EAU CLAIRE, Wisconsin - The Boats had a tough doubleheader in WPASL this weekend and unfortunately dropped points in both games.
First up was a trip to Merrill to square up with Lobos FC. Earlier in the season, a shorthanded Lobos travelled to Eau Claire. We defeated them 4-1. This time around, it was Lobos grabbing the early advantage with a goal in the first quarter of an hour. Their midfielder pounced on a poor clearance and was able to fire a shot that forced Reid Reinart into a save. However, a Lobos player crashing the goal was able to divert the rebound back in.
Shortly after his introduction, Erickson Tepole forced a penalty against Lobos. David Ripplinger stepped up to the spot and blasted into the roof of the net for the equalizer.
Bateaux's Liam Schwartz and Lobos' Kyle Durr received yellow cards from the referee for mutual dissent of the referee. This would prove to be momentous in the second half.
The match would remain tied until shortly before halftime. On the counter, Lobos was able to drive in and slot past Reinart in net for their second goal of the game.
About 10 minutes into the second half, Schwartz went into a tackle clumsily and took out the man, resulting in a second yellow and sending off. We would play the rest of the game with 10 men.
Ten minutes after that event, Elliott Solberg pulled down Lobos' Abraham Camargo in the box resulting in a penalty to the opposition. Andres Romero coolly dispatched the spot kick, sending Reinart the wrong way.
With the game still sitting at 3-1 approaching the 80th minute, Dalton Hoepner found Solberg unmarked in the box off a corner to halve the deficit. Perhaps, maybe, there was a way back in.
No such luck, however. On Lobos' next attack, they were able to find a fourth through Abdellaoui. This goal put the game out of reach.
Nevertheless, the Boats had a chance to recover from the previous day's defeat against rivals Union Eau Claire FC in the Eau Claire Derby. The game was played end-to-end in the early going when Chuck Rogers slid in John Wilke for a 1v1 chance. Wilke smoothly clipped the ball over the onrushing keeper to find the back of the net. The score would be 1-0 at half time.
Rogers had a litany of chances fall his way including two shots that rattled off the woodwork. He would find his goal partway through the second half, finishing a chance from a wide angle with a powerful, low drive to the opposite post.
Union would find a way back in less than 20 minutes from time. An inswinging cross from the left half space evaded everyone on its way down and slipped past Reinart in goal.
Then, with less than a couple minutes left of the 90, a free kick taken from a central position took a strange deflection off Lucas Zumwalt and ended up in the roof of the net. Equalizer, demoralizer. The game would end 2-2, the second draw between the sides this season.
Our next WPASL game sees us host Sioux Falls, SD side Dakota Young Stars. DYS have zero points to their name this season and have no doubt been affected by the travel. We look to get back to winning ways. That game is scheduled for 4 pm on Sunday, June 25.