Gryffindor beats Series Seven in intramural soccer semi-final
Gryffindor 2, Series Seven 1
Teamwork and a second half goal boosted Gryffindor over Series Seven, 2-1, in a semi-final co-rec intramural matchup, Wednesday.
“We played really well as a team,” Gryffindor Captain Kevin Mitchell said.
The red and gold got off to a quick start, scoring early in the first, when Mitchell broke through and scored for a 1-nil lead, which they carried into halftime.
“We don’t have one good player,” Mitchell said. “Everyone is good. That’s the thing that separated us, we don’t have one weak link.”
It didn’t take long for Gryffindor to score again. This time the goal came off the foot of Trevor Eschler, from the left side.
Eschler’s goal along with solid play by the defensive line secured the win, despite a strong effort from Series Seven. Seven’s Tyson Johnson rallied, but his single goal wasn’t enough for the win.
Series Seven’s Captain Jason Johnson said his team played well, except for a few foul ups on defense.
“It was a hard-fought game, and we had fun,” Johnson said. “That’s what it’s all about.”
Gryffindor, 5-0, next takes on 7-2 The Good Team Monday, Oct. 3, in the final.
“It’s exciting,” Mitchell said. “There are a lot of really good teams, and there’s a lot of competition.”
Clownfish 2, Ace of Spades 1
The Clownfish took on the Ace of Spades in the re-match of a regular season game, Thursday. The undefeated Clownfish came out on top in the men’s final, this time with a 2-1 victory.
The Ace of Spades was short manned — it started just nine players, instead of the usual 11. Despite the lack of depth, it managed some good chances in the first half.
Ace of Spades’ players hit the crossbars twice in the half and caught the Clownfish off guard with its control. The score was tied, nil-nil, at the half.
After some questionable play on both sides, and a referee reminder about sportsmanship, Kyle Griffith broke through for the Spades and used his head to give his team a 1-nil lead.
“We’re all competitive guys, so it ends up being chippy,” Singleton said.
The Spades didn’t lead for long. Singleton took a well-placed ball and headed it into the back of the net, to tie up the score, 1-1.
The Fish’s JC Vasquez broke the tie with a goal, just minutes later, when confusion in front of the goal turned into a scoring opportunity. Vasquez stepped in and booted the ball past Spades goalkeeper Andrew Walker.
“We have great chemistry together,” Singleton said.
Clownfish almost pushed its lead to two, but a late goal was called back on an offside violation.
The championship victory marks the second time in three years many of the Clownfish players have won a championship on the same team.
“Even though we’re not always playing together,” Singleton said, “when we do get together, we play really well together.”
–meredith.kinney@aggiemail.usu.edu