Martlets Domiante But Unable To Grab Final Win

The Martlets made the long trip to Greenwich to take on the host Bruins in the 2012 season finale. Playing on a fast turf field, the Seconds played some of their finest soccer of the season, knitting together tight passing sequences and generating consistent pressure on the Brunswick keeper from the outset. The first 20 minutes of the game and the last 20 minutes of the game were all overwhelmingly Westminster; the middle 40 minutes were more evenly played but in the main controlled by the Black and Gold. On the evening - a late 5 pm start left the team playing under the lights - Westminster outshot Brunswick by a comfortable margin, 18-5, with stalwart keeper Philippe Morin '15 handling each attempt with ease and yielding a goal in the second half only on a well-taken penalty kick in the 45th minute. Evan Yenor '13, who did a fine job anchoring the backfield and igniting the offense, had earlier converted a free kick from outside the box to put the Martlets up 1-nil in the 15th minute. Westminster pressed hard for the go-ahead goal in the final 15 minutes of the game, hitting the post twice and having several other near misses - but to no avail. Derek Leydecker '15 and Jack Werner '16 both had strong games running the wings in the midfield, and Declan Horrigan '16 and Ashton Kille '15 again controlled the ball and proved able pivot men in the center of the field. Noah Fosse-Grenier '16, Sam Dardani '14, Erik Rost '15, Mario Benicky '15, and Danny O'Connell '13 all had their chances up front, but despite their up-tempo, aggressive play could not find the back of the net. Overall the team's energy level was impressive, as clearly they were hungry for the win; none more so than Ethan Holdaway '13 who made many aggressive runs on the flanks. Zach Orzeck '16 and Curtiss Brackett '13 held down the fort in the back, and Riley Bitterli '14, Sean Byrne '15, Will Schmidt '13, Gage Kennie '13, Preston Miller '13, and Miller Guth '16 all came of the bench to contribute valuable minutes to the effort. Overall, it was a well-played game by the Seconds and a fitting end to the season; the team deserved the win. The side finishes the 2012 campaign at 6-6-2, keeping intact the program's long-standing streak of .500 seasons or better. The coaching staff thanks the lads for the good spirits and good efforts throughout the season. It was, as always, a pleasure to coach this team. Manager Jane Lee '13, too, deserves a warm thank you for her great work and baking on game days - the team could not have survived this year without her. Thanks, too, from the entire team, to the parents and other Friends of the Program for their tireless support and post-game snacks. And a special thanks to Denis Horrigan, who ran the lines at Brunswick and invaluably helped the Martlets maintain their pace and effort.