We walked to the stadium and they are an athletic looking group. The people couldn't be nicer and more interested in where we are from and welcoming us to America! We arrived at the stadium and the lads sat in the stands watching the end of the 5 o'clock game!
Memories came flooding back and I got quite emotional thinking about the first tour in 2011 and people we have lost, Eddie will always mean a lot to this program and decided to make our pre-game shout dedicated to ET2!
The warm up games are exactly that, you learn lessons and get used to the higher tempo of play over here. We didn't struggle in the first half at all but just made mistakes and gave them more possessions than they deserved. Fighting clams are a class act and send a lot of players to Div I colleges, we came in at half time and the boys heads where down. I explained to them that this happened to the 2011 team and we would play better in the second half, just get rid of the mistakes and we would come back and win the second half, it isall about learning lessons quickly and improving each game! We decide if we win not by the score but by the way we compete and improve!
Well that is exactly what happened....................!
Will Baxter stepped in the cage and the Deense played solid, the Defenders had left men open to take uncontested shots on Elliott Hurry who was great in the first half but was left no chance to make a save!
The first goal came from a split dodge from Scott Dagnanleach who found Steve Ewing on the opposite wing, he finished well over the Goalies right shoulder, celebrations exploded from the Knights massive and fans (the Caras and Smiths) in the stand! It was a well timed goal and put belief back into the squad. "Dags" left the field with a huge grin on is face, he must have been happy as on the next play he received the ball at the top of the box and tucked his shot low and away from the goalkeeper!
Ciaran "Hench" Johnson then stepped into the fold scoring an amazing individual goal, Baxter made a great save and cleared the ball to Ciaran just outside our own restraining line, he ran past two riding attackman leaving them in his wake across the halfway line, he carried on his run and took on the first D man, driving hard down the alley stepping across his defender, changing hands and driving in front of the crease to finish on his left hand! Hench!
We where back in the game and had the momentum,
Joe "Jose" Cara scored from an unsettled situation that nearly wasn't a goal as I wanted a time-out, luckily the Ref didn't hear me and the Goal was given, Joe scored on a nice low bonce shot and deserved his goal.
We then went close to scoring again from a great drive and dish from Alex Winton and a great cut from Alex Russell, Russell's Defense man got a touch on the ball which made it difficult to catch!
I have only really mentioned the scorers really but he whole team had a piece of this fightback, this is a team of 23 great players who will be even better by the time they return!
We had our traditional team photo with the other team, thanks so much to Simon Smith for these amazing photos!
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