53rd, 46th win big; to face off in championship

  • Published
  • By Airman Anthony Jennings
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  The 53rd Wing and the 46th Test Wing earned the right to proceed to the 2009 Intramural Soccer Season championship game April 14 after both teams came out victorious in the season's playoff games. 

The first game of the evening was between the 53rd, 7-1-1, and the 96th Civil Engineer Squadron, 5-4. 

Throughout most of the first half, neither team was able penetrate the other's defense. However, after 28 minutes of offensive tug-of-war, the 53rd team drew first blood when Abdul Hannan was able to score closing the first half, 1-0. 

"Because of all delays due to rain, we came into the game flat," said Danny Rodriguez, 53rd team captain. "But once we got our juices flowing through our legs, I knew we would control the second half." 

The score gave the 53rd the needed boost to carried them into the second half.
Consistent pressure allowed the 53rd to control the midfield and distribute the ball to forwards. Two goals by Amadeu Portal and another by Benjamin Price gave the 53rd a cushion over the 96th team, 4-0. 

"We pretty much stuck to the game plan," said Rodriguez. "We wanted to control the midfield and play from the outside in." 

Late in second half the 96th team managed to squeeze in a goal, but it was already over. The 53rd clinched a championship berth with the 4-1 victory. 

"We held them pretty well in the first half," said Nikolas Kenna, 96th CE team captain. "The 53rd was the first seed and they had younger, quicker legs with a solid defense. I think we improved a lot over the season, though, and I'm happy to have made it this far." 

The second game was a nail-biting contest between the 46th, 6-2-2, and the Air Force Research Laboratory, 7-2-1. 

The first half consisted of fancy footwork and fast paced drives up the field, but neither team was able to score in the first half. 

"I wasn't too happy at the end of the first half," said Matt Dillsaver, 46th team captain. "I was confident we were the better team and we picked up the pace in the second half." 

The 46th team gained the edge over AFRL in the second half, testing the AFRL goalie, Eric Zimmerman. Zimmerman kept them out, however, blocking and deflecting the shots. 

"Our whole season goes to Zimmerman," said Mike Kostelny, AFRL team captain. "He's probably the best goalie I've seen this season." 

However, the constant pressure became too much as the second half approached its close. With less than two minutes left on the clock, Rob Wible kicked a cross-shot pass to Dillsaver who was able to put the ball in the net, ending the game 1-0. 

"It was a good game," said Kostelny. "We both played tough, but in the end they deserve the win. It's been fun up to this point and I thank the referees and sports directors for making this a memorable experience." 

The first and second seed will meet in the championship game April 16 at 5:30 p.m.