Rochester FC made the trip up to Eau Claire this past weekend for a big matchup in UPSL Division 1. The Boats (that's us) were on the end of two crushing defeats in their last two, so walking away with three points was the goal. Rochester had come off a draw against table toppers 18x26 Academy in their last game.
Rochester started the game with a little more urgency and impetus to nab a quick one. Good possession and changes of the perspective of their attack shifted us left and right, but our defense kept everyone in front of them organized and honest.
Our first goal came off of a direct free kick right at the 20th minute. Kyle Bushendorf sat over the ball right on the sideline at midfield. Rochester's defense switched off and allowed Bushy to play AJ Mittelsteadt in. With the GK out of position, AJ slotted it to the GK's right for the opening goal.
It only took about 7-8 minutes for us to snag our second goal. Luke Rosenberger latched onto a loose ball in the box, shifted his feet and got tripped by a Rochester defender. The referee saw enough in it to award a penalty, and AJ coolly dispatched that for his and the team's second goal.
The scoring stopped there, but the game had an hour left to run. Our defense had shut Rochester down and limited them to a handful of attempts. Our final ball was lacking in a few moments, notably midway through the second half. We had two quick chances on the break that broke down with the final pass. Two goals and a clean sheet inspired by Enrique Torres keep us in the hunt for the playoffs.