20th November 2009
Average Milwaukee Beat a Mundane Hopkins Team
Although Clearly a Better Team, Hopkins Fall 3-2
By Chris de LaiglesiaHaving been eliminated from the main competition, Hopkins were placed in the consolation bracket. With the tournament technically over, many of the team members did not seem to be as invested as before, and it definitely showed in the team preparation. Still, the team got ready to face the large players from Milwaukee.
The late 2pm kickoff was welcomed by all and the weather was not as harsh as that of the previous day. It was all Hopkins from the get go. Having changed the tactic to 3-5-2, the trio consisting of Ruppel-Tait-Hamilton were creating all sorts of problems for the Milwaukee defense, with chances coming from all three strikers. A goal was bound to appear, and it did moments later, but it was Milwaukee's bold forward who converted. He got a through ball which Sise and Henry misread and were punished for, as he proceeded to finish it into the net. Hopkins answered back as Tait, having received the ball in the corner area, took the ball toward the goal and crossed it across the goal. De Laiglesia then had the simplest of finishes, tucking it in the bottom right side of the goal. Hopkins then just went through Milwaukee, although their long balls were causing some problems at the back. Milwaukee then got another lucky break and scored a second to make it 2-1 at the break.
The second half started in a similar fashion, although the trio in the center did start to show signs of fatigue. The team kept pushing, but this led to another counterattack from Milwaukee ending in a goal. Henry managed to get a consolation goal from a corner, but there was too little time at the end, and it did not seem as though the Blue Jays could pull it off. The whistle blew, and it was the end of the 2009 season for the boys.
