August 7, 2011 - West Chester, PA

The Kixx traveled into their own backyards for their first games on grass since April's Turkey Hill State Cup Challenge. It was also the first tournament since the team moved into the U11B age group, and the team was sporting a few new faces and missing a few old ones. The Kixx ended up undefeated in the tournament with a 2-0-1 record, but they disappointingly failed to make the finals after being eliminated on tiebreakers for the second straight tournament.

The West Chester Summer Classic spanned three August days at West Chester's soccer parks, beginning with a warm Friday evening matchup against the West Chester Pride. With newcomer and occasional guest player Logan Cattie in the fold, and Alex Mullins returned from a one-year hiatus, the Kixx had their first real opportunity to see how the new team was gelling. The boys took the field in their new white uniforms, most of which had somehow managed to become dirty before the game had even started. Mike Battisti started in net, and the Kixx played the 2-1-2-2 format they began using last season to great effect, with Ruben Hoika in the role of sweeper or "libero." The Kixx pressed from the first whistle, and just a few minutes in it became clear that the Kixx are going to be especially deadly on set plays deep in offensive territory. When the Kixx got a throw-in on to the right of the Pride goal, most of the fans expected a standard short throw-in. But Dalton Musselman scored the first goal of the year when he hurled the ball all the way to the goal mouth, where it found its way into the net, possibly as an "own goal." The Kixx were in the lead! A few minutes later, Mike Bolger showed why his left foot is so valuable to the team. Powering past a defender down the left side, Mike launched a rocket of a shot that drove into the top of the net out of reach of the Pride keeper. Less than 10 minutes in, the Kixx were cruising.

Most games come with moments of adversity, and the next 10 minutes would test the Kixx's resolve. A West Chester player squirted through unmarked and knocked a ball past Mike Battisti to pull the Pride within one, and for a few minutes the Kixx struggled to regain their composure. The play for the next few minutes was discombobulated, and despite the Kixx having superior talent, they couldn't seem to take control of the game. In past seasons, this sort of struggle had been commonplace. But this time, the Kixx showed their growing maturity as players. They settled down and started to play less recklessly, and gradually control came back to them. Joey D'Angelo made a number of strong plays to hold onto or steal the ball from opponents, and Tristan Hummel worked tirelessly to keep the ball moving. The tension eased when Charlie Beale sent a gorgeous ball from the right corner into the front of the net, where Logan and Ruben converged in tandem to knock the ball into the net for a 3-1 lead. This was quickly followed by a near repeat of the Kixx's second goal, as Mike Bolger launched another blast from the left past the beleaguered Pride keeper. With a few minutes left in the half, Logan followed one of his own shots for an easy rebound tap-in, and the Kixx coasted into halftime with a cozy 5-1 lead.

In the second half, rookie keeper Daniel Andris replaced Mike Battisti in net, in a move that would have noticeable impact later in the tournament. Lead in hand, the Kixx dominated the second half. The Pride scarcely mustered a shot on Andris, and the Kixx kept up the offensive pressure. They added a gorgeous goal a few minutes into the half, when Ruben sent a perfect corner to the front of the net, where Dalton met it with his head for an easy finish. Ruben later knocked in a ball from a scrum in front, and Charlie Beale added a late goal. When the whistle blew, the Kixx had rolled to an easy 8-1 victory.

With both of the Kixx's starting midfielders unavailable for Saturday and Sunday, the next two matchups wouldn't be as easy. Saturday saw the Kixx facing a much-improved Division 2 TEYSA team. The Kixx had played this team before, with great success, but this team was going to give the Kixx a run for their money. With the lack of midfield depth, the Kixx elected to go with a more aggressive 2-3-2 format. In fact, even though the Kixx had the better of the early play, TEYSA put Lionville on its heels by tallying first, a quick, undefended shot from the left. The next goal was critical, and the coaches barked instructions anxiously from the sidelines, trying to get the kids to settle down. They did, and a familiar trio rewarded their patience, when Charlie, Ruben, and Dalton combined to even the score. Charlie sent a beautiful pass to Ruben, who moved the ball inside to Dalton for an easy finish. But TEYSA didn't quit, and in fact they took the lead again when Mike Battisti had trouble corralling a spinning ball. It snuck into the net, and the Kixx were trailing once again. But the Kixx kept pressuring, and tied it up again with another nice chain of passes. This time it was Dalton who had the ball first, in the right corner. He sent the ball over to Alex Mullins, who got it to Charlie for the shot. The TEYSA keeper was able to stop the ball, but Charlie banged home his own rebound. The whistle sounded shortly thereafter. Kixx 2, TEYSA 2.

