18 Minute Power Burst Makes the Difference

Ted Goodrich
At halftime, all we needed was a good idea.
 
The first half was a fair showing, and it’s no small feat to hold Brooks scoreless, so Groton was fairly happy after the first 45 minutes. We dominated for stretches, and Chewy Bruni nearly scored on a Russell Thorndike cross, which Brooks’ keeper Andrew Kempe nicely pushed over the crossbar. Always dangerous on the counter, Brooks looked to spring Duncan Sutherland and Saul Iwowo, but Groton’s back line, led by Walker Davey and Gilintaba Canca were once again outstanding.
 
At halftime we made some adjustments, and these proved fruitful. Just two minutes into the second half, Walker Davey served up a perfect free kick that Jack Goodrich flicked into the net. Then, just two minutes later, Steve Perchuk sent a shot past the wall and keeper to make it 2-0. While the cliché is that 2-0 is the most dangerous score line (I prefer it to 0-2, myself), such a score is never too comfortable against a team with Brooks’ firepower. Yet just ten minutes later, Jack Goodrich settled a ball outside the 18 and rifled a shot that was blocked by a Brooks’ arm to set up a PK. “Sweet pennies from heaven!” someone muttered by the bench, but then we all looked up to see left back Perchuk stride to the spot. “Why is our left back taking this?” Seems Steve had plans of his own, and he rifled the ball into the net for 3-0.
 
The sunny day seemed even better. Just three minutes later, Goodrich sprung Jay Fitzgerald down the touchline, and he lasered a perfect cross in to Max strong, who headed it home. No one calls 4-0 a dangerous score, yet it became one when Groton had two late game lapses, one resulting in an own goal, and one allowing Brooks’ Sutherland to add to his tally on the year. (Disclaimer: I’m not a fan of coaches who describe their own goals as moments of poetry and opposing goals as defensive lapses, but this time I think it’s fair.)
 
Brooks put on a furious show at the end, never conceding for a moment, but the game ended at 4-2.

Very nice to see last year’s captain Charlie Pearce with his parents (they came to root for Charlie’s brother Zach who is an excellent defender for Brooks, but they really were pulling for us). Thanks once again to Kirsta Davey for the tremendous photographs. Somehow she manages to capture so many key moments. At such times, my mind looks like an electric panel exploding, but Kirsta has a calm, key eye.
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