It took six minutes to get the scoring started. It then took 50 seconds to double the lead. The game had just begun but it felt like it was already over. When all was said and done, we put eight past the opponents.
A corner kick sent in by David Ripplinger made its way through the box and found Alan Martinez for a simple, unmarked finish at the back post. Immediately off the ensuing kickoff, Poskin Jets turned the ball over. Gage Espanet took two defenders to school before squaring a ball for Ripp to tap into an empty net.
Just three minutes later, it was 3-0. Another corner, another missed clearance, and another simple finish. This time it was Cade Klusendorf picking up the loose ball, cutting onto his right, and placing a reverse finish in at the back post.
It was 4-0 by the 15th minute. Off yet another corner, Dalton Hoepner picked up a scuffed clearance and powered the ball into the back of the net. The only thing stronger than the shot was his goal celebration, a fist pump that shook the earth.
We made it 5-0 a couple minutes before halftime. Dan Hunt collected a pass from Erickson Tepole, turned, and found Tye Kreutzfeldt with a through ball. This goal was similar to his goal from the Championship game - a 1v1 with the keeper that he put to the GK's left. This one kissed the right post on its way in.
10 minutes into the second half, Tepole collected a short free kick, turned and fired from 30 yards. The ball clanged off the underside of the bar but never crossed the line. However, just a minute later, Ripp made it 6-0 with low drive from outside the penalty area that beat the GK to his left.
Tepole then made it 7-0 in the 63rd minute with a left footed hit after Ripp cut the ball back to the top of the box. Max Walters executed a perfect dummy to drag two defenders away from Tepole, opening the space for the shot, which was perfectly placed inside the left post.
The eighth and last goal was scored by the notorious OG. Kreutzfeldt received a ball in stride down the channel from Walters. He cut the ball back into the box where it was stabbed at by one Jets defender and volleyed off the post and in by another.
We threatened a few more times but didn't put the ball in again before the referee whistled for full time. Overall, the guys executed the tactics perfectly in a different formation. There are always some small creases to iron out and we'll do just that in advance of next weekend's matchup against Spartan FC (Sunday, 6/12 at 5:30 PM on Bollinger Fields #5).
STARTING XI: Mullally, Walters, Klusendorf, Lopez, Rosenberger, Martinez, Hoepner, Burk, Smith, Espanet, Ripplinger
SUBS: Goodrie, Hunt, Kreutzfeldt, Nunn, Puglisi, Schwartz, Solberg, Tepole, van Nelson, Xiong
BOX SCORE
GOALS: Martinez (Ripplinger) 6', Ripplinger (Espanet) 7', Klusendorf (Ripplinger) 10', Hoepner 15', Kreutzfeldt (Hunt) 44', Ripplinger 57', Tepole (Ripplinger) 63', Own Goal 77'
No yellow or red cards were shown to either team in this match.
Dalton Hoepner (right) and Dylan Burk make their way back for kickoff following Hoepner's goal. Photo: Christina Gordon