Potsdam

We are back to winning ways. A nice 4-1 win in our last SUNYAC regular season game against Potsdam. What was especially strange about this game was that our longtime friend and Plattsburgh alum Mark Misiak is now the assistant coach at Potsdam and to see him on the opposition sidelines was strange.

Injuries are really taking a toll on us and we have to shuffle a lot of people around. It was always going to be a difficult game because although Potsdam are at the bottom of the SUNYAC’s they have lost most of their games to just 1 goal and they usually have given that goal up in the last 5 minutes.

The game started out well with us controlling the possession and generally being the more dangerous team. After about 15 minutes we became cagier and started make mistakes. We played like a team that had lost 2 in a row and looked extremely lacking in confidence. We were not playing too well but we were still the better team.

The second half was a different story. We came out with a lot of confidence and we made a change, putting Googz at left back and Martin at right back. Levine and JJ are both still injured so we are desperately searching for a left back. We started to pass and move, this was the way we know we can play and they couldn’t get near us. The game could have been a lot different though as a breakdown in communication at the back gifted them an opportunity. They were awarded a free kick about 20 yards out and they hit one low to the goalie’s side and Andy made a fantastic save to keep the scores level. From then we knew we had to get one to settle them down. After a corner the ball came back out to Googz on the left and he played it first time to me on the side line, I took the space and got the byline and clipped one into the box where Payne scored a great diving header to give us the lead. It was nice to see him score as he got a few early on and they have since dried up a bit, but he played well in this game and definitely deserved one.

We kicked on from there and put some subs in. Cadden put in a deep cross and Tuna rose above the defender and headed it into the bottom corner. His celebration was wild and it gave everyone a few laughs when he did his own personal dance at the half way line. But it is nice to see freshmen score their first goal because you never forget it and when you see one get theirs it takes you back to yours.

We then got a few more subs and gave our starters a bit of a rest. We were still playing some nice stuff and Shaughnessy got a chance to turn his man and put one across where Tuna was waiting to slam home his second. Again more subs came in and after Martin put a free kick in Ryan Graig nodded home his first ever goal too. His celebration was another interesting one with him saluting Buddha.

We were a bit disappointed to give up a late goal with some sloppy defending but in the end we were happy with our performance and a victory. Matt Martin was definitely the man of the match with a very confident performance that he has been telling us for 2 years that he is capable of.

We now know that we will be hosting a play in game for the SUNYAC tournament on Saturday. We play Geneseo and it is do or die for the season and for the seniors, our careers. I have noticed that as we come to the end of our final regular season we reminisce about the past 4 years a lot more. We talk about what life was like as a freshman and who we liked or disliked, who we thought was good and remember games that we played. It is senior night on Wednesday and it will be an emotional night because this program has been a major part of our lives for 4 years. Being away from home this team has been my family and all of my great Plattsburgh experiences and memories are with the team. Hopefully this week isn’t our last as part of the program and we can go deep into post season play for one last time.

Here is the song I have been listening to the most this week:

Taylor