Bruni Brace Leads the Way

While it was so hot we might as well have been at Burning Man, Groton got off to an excellent start with a 3-0 win over a good St. Paul’s team. St. Paul’s pitch was lush—so lush it was quite slow and soft, not to mention how it felt on tired legs by the 90^th minute. Adjusting to the conditions, Groton dominated possession and created some nice chances in the first half. In the 15^th minute, Mark Reiss slid a ball to Max Strong who drove a fantastic shot (non-preferred foot) over the goalie and into the back corner of the net from distance. Up 1-0 at the half, Groton made several adjustments that had an immediate effect. Within the first minute after the break, Max Steinert—who must have spent the summer working with Andres Iniesta—split the defense with a beautiful ball that sprung Mark “Chewy” Bruni for his first goal of the game. St. Paul’s #9 (sorry, I don’t have the roster) was a handful, yet Gil Canca and Walker Davey did a wonderful job of organizing the defense and keeping him in check. In the 71^st minute, a Walker Davey corner skimmed off the head of Jack Goodrich and reached Bruni, who did sort of a Picasso cubist version of a bicycle kick. Time stood still as the ball arched over the goalie and under the crossbar to make it 3-0. Midfielders PK “3 Minute Mile” Kenyon, a new Fifth Former, and Jack Goodrich put in strong 90 minute performances in midfield that left both needing a food trough this evening. Rajit Khanna stood strong in net to earn the shutout. With a week until our next game, we hope to have the full side healthy for our first ISL match at St. George’s.