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28 June, 2008 | EAFL Game 05 |
FDR Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Philadelphia Hits
Another Gear In Fourth & Trumps Boston At Home; 8.10 (58) to 6.8
(44)
A steamy hot morning set the tone
for a hot hard match up against Boston. They turned up with 19
players and it was decided to play 16's to allow them subs. The
Hawkers fielded 25 players including six American and two Aussie
rookies.
First quarter saw a few mistakes and easily given marks for Boston
allowing them an early lead. A few failed kicks from Boston
allowed Philly to remain in sight of them
Second quarter and the Hawks came out of of fresh interchange with
a goal in the first minute. Boston quickly answered with one of
their own. Kicking on goal was furious from there on by both teams
with each missing and piling up behinds.
After a well deserved rest during half time from the sun and
humidity both teams came out firing again, with many shots on goal
both ending in a lot of behinds yet providing for a lot of
exciting action.
Knowing that they were down going into the final quarter Philly
fired up. The back line which had been picked apart most of the
game by Boston's excellent marking in their forward line, finally
found their gel positively stopping Boston in their tracks at
every opportunity. From that point the Hawks just launched on
after another after another to finish off the Demons in our,
gutsy, we aren't done till we're done, fashion that we have become
legendary for in this league.
This was an especially big win for Philly as we haven't seen a
success against the tough Division One team, Boston, in quite a
few match ups. Made all the sweeter at our home ground, FDR Park.
Thank you to Boston for giving our boys and our spectators such a
spectacular display of footy.
A very BIG, BIG, thank you to our fans. We saw our largest turn
out yet of about 30 people. They included some Mums and Dads,
Alumni, and respective girlfriends and Wives. I have been working
very hard to bring the final element missing in this club and that
is a truly Aussie style club built on the backbone of Footy,
supported and enjoyed by all. We here in Philly are Mates first,
on and off the field and the showing by our family, friends and
supporters show that they now see us as a Club, not just a team.
There is and always will be a big open door to all and tons of
ways you can enjoy our social element as we look forward to an
even bigger and better social participation.
Alex, CARN THE HAWKS....!!!
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QUARTER SCORES:
01Q: PHI 1.2 (8) to BOS 2.5 (17); 02Q: PHI 3.5 (23)
to BOS 3.6 (24); 03Q: PHI 5.7 (37) to BOS 6.8 (44);
04Q: PHI 8.10 (58) to BOS 6.8 (44)
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07 June, 2008 | EAFL Game 02 |
Cedar Fork Soccer Park, Morrisville, North Carolina
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Tigers Melt
Philadelphia's Hope For Win On The Road
On a day when temperatures reached
100 degrees, the young North Carolina Tigers clawed their way to a
narrow victory over the visiting Philadelphia Hawks, 40-34, in the
season opener.
Philadelphia made the trek south, armed with a strong side that
never once wavered in the unrelenting heat. Meanwhile, the Tigers
came out in full force, sporting a roster with many first and
second year players, many of whom were playing their first match
with key responsibilities. With umpire Seth McElvaney finishing
his final pre-game assessments at 2:30 p.m., the teams were ready
to clash in the record setting heat. From the opening bounce,
Coach Jason Heathcote’s Tigers established early possession and
continuously moved the ball up field. But the Hawks defense, led
by veterans Dan Milburn and Pat Miller, continuously rebuffed the
Tiger advances, allowing only a single behind from many chances.
But in footy, the tide can turn very quickly and that is precisely
what happened near the ten-minute mark. After intercepting a Tiger
kick in their defensive positions, Philly counter attacked
rapidly, moving the ball with precision up the left flank and
capitalizing on their first real chance with a deft snap kick that
moved the Hawks ahead by 6 points. Philadelphia, sensing the
Tiger’s nervousness, continued their fast play, constantly using
their Coach and Revolution player, Jon Loring, through the middle
to create opportunities. After a few missed chances, Tiger
veterans rallied their younger teammates and pushed forward from
the backline. Quick scores ensued, including a beautiful goal on
the run by Tiger Co-Captain Wes McCallister sandwiched between two
behinds. As the siren signaled the end of the first quarter, the
Tigers had surged ahead of the Hawks, 1.3.9 to 1.0.6.
