remaining minutes of regulation but couldn't score.
Overtime which is now beginning to be a standard for the Eagles started and Jose Gomez was really presuring the Wildcat defenders. Then in typical Eagle fashion with 9:08 on the clock Ryan Leib volleyed the ball in front of the goal and Jose Gomez drilled it in.
The Eagle had landed again in overtime 2-1 !! As to the Hershey boys with the megaphone directly behind the Eagles goal harrasing ( cursing ) Adams.
This ones for you- What is sweeter than chocolate in Hershey... VICTORY !!!!!!
STATS Charlotte Hershey
Shots 10 14
Saves 4 3
Fouls 12 14
Offsides 2 3* Should have been 4
Corners 5 7
Cautions: Charlotte Matt Miller 10th min.
Hershey Kyle Swords 80 min.
Referees: Stanford Nagle III, William Delaney, Adam Smeltz, Matthew Hamilton.
Starters: Charlotte- Goalie Adams, Miller, O'Brien, Parry, Galeano,Watkins, Mouw, Leib, Pinch (Sorzano 79'), Gajarda (Johnson 84'), Norkus ( Gomez 63')
Hershey- Goalie Busch, Evans, Henning, Degand, Feniger, Roberto, Klein, Swords ( Verra 87')- Bender 97', Ferry ( Watson 78' ), Shellenberger ( Marinos 49' ), Lindenmayer ( Kepp 63' )
Attendence- 2,103
EAGLEMAN of the Match- Several players had good performances but the entire Eagle team is this EAGLEMAN of the Match.
