Semi-final @ 9:30pm: FC Coraggio 4 - 4B's 0

A very good start against a tough but tired foe. After having played a full make-up game at 6, then a 1st round game at 8:30, the 4B's had to face us. We needed to put early pressure on to force them to run and tire out, and it worked well. We created chances and kept them away from the net, and pretty soon it was 1-0. By the end of the whistle, we had a 4-0 win with a last minute goal by Jeff D.

Both Kevin M and I (Ned) received injuries that took us out of the 2nd game and forced us to watch from the bench.

Probably the biggest excitement prior to the game was watching the Strikers knock off the Predators with a ricochet goal in the last :10, winning it 3-2. We were told to bring our white shirts just in case, and that turned out to be a premonition at that moment. Surprising that it was that close; the Predators dominated the offense and the ball for most of the early part of the game. But the Strikers bend-but-