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Olympic League

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Buccaneers Overcome Tough Sequim Effort

Sequim Just Can't Get Any Breaks

April 29, Sequim Stadium

     Top of the heap Kingston came to Sequim Thursday with clinching the Olympic League title in mind.  The Wolves, needing to win 2 of their remaining 3 games to make the post-season, were standing in their way.

      The game opened with Sequim pushing hard and gaining an early corner kick.  The deep kick was headed back into the mixer by Greg Dunbar and after some furious scrapping was cleared by the Buccaneers.  That early frenzy was to be the game synopsis as the Wolves were frustrated time and again.  Kingston got the first break on 26 minutes when a ball was pushed over to the right side and cut back by Josh Gilson.  Left forward Brian Bain was there to gather in the cross and push it past a sliding Matt Bedinger and a 1-0 lead.  Sequim drove for the equalizer before halftime and efforts by Kai Antrim from the left aided by Eric Huston came up just short.

      The game turned into a slugfest in the second half with Keller Batson leading some great rushes out of right defense and Jeff Catton getting some chances down the middle.  Kingston countered with Bain and Gibson working some combinations that were thwarted by Austin Sanford, Dunbar and David LaBeaume.  The backbreaker for the Wolves came on 68 minutes when League MVP John Troka pushed in a low drive from 30 yards out that was blocked by Sanford in the center.  The rebound ended up at the foot of Gilson at the left edge of the penaly box and a deft touch gave him an opening to nudge in the 2nd goal.  Sequim tried to end their 200-plus minutes of scoreless work against the Bucs but to no avail.  Chris Hall added a PK with 2 minutes to go for the final 3-0 score.

      So it was left with the Wolves needing to win their last 2 games to make the play-offs.

Sequim Blanks Under-Manned Bulldogs 5-0

April 22, Belfair

     Jeffrey Catton and Kai Antrim each had a pair of goals along with David LaBeaume as the Wolves scored 4 in the second half.  A thoroughly lethargic first half had most of the 20 plus die-hard Sequim faithful napping and Coach Brasher kicking imaginary gnomes in the sideline grass.  Antrim got the lead on 11 minutes after a luring run down the right sideline by Keller Batson opened up the middle for Jeffrey Catton to find a slot.  Catton hit Antrim and Kai finished strong from inside the goal box for the 1-0 lead.  Give-aways and fruitless corner kicks finished up the first 40 minutes.  Austin Sanford was solid in the central defense to thwart the minimal Bulldog pressure.

     The second half saw the Wolves play some better soccer and the blood began to flow from the 'Dogs on 57 minutes.  Catton unleashed a 25 yard bomb that found the back corner of the net after John Textor nesstled off a  gentle assist from the center.  Catton again was on range with a 35 yard rainbow left-footer from the right corner after Kevin Munro dropped him the ball from the depths of the corner.  LaBeaume wanted part of the kill and was set free through the middle after some nice work by Erik Huston.  LaBeaume took the feed and set the dagger deep in the net for a 4-0 cushion.  Antrim finished the scoring after some shoddy goalkeeping left a tasty rebound open for anyone who wanted it.  Kai said thank you and notched his 10th of the season.  Matt Bedinger notched his 4th shutout of the year with solid support from Sanford and Batson.

Wolves, Redskins Battle to 1-1 Draw

Sequim Dominates but settles for knot

April 19, Memorial Stadium - Port Townsend

     The Wolves made the rare Saturday evening trek to Port Townsend Memorial Stadium to battle the second place Redskins in the first of 6 critical games.  Losses to Bremerton and Peninsula made the situation dire but not insurmountable.  The game's first 10 minutes was all Wolves with pressure from Kai Antrim and Jeff Catton leading to 2 early corner kicks.  Greg Dunbar headed the first over and PT keeper Jesse Yourisch made a good stop on the second.  Sequim continued the pressure with Kevin Munro down the right and Zane Carey down the left.  Antrim's laser blast in from the right on 32 minutes could only be parried out by Yourisch but no Wolves could pounce on the long rebound and it remained scoreless.  Ross Bringgold called Sequim keeper Matt Bedinger into his only first half action with a long blast on 35 minutes that Matty B. easily pushed over the top.