The second half started off in a much more fortuitous manner. Just a few minutes into the half, Dalton again acted the playmaker, hitting Ruben with a pass. Ruben took one step and launched a shot into the left corner of the goal to give the Kixx their first lead of the game! A few minutes later, the Kixx caught the TEYSA keeper out of position, and Dalton got his third easy tap-in of the tournament. With a 4-2 lead, it looked like the Kixx were well on their way to shutting down TEYSA. But with two fewer subs, the Kixx players' energy began to fade, and the defense let a TEYSA player slip through for an easy goal. It was 4-3, with just a few minutes left in the game. The Kixx were on their heels a bit, TEYSA pressing hard for the equalizer. But time was running out, and with just a few seconds left in the game, it looked like the Kixx had it made. Max Gress was especially strong, turning away challenge after challenge from TEYSA's talented #13. But a few minutes later, a turnover by the Kixx spawned a sudden rush by TEYSA. One quick pass, and TEYSA's best striker was through the defense for a breakaway on rookie goalie Daniel Andris! But Mike Battisti caught him from behind, knocking the ball away with a powerful tackle, crisis averted! Only to hear the dreaded whistle . . . PENALTY KICK! A goal here and a tie was almost certain. Daniel shifted nervously on the goal line as the TEYSA player lined up the ball. He trotted forward a few steps and shot towards the right corner of the net. Daniel dove . . . and knocked the ball away! But the ball was still live, and he and the TEYSA player both scrambled for the ball. Daniel fell on the ball just a split second before the TEYSA player. There was a fierce collision, but Daniel held on! He recovered quickly from the collision, and just a few seconds later the final whistle blew. The Kixx had won, 4-3, and would now enter the Sunday showdown with Ukranian Nationals with identical 2-0-0 records!

Sunday arrived. Rain on Saturday night had left the fields slick, but the sun would come out mid-game to produce a hot and muggy atmospher. The Ukranian Nationals were a Division 1 team that had cruised through their first two games. The winner of this game would advance to the championship later that day. Tournament or no tournament, this game would be a challenge for a Kixx team that was still missing two of their strongest players. In a surprising move, Coach John elected to start Daniel Andris in goal. This move turned out extremely well, as fullbacks Mike Battisti, Max Gress, and occasionally Joey D'Angelo gave the Ukranians fits all game long. It was clear from the start that this opponent was of a different class. The entire first half was back-and-forth. Neither team dominated play, and neither team had one particularly dominant player. It was tough, physical, high-pressure soccer. Zach DeLone's work at right half was particularly fierce for much of the game. The Kixx would have to come from behind again, though, when a loose ball in front of the Kixx's net took a bad hop right to a Ukranian player, who tapped it home for a 1-0 lead just a few disappointing seconds before the end of the first half.

The Kixx were tired come the start of the second half. The humidity was high, they were short on subs, and the nature of the game was very physical. Fouls were much more frequent in this game than the others, but nothing that resulted in any particularly dangerous chances. Back and forth went the action, until the Kixx got something to cheer about. A long ball into the front of the Ukranian net bounced around for some time, neither team able to corral it. But Tristan Hummel kept after it, and knocked it home to tie the game! Kixx players crowded around and hugged him ecstatically! Another goal would seal their advancement to the championship, but it wasn't to be. The rest of the game played out neutrally, with both teams generating scoring chances, but neither able to finish. The game ended in a 1-1 tie. Disappointingly, the Kixx learned that a peculiarity in this tournament's rules gave the Ukranian Nationals the edge in tiebreakers. The Kixx were out. (Ukranian Nationals advanced to the championship, where they prevailed 1-0 to win the tournament.)

Overall, the Kixx played a tremendous tournament, with strong contributions from every player on the roster. The usual offensive performers were solid, Daniel Andris' performance as keeper was a startling bright spot, and Tristan's goal against the Ukranians was well-deserved. Their on-field teamwork has improved greatly. The team defeated a Division 2 team and tied a Division 1 team, both missing two of their strongest players. It was disappointing not to make the finals, which we are confident the Kixx would have won, but the 2011 version of the Kixx remain undefeated. Their next action will come in the late-August Battle at Hilltop.