Philadelphia struck first in the second quarter, grabbing an early
lead again on a goal at the three-minute mark. Four minutes later,
with neither team consistently establishing possession, Philly
kicked another behind. The even play continued, each team fighting
the elements, unable to establish a grip on the match. Four more
behinds added to the score at halftime, three coming from Tiger
boots, and the teams made their way to shade with a score of
2.2.14 to 1.6.12 in favor of the visiting Hawks.
The third quarter of an Australian Rules Football game is known as
the most vital. Nicknamed the premiership quarter, both coaches
knew this certainly was the case, especially given the heat. With
the teams refreshed they stepped onto the field for arguably the
most important twenty minutes of the day. The crowd cheered for
both teams and the players sensed the electricity. With Coach
Heathcote’s words ringing in their ears, the younger Tigers, many
of whom were manning the middle, seized the moment and began what
was to be a dominating opening 10 minutes. Within forty seconds
the younger Tigers pushed the ball forward and kicked a behind. A
minute later the longest tenured Tiger, Ben Hess, capitalized on a
brilliant feed from Paul Duncan, another Revolution player on the
pitch, and booted home a soaring goal. Seconds later another Tiger
surge resulted in yet another behind. Following a brief Hawks
attack, the Tigers caused a turnover and raced forward. A timely
sliding, basket catch from Tiger veteran Matthew Gordan near the
goal line set up a free kick which was converted and the Tigers
were in prime position to finish off their opponent. But
Philadelphia would have none of that. Led by Aaron Harrington, the
Hawks quickly regrouped after those shocking initial five minutes
and controlled the middle portion of the premiership quarter. But
they could only net one goal in that time and before the siren
sounded, Tiger Paul Duncan added a goal after a Tiger behind which
made the score, 4.9.33 to 3.2.20 in favor of the home team.
The seesaw battle for possession continued in the final quarter,
both teams tired and hot. But neither team’s hunger for a win went
away, and after a sluggish start to the quarter, a Hawks’ behind
began the scoring. Two minutes later, Tiger Duncan finished off a
mark on the right flank and booted home his second goal of the
match to stretch the fourth quarter margin to 18 points. Never
once using the heat as an excuse, the Philadelphia Hawks then
showed off their high level of character that has made them
favorites among their peers. Using team defense and the talents of
Paul Giacomin and Mike Simones, the Hawks booted two goals in
quick succession at the ten-minute mark and suddenly Philadelphia
was right back in it. The Tigers scored a behind to increase their
fragile lead to seven points, setting up a frantic final five
minutes. The Hawks continued to then pound the Tiger defense.
Never once settling for useless handballs in their half of the
field, the Hawks smartly assaulted the top of the goal box, hoping
to create scoring chances. But the veteran Tiger defense held
strong until an uncharacteristic mistake with a minute left led to
a Philly free kick from an impossible angle along the boundary
from about 20 meters out. But the ball sailed over the goal post
for one point and as the Philly players felt frustration up front,
the Tigers breathed a sigh of relief and booted the ball out from
their end. Seconds later the final horn sounded and the players
from both teams rushed to congratulate each other on a tough,
fairly contested affair that resulted in a win for the Tigers in
their opening game of the 2008 season.
“I thought our new players really stepped up today,” remarked
Coach Heathcote afterwards. “Newcomers like Ben Wetzel and Ross
Pleban meshed well with our veterans like Wes McCallister and Mick
Coysh. And you can never say enough about Mick. He leads by
example and knowing he’s back there makes my job a lot easier.”
Jon Loring continued the praise of Tiger youngsters, specifically
calling out Jordan Lee for his effort in the middle while calling
McCallister “their engine that makes them go.” Loring also
couldn’t have been happier with the extra players the Tigers
loaned them, especially veterans Matt Pickett and Brian Jones.
