I have to admit it; I'm smiling like an idiot right now.
Three goals in five minutes and the Hounds gain three points on the Second place Rochester Rhino's. The Rhino's have a tough game on Wednesday when they face Montreal, where as Pittsburgh gets a few days to rest before taking on cellar dweller Toronto.
Thank God for the delete button on my computer. I hate to admit it but after the team went down 3 -1, I had pretty much written off the Hounds chances of making the playoffs.
Thank God they proved me wrong. It's still an uphill battle, basically Rochester needs to lose at least one of their remaining games and Pittsburgh needs to win all of their games. It's still possible for the Hounds to catch them.
Before the game Hounds Owner Paul Heasly went down to the locker room and gave an inspiring speech to the team. What was said will remain between the members of the team, according to Coach Iribarren. "After the speech, I was 100 percent positive that we would win."
Whatever was said in the dank locker room must have been truly inspiring. For the Hounds played good, solid soccer and despite some mistakes never seemed to be intimated by the Rhino's. For most of the first half they seemed to be the hungrier team. Going headfirst time and time again at the Rhino's.
The pressure seemed to be paying off, in the 14th minute the Hounds would have a goal called back due to an offside flag. They didn't argue much about it though.
It would be the Rhino's that drew first blood. Off the restart due to a foul, Stoian Mladenov lined up on the ball and instead of taking the shot, let a weak pass go to David Hayes on the left side of the wall. His shot got past a diving Randy Dedini and the Rhino's were up 1 -0.
Pittsburgh would battle back and in the 43rd minute, one of the four corner kicks that the Hounds had in the first half would finally pay off. Richardo Villar's kick found its way to Aleksey Korol who put it into the back of the net. Suddenly we were tied at one.
Sadly before the announcement could be made about who scored the goal for the Hounds, Rochester was back on top. A quick counter off the kickoff caught the Hounds sleeping. The goal was credit to Doug Miller with former Salty Dog Gabe Valencia earning the assist.
The next 24 minutes were a seesaw battle of wills. Rochester had good chances in the 50th and 56th minutes while Pittsburgh would return the favor with good attempts in the 59th and 64th minute of play.
Rochester would go ahead in the 68th minute off a misplayed ball by Randy Dedini. As he moved way out of his box to force his teammates upfield. Gab Valencia would push off his defender and get free, Dedini mis-kicked the ball and Valencia easily intercepted it. He then walked right in on the scrambling Dedini to put the Rhino's up by two.
"I (fouled) up." Dedini said. "In the last 10 years of being a professional goalie, I've never done that." "Right after that," Dedini continued, "my teammates came up to me and told me they would get it back. And they did."
Pittsburgh nearly pulled within one in the 72nd minute, Thiago Martins hit a powerful header only to watch the Rhino's Bill Andracki get a finger on it and force it wide.
In the 77th minute they did. Martins received a perfect cross from David Flavius, who entered the game in the 65th minute. Flavius hustled down the line and stole the ball off a Rhino defender, beat another and made the cross. Martins chested it down and easily beat Andracki for the goal.
Pittsburgh would tie it up in the 81st minute of play when Michael Green would head in a Ricardo Villar corner kick.
Pittsburgh would get the go ahead goal in the 83rd minute. David Flavius would hustle and win a loose ball and charge into the box, he was tripped up in the penalty area but the ball squirted to Corey Woolfolk. "It was sort of a poachers goal because all I was trying to do was push it in the general area of the net. I don't think I hit it that well but a goal is a goal."
About a minute later Rochester nearly tied it up. Some fantastic passing by the Rhino's allowed Gabe Valencia to spilt his defenders and go one on one with Dedini, who came out to cut down the angle. His shot rebounded off the goalie and was heading towards the net, only to be cleared off the line by David Wright.
Seven minutes of extra time were added due to the amount of substitutions and injuries. Rochester would have a great chance during the opening few minutes when Randy Dedini saved a rifle of a shot. David Hayes was the shooter.
Pittsburgh packed in the defense but still managed to have one final chance before the whistle. Woolfolk managed to gather in the ball at midfield and make a long run at goal only to have his shot just barely sail over the crossbar.
STAT'S AND THAT
SHOTS FIRST SECOND TOTAL
Rochester 6 6 12
Pittsburgh 5 11 16
SAVES FIRST SECOND TOTAL
Andracki (Roch) 3 3 6
Dedini (Pgh) 1 3 4
Cautions/Ejection's
TEAM C/E MINUTE PLAYER REASON
Rochester C 26 Valencia UB
Pittsburgh C 31 Wright UB
Rochester C 38 Wilson UB
Pittsburgh C 69 Worthen UB
Substitutions
TEAM MINUTE PLAYER IN PLAYER OUT
Pittsburgh 54 Worthen (F) Glowienka (D)
Pittsburgh 65 Flavius (F) Korol (F)
Pittsburgh 72 Woolfolk (F) Jacquette (M)
Rochester 75 Dinonzio (D) Hayes (M)
Rochester 81 Suarez (M) Demmin (D)
Pittsburgh 86 Ongao (D) Flavius (F)
Rochester 86 Commodore (F) Schweitzer (D)
Pittsburgh 89 Potteiger (M) Martins (F)
Both Thiago Martins and Doug Miller scored a goal in last's night's game. Both players lead the league with 34 points. Miller has played three games more than Martins.
