"I just had a feeling he was going to my left..."
Dan "Iceman" Calkins made a penalty save for the ages midway through the second half to help preserve another draw for Rangers and keep our unbeaten streak alive. The replay with Controlled Chaos on Match Day Six was not the science-filled rout that started the season, but a physical match against a motivated squad with ample reserves on their bench. When the official Kevin Pardo pointed to the charity spot following a tackle on the far edge of the box, the assembled fans assumed the conversion would be automatic. They were all wrong.
Team Picture Day saw thirteen Rangers and their families make it to the Montessori Earth School for the 4:00 kick-off. Unfortunately, those numbers would be diminished early in the first half when Sean Ingersoll pulled up lame with a hamstring pull and Brian Bauman left the match late with an ankle knock. Cheered on by a devout following of FC77 Newcastle players and their copious quantities of beer, 'Gers faced a side that had not been scored on by any other team in the Rose City Division. The last time their defenses had been breached was by Mark Vogel's 85th minute tap-in back in September...approximately 365 minutes ago. Their record would last another fifteen minutes before the Gary Foubister robbed their keeper's clearance and reminded them what getting scored on looked like. It looks a lot like this:
Deja vu, Ranger-style
I'm getting ahead of myself, however. The starting line-up included Calkins in goal; the Pullen-Bauman-Snyder-Seaton axis formed the back line; Burden, Muralt, Radigan, and Foubister in the midfield; and King and McConnachie up front. The team has been evolving to a 4-1-3-2 formation and the true holding midfielder proved helpful in countering Chaos' early attacks, which definitely showed intent. Ingersoll and Vogel formed the reserves. Foubister's fifteenth minute goal put 'Gers on top to the delight of the home crowd, who boasted approximately fifteen spectators on the sidelines and in the adjacent playground. The lone goal was the only thing to separate the two sides for the remainder of the half, which was characterized by frequent tackles and aggressive challenges from both sides.
The second half saw Chaos throw a concerted effort into their attack and had 'Gers backed in their own end for much of first fifteen minutes. When Bauman was harshly adjudged to have fouled the Chaos striker on a legitimate 50-50 ball, Pardo marched to the penalty spot and cleared the box. Calkins appeared almost nonchalant about the entire episode and casually hung from the crossbar while the opposing number #13 lined up his strike. Calkins correctly determined where the shot would go: "I wasn't worried. I just had a feeling he was going to my left..." Still, knowing where the shot would go was only half the equation. Stopping it was the most important part, and the resulting strike was no cupcake of a shot. Calkins sprawled hard left, ungloved no less, and smacked the ball out of play. The crowd. Went. Wild! Duly inspired by the circus save, the squad rallied to push the ball up and started getting forays into the opposing side. An equalizer was coming around the 65th minute, but Burden and King answered with a lil' sumpthin' sumpthin' of their own, specifically, a jailbreak left wing run that didn't stop until King took the pass, broke free of his marker, and slammed it home into the corner of the net.
It looked like 'Gers might pull off the win until about ten minutes from time when a corner kick at the Powell Street End curled back and, to everyone's surprise, clanged off the inside of the far post and ricocheted into the net. It was a bit of a freak play and certainly unlucky for the home side, but unlike last week, a draw was a fair result...our second 2-2 tie in two weeks. Rangers still remain top of the table with Chaos and Petro Kickers nipping at our heels, but I know that EVERYBODY WILL SHOW UP NEXT WEEK. RIGHT?!
Special thanks to the entire Corps of Junior Rangers who cheered us on and acted as ball boys and ball girls for when the ball left the pitch and landed in the playground. The efforts of Junior Rangers Kendall, Connor, Kate, Stella, Taylor, Rachel, Ethan, Rory and Britney were certainly appreciated. (If I left anyone out, just let me know and I'll edit this post. No worries.) By the way, your Junior Ranger Logo entries are due next Saturday. Don't delay!
By the way, can I get a shout-out for my lovely wife Becki who has been learning the ropes of amateur sports photography this season? Some of the these shots are trader card material!
Next Match:
FC77 Rangers - Blue Monk Derby Redux
Saturday, October 25th
Montessori Earth School
4:00 KO
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