No JJ, No Gary, No Goalie (LP1), No Dre, No Ryan, No Tony, No Asani...No Problem, We Have a Magician!

Sometimes, when you look back at the schedule, you find one game - one special game, that can be pin-pointed as season defining.  Yesterday may've been that game...

...Christopher Wallace was a genius on the mic.  Christopher Berardi is a magician on the ball.  Joining Kowi and Tony "the Tiger" Calarco as members of last night's MVP triumvirate, 'Beracuda' Berardi pulled a dragon and then a rabbit out of his hat to help secure a Coyote undefeated May...

...I rolled up to the Williamsville South parking lot pumpin' Beanie Man's Murderer - the reggae jam has a hint of roots elements, but mainly a grimy dancehall trac --- anyway, the field and the weather were ideal.  Our numbers, unfortunately, were not.  We were missing 6 starters - 1 red card (LP1 (goalie)) and 5 out of town (field players).   only 10 guys were around during warm up.  Then an 11th - nice, we had enough to start - (3 more showed up as the opening whistle blew). Amherst had around 20 I'd say.  


The first 15 or 20 minutes were relatively uneventful - 50/50.  In fact, there were very few opportunities for either team throughout the entire first half.  Near the end of the first half, one of their guys received the ball around his midsection (in the box), with his back to the goalie, cradled it like a baby (looked as if it was a (two handed) hand ball to me), and neatly laid it off to a waiting finisher.  1-0 Sharpshooters at the half.


I thought the second half opened up a bit.  it began slowly, but Amherst started to control most of the play after about 10 or 15 minutes -at least 60-40 (maybe worse).  They must've had 3 or 4 breakaways or near-breakaways in the second half.  This brings me to the huge praise section of the write-up: Mr. Michael Antkowiak.  Just 3 short years ago (or so), there was chatter of his never setting foot on a pitch again.  One of the best defenders in western NY, Kowi had broken his leg, twice - but, has since made his way back - at first as manager, then as manager-player, and now, as a prime-time MVP.  Yesterday, he had to fill in as keeper for suspended LP. One of his saves, yesterday, was one of the best I've seen in premier - one of their beastly strikers broke through, Kowi darted out, cat-sensed the low shot, slid, straight at the bullet, and blocked that puppy with his knee and shin. I screamed and then yelled, "way to keep us in this game." Huge save to keep it at 1-0.  A bit later, Amherst sharply shot a cross to make it 2-0.  One of their strongmen yelled, "fkcu yeah" and did one of those air punches, as we set up the ball at midfield.  Their goalie gleefully screamed, "let's get the next one, boys."  There were about 10 minutes left.  I heard one of their guys yell "to the corner" as play resumed...

I need to mentioned our third MVP - Mr. Anthony Calarco.  Tony the Tiger had one of his best games as a member of the Clarence Coyote Organization.  The kid was all over the field.  He was a defensive ace.  I may've mentioned it in the past, but this guy is like a mix of a wolverine and a badger.  You don't want to mess with him.  Great job.


...so, they tried to ice it - unfortunately, for them, that entailed one of their wingers in the far corner, on Ace's side.   AC is a monster.  very nice guy. but a beast.  Ace ran through the kid, whilst playing the ball smartly off of his leg and out of bounds.  The dude ended up tangled up in some netting in the corner.  Our throw in.  We got the ball downfield, eventually, and on to the foot of recruit Ray "Reru the Damaja" Ru.  Reru is a very nice player.  He got into the box, cut over, got held a bit, and clipped a bit.  he went down and drew the PK.  This is at the 87 minute mark.  The magician stepped up, stepped back (to the 37 yard line), and sprinted toward the ball.  He Beracuda blasted that bad boy into the net, ran up and grabbed the ball, and slammed it onto the midfield dot.  1-2 score.  That was the dragon.

A few minutes later, at the 90 minute mark, someone gave a neat pass up ahead to Sam 'SS youngblood" Sutherland, who effortlessly grazed a through ball header to the sprinting Magician.  Berardi, with pace, outworked a good, shoulder to shoulder defender, and professionally chipped the ball over the oncoming goalie from 24 yards out.  The ball neatly sailed in - about 2 feet under the crossbar.  The kid's celebrations are smooth.  This one; the airplane (the two arms out, extended) - he flew over to the near corner - I met him there - I sprinted (in airplane mode as well) from the bench to meet him near the corner - like 7 or 8 of us congregated and celebrated for 5 or 10 seconds.  It felt like we won a trophy.  It was epic.  That was the rabbit.

What a comeback.  Another, next-yote-up mentality, team win. Even though it was 'only' a tie, it felt like a win.