“Jonesy was just a ball of energy out there and relentless in his
pursuit of the ball. Really, all of them represented the Philly
jumper the way we wanted and made us proud to have them.” In fact,
the second Philly goal came courtesy of Tiger newcomer, Dennis
Kurtz. “It’s always a good game between these two teams,”
continued Loring, “and as expected it was close with a goal as the
difference. The Tigers wanted it more.” Coach Heathcote echoed
these words with his final comments on the field. “Our backline
held strong, especially when Philly gave that extra effort.”
Heathcote then paused and looked over his exhausted players as
they slapped hands with each other. A satisfied smile finally
crept over his face. “We won today because of heart.”
Game Notes: Philadelphia got two goals apiece from Paul Giacomin
and Jim Madigan…Nick Wolk was awarded the Hawks Donger Award…Tiger
Coach Jason Heathcote registered a DNP (knee)…No serious injuries
occurred in the game…Special thanks goes to Marc Century for his
stat-tracking…It was Tiger Co-Captain Michael Coysh’s first game
as a father. Lucy Jane Coysh was born April 24. Congratulations
Mick and Sidney! .
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QUARTER SCORES:
01Q: NCT 1.3 (9) to PHI 1.0 (6); 02Q: NCT 1.6 (12)
to PHI 2.2 (14); 03Q: NCT 4.9 (33) to PHI 3.2 (20);
04Q: NCT 5.10 (40) to PHI 5.4 (34)
GOALS:
NCT: Duncan (2); McCallister, Hess, Gordon (1 ea.)
PHI: Madigan, Giacomin (2); Kurtz (1)
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BEST:
NCT: Coyah, McCallister, Pleban, Lee, Sayre-McCord
PHI: Loring, Madigan, Giacomin
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07 June, 2008 | EAFL Game 01 |
Gaelic Athletic Association Facilities, Canton, Massachusetts
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Eagles Pick Up
Right Where They Left Off; Take Win Away From Boston On The Road
Start of the Eastern Australian
Football League and expectations are high. With the earlier
announcement in the season that regardless of a final ladder,
Baltimore Washington and New York will automatically be given
berths in the 2008 USAFL National Tournament in Colorado Springs
due to their third and fourth place finishes at last year's
tourney. You would think that a weight has been lifted from both
clubs, however entering the fourth season of EAFL action there's
more at stake for the five clubs than National seedings. There's
been rivalries built. There's pride at stake. There's the
challenge of finding that proper balance of veteran experience,
youthful energy and who puts the better team on the field that
particular Saturday.
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Both New York and Baltimore
Washington already faced one another at the Fort Lauderdale Spring
Tournament with the Eagles squeaking out a one point win against
the 'Pies in perhaps the weekend's best game. The Eagles also
hosted a young North Carolina squad who suffered a number of key
injuries, but hung their heads high knowing that they could square
off with one of the leagues' best for the full 80 minutes of play.
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Kicking off the season, the Eagles
traveled north to Canton, Massachusetts to take on the home town
favorites. In ten years of football, the Eagles had never beaten
the Demons on Boston soil, so numbers would be key as well as
fitness and skill preparation.
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From the onset, play was back and
forth as both clubs felt one another out, recognizing important
match-ups. Boston matched up well with the smaller BWE side and
goals bounced from one end of the field to the other. Playing
under the 93 degree Fahrenheit sun, players from both teams found
themselves swapping off repeatedly, conserving energy for the long
haul. Some stellar kicks by the likes of Dwayne Marshall and Matt
Bishop gave the Eagles kept the game close, but the Demons
countered with their own sure shots, giving them the lead at
quarter time, 3.4 (22) to 2.5 (17).
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With some quick shuffling by the
Eagles' coaching staff, the Eagles found renewed energy in some
clutch players. With Geoff Hamshar and rookie Kyle Petronella
tackling duties in the ruck, the Eagles' engine room pushed and
purred with efficiency as Stuart Ritchie, Dave Waldron, Matt
Bishop and Aaron Tyndall created more than enough opportunities
for the hungry forward line of Danny Thompson, big Damo Moore and
Garth Elliott. Getting some confidence and with a healthy dose of
fresh legs on the pitch, the Eagles attacked with vigor and pulled
themselves ahead at the halftime whistle, 5.10 (40) to 4.5 (29).
