September 19, 2009 - North Coventry, PA

After a rainout last week, the Lionville Kixx had their first league match today, up in North Coventry. Driving up Route 100 to the game, you couldn't help but marvel at what perfect weather it was for a soccer match - 70 degrees and sunny! Coventry were there early in their bright red kits, and it was a great contrast to the Kixx' solid blues.

The game started with some back-and-forth action. The Kixx seemed a little tentative, but had the upper hand, with most of the play happening in the Coventry end of the field. Early on there were a few great chances that showed how we're progressing as a team. On several occasions, right wing Joey D'Angelo pushed the ball up the wing, and then centered it into the middle. We weren't able to knock it home, but they were excellent plays, the kind we want to do every time. Defensemen Max Gress and Daniel Andris did a great job early of pushing up the field, keeping the pressure on Coventry.

Eventually, the Kixx pressure was too much for Coventry, and Michael Bolger buried the first goal of the season. Dalton Musselman scored next, after some strong midfield play from Michael Battisti and persistent work from Charlie Beale. Then, the Kixx scored again on a play that exemplified why we work on certain things in practice! The Kixx got a throw-in near midfield. Zach DeLone, playing fullback, took the ball, and threw it over Tristan Hummel's head -- EXACTLY as we practiced it! Tristan turned and ran with the ball, and lost the ball on a challenge, but managed to push it ahead to Michael Bolger, who managed to get it through to Dalton in front of the net. Dalton took a shot, but the keeper knocked it aside. But Michael Bolger was there, and knocked it home for a 3-0 lead! All of that generated by the throw-and-run by Zach and Tristan. Some solid midfield play from Brian Miller kept Coventry scoreless until the Kixx were called for a penalty inside the 18, for a penalty kick. Coventry beat goalie Daniel Good, who played great today. The kids went into halftime up 3-1.

In the second half, the Kixx picked up the pace, playing more aggressively and fighting harder for the ball. Zach DeLone and Charlie Beale were particularly tough on the ball, Charlie getting rewarded when he put a goal away to make the score 4-1. The Kixx kept up the pressure, with Alex Mullins coming within an inch or two of a goal on a nice shot from the middle. Mike Caggiano played solid defense on the left side, helping prevent Coventry from mounting a comeback. Dalton scored later on a penalty kick, and the Kixx rolled to a 5-1 victory! See a video of the game from Max's mom here!

All in all, it was a great game, in which the players really seemed to incorporate some of the ideas we've been teaching them. We still want to push them to be more aggressive, especially early in the games, but there was some excellent teamwork and many opportunities. All in all, a great start to the season!