     The 0-0 first half score carried 10 minutes into the second when the Redskins broke the tie.  Alex Baebler lofted in a free kiick from just inside Sequim's half to the far post that an onrushing Bringgold met sweetly and headed past Bedinger into the top left corner.  The pressure was on and the Wolves dug deep.  A corner kick, won by the tenacious work of Antrim, set the table for Catton.  Jeff fired in a dart that flashed by the PT defense and was met by a galloping John Textor and headed into the back of the net with authority.  Sequim then pushed for the winner with a free kick by David LaBeaume that went high and a diving Antrim header that went just wide.

     Overtime brought more Sequim chances but no rewards were realised and a 1-1 draw was the final.  The tie left the Wolves with 5 games to go and not much room for error.

Sequim Bumps Off League-Leading Trojans 2-1

League Leader Feels Wrath of Wolf Pride

April 10, Sequim Stadium

     The Trojans from Olympic HS cam to a wet & bumpy Sequim Stadium with their sparkling undefeated record and hopes to keep it untarnished.  The Wolves had other ideas and dictated a furious pace from the outset.  Olympic League scoring leader Cody Clark seemed determined not to have the record blemished and only 5 minutes into the game, when a turnover by central defender Austin Sanford sent him in alone on Sequim keeper Matt Bedinger, most witnesses were noting the time of the first goal.  Bedinger virtually screamed that he wasn't ready to roll-over and fired out of his box, dove at Clark's feet and came up with a stellar save.   Clark had another opportunity at the 10 minute mark when he shook free and launched a close-range drive.  Matty B. again came up huge and pushed the blast up and over the goal.  The Wolves then opened the scoring when left midfielder Erik Huston took a give-n-go return pass from Jeff Catton and sliced down the left touchline.  As Huston neared the end-line, he accelerated, beat his defender and cut the ball in towards the near post.  Seeing the near post covered, Huston zapped a shot just inside the far post and a 1-0 lead.

     The second half was a see-saw battle, with the Trojans finally solving the Bedinger riddle with a nice build-up down the right, a sweet cross in and a very supple finish from center forward Paul Brum to knot it at 1-1.  The Wolves pushed for the winner an were finally rewarded for their hard work 2 minutes from time with a bit of luck.  A hopeful clearance from Olympic's left defender, deep in his own end, found the back of retreating Keller Batson and ricoched into the Trojan penalty area.  Forward John Textor pounced on the loose ball, found a screaming Kai Antrim to his right and Antrim did the rest, burying the ball in the back of the net, 2-1.  The painfully long final 2 minutes elapsed with no Olympic threats and they boarded their bus mere mortals

Knights Slice Open Wolves 5-3

March 15, Sequim Stadium - Sequim

           Francisco Garcia was too much for the Wolves as he single-handedly shredded the Wolves defensive game plan.           

As Dull As It Sounds 0-0

March 8, Buccaneer Stadium - Kingston

     "The most exciting 0-0 game I've ever seen!"  "Despite no scoring, the game had play-off intensity."  "There were oodles of great scoring opportunities and plenty of fabulous saves!"  None of these statements describe the opening game of the 2008 season.

     Playing on the new Field Turf at Buccaneer Stadium in Kingston, nothing of any real merit materialized for either side.  Kai Antrim was released on a couple breakaways and showed early season jitters as he dribbled himself out of position and into the side netting.  The 3-5-2 formation experiment failed miserably with Zane Carey and Greg Dunbar, the holding midfielders, looking lost and never really getting into the attack.  Jeffery Catton played well as left defender but never was able to generate any offense from that spot.

     Matt Bedinger, in his first varsity start had 2 decent late saves to retain the shut-out but the main result was that much improvement is necessary to make the play-offs.