In what would have been the upset of the season, the Rangers used a blistering opening half hour to go up 2-0 on perennial league leaders Tekvisions Lagers Legends...only to come up short in a heated match that included dueling yellow cards, smack talk, a couple of shoves and a bite. Seriously. A bite.
After discovering that the pitch for the match, Clinton Park's Lower Field, was non-existent and the goal posts were chained to the fence, the teams were forced to move to the short Upper Field. The seven pro-Ranger fans who came out to watch in the evening drizzle were treated to an opening barrage of shots and corner kicks from the gold and black, who showed determination and exploited a weaker Tek right side to keep the ball in the opponent's half. Ron King doubled his season point tally with a blast after just ten minutes. The Rangers back line swept and cleared out Tek through balls and attacks, allowing keeper Steve Berg to make the occasional easy save. Attila Szlovak doubled the scoreline around the half hour mark with a left-side break away that the keeper fumbled, allowing the lone attacker to collect the ball and easily dump it into the net.
Then things started getting really surly. Darin Creason took a charge near midfield that left him on the grass for a few minutes and the chatter between the squads grew more testy and sharp. As tensions continued to simmer, Tekvision opened the second half with two deflected shots that found their way into the goal. Over the course of ten minutes, the referee showed both squads the yellow card, gave two drop balls, and whistled a half dozen fouls. Ron King came off the field with a bite mark on his hand, surely a first for this division. The tie was broken with about fifteen minutes to play when Tek found their third goal. Rangers answered with a flurry of shots, including two free kicks that made the keeper stretch, but the equalizer just wouldn't go.
Junior Rangers for the match were Jim Snyder's children, Rorie and Ethan, who served as an excellent ballboy/ballgirl and, in Ethan's words, "cheered for the goalie." I have noticed that when we have Junior Rangers at the match, we tend to play better and score goals. Hmm...I'm just saying... While the loss was disappointing, the team can take heart in two things: 1. Our last three match-ups resulted in a net score of 17-4, so this was by far the most competitive we've played against them and, 2. We play these guys again on June 20th.
Bring your muzzles.
Sean Ingersoll
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