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In the third quarter, the Eagles'
experienced a rash of injuries as three players all came off
seeking medical attention. David Waldron, who had been throwing
his body into piles for loose balls, collided with a Demons'
player head-to-head and suffered a bloody gash across the top of
his head. Coming off for ten minutes for some gauze and tape,
Wally was back out there for his next shift, continuing to give
Boston fits up the guts. Danny Thompson and back pocket Rich
Strayer both suffered some gruesome finger smack-ups, with Tommo
popping back in a dislocated finger. Rich Strayer unfortunately
was unable to return after what appears to be a broken thumb after
some valiant battles on the Eagles' defensive end. On the
scoreboard it showed as the Eagles' contained Boston to 14 points
as the quarter closed with BWE still on top 8.12 (60) to Boston's
6.7 (43).
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Knowing that Boston was not a team
to lay down to a challenge, the Eagles knew going into the fourth
quarter that the last 20 minutes of play would be the toughest.
Substituting a number of veterans with first-year players, the
Eagles stayed off a gigantic surge of Boston goal-scoring
opportunities. Players like Philip Stablein and Joe Lilly saw some
serious time against more experienced counterparts and held their
own with some great plays. Things started to get a bit chippy with
Eagles' players disagreeing with a number of umpire Doug Algates'
calls, but cooler heads prevailed and the Eagles gladly walked off
with another win notched on the belt. Given if the clock had run
on for another five minutes, it really would have been anyone's
game. But the day belonged to the Eagles who did what they haven't
done in years and years; take a win away in Boston with a final
score of 9.18 (72) to 10.9 (69).
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Much thanks goes out to the Boston
lads for all their gracious hosting and looking out for the Eagles
while the team was on the road. As both teams prepare for the next
hurdles ahead of them (Boston vs. North Carolina and BWE vs. New
York), both teams can take pride in knowing that they are both
division one caliber and have the seeds of new recruits to carry
them into the next few years where the rivalries and levels of
footy playing will build.
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QUARTER SCORES:
01Q: BWE 2.5 (17) to BOS 3.4 (22); 02Q: BWE 5.10 (40)
to BOS 4.5 (29); 03Q: BWE 8.12 (60) to BOS 6.7 (43);
04Q: BWE 9.18 (72) to BOS 10.9 (69)
GOALS:
BWE: Marshall, Elliott (2); Bishop, Tyndall, Waldron,
Ritchie, Wheelock (1 ea.)
BOS: Damo (3); Ards, Seanny (2); Clarky, Earl, Bam (1 ea.)
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BEST:
BWE: Tyndall, Wheelock, Borchardt, Ryan, Petronella,
Frearson
BOS: Helem, Campbell, DeGeorge, Evon, Gaines
EAGLES WIN METRO
CURTAIN RAISER TO CONTINUE BOSTON SWEEP ON THE DAY
Along with having an experienced
side play in some EAFL action, both clubs had the opportunity to
spur some interest from their newer members as first-year (and the
occasional veteran) joined up for a 7-on-7 game that served as the
curtain-raiser to the day's big game. Some significant notes about
the game included Boston fielding a team with the overwhelming
majority of players never touching a footy before outside of
practices. Baltimore Washington played five rookie players as well
as picked up two rookies from Boston's side.
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HALF SCORES:
01H: BWE 4.6 (30) to BOS 0.0 (0); 02H: BWE 9.14 (68)
to BOS 0.0 (0)
GOALS:
BWE: Goodman, Polsusny (2); Borchardt, Fenlon, Lilly,
Stablein, Venuto (1 ea.)
BOS: -
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BEST:
BWE: Goodman, Lilly, Mott, Petronella, Stablein
BOS: -
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