Forza Medfords!

News of our latest outing in 3-on-3:

After scrapping out a tie through sloppy play a week ago, the Rock Shocking Medfords showed up with good form to defeat the league favorite Sprint corporate challenge team 8-6. Showing improved team play and strong shooting to compliment their stingy defense, the Medfords could become a force to reckon with in the league.

Playing without substitutes, the Medfords still kept up the pace to utilize their speed and fitness advantage. Showing her aggressive and tenacious defending, Sarah Doyle kept the pressure on KCCC runners all game, often freeing the ball into space and playing it with creativity. One play at right midfield found Doyle forcing the ball past a strong marker. Falling to the pitch after aggressive head-to-head posturing for a 50/50 ball, Doyle recovered to take a solo run to the center and put away the goal. On another strong play, Doyle freed the ball and fed a well-placed through ball toward the feet of an on-running Matthew Staub, who sent a shot just wide of the far post.

Staub roamed the pitch through much of the game, running the distance to chase down and neutralize counterattacks. On one such effort, Staub cleared the ball into space and beat two oncoming defenders to move along the flank. As pressure built from the inside, Staub made a run for the corner and placed a cross to the feet of an in-position Doyle, who was making a perfectly timed run and had made her way behind the defense. Doyle met the ball at her feet and placed an on-target one-time shot to tally for the Medfords.

Standout Jace Hansen helped control the momentum. After a strong scoring run by the KCCC side, Hansen took the midfield pass from Staub and weaved through the defense on a solo run, finished with a strong shot on goal to immediately neutralize the opposing side. Hansen’s footwork has the KCCC side guessing for much of the game as he neutralized his marker on numerous plays. After tallying 3 times for the Medfords, Hansen continued his strong play falling back to defend the lead, keeping the side out of danger by clearing the ball upfield with precision passes to Doyle and Staub, who both tallied goals in the closing minutes.

The KCCC team keyed off of Medford mistakes to net many of their goals. In one instance, Staub came from the central defender position to run up the left flank on a combination from midfielder Hansen. Hansen was dispossessed at midfield and neither player was able to return to the back line to prevent a goal. In another instance, Staub dropped back to clear a KCCC attack out of danger. Stepping back to make a clearance, contact was ruled in the box for an automatic goal. KCCC also benefited from an own goal as Hansen stepped into the path of an opposing shot, which ricocheted and found its way into the goal.

The Rock Shocking Medfords return to action next Tuesday against Tax Attack. Kickoff is at 6:30 at Satchel Paige Field on the Sprint campus.

Rock Shocking Medfords Stats:
Goals/Assists/Fouls
Jace Hansen: 3/2/0
Sarah Doyle: 3/1/1
Matthew Staub: 2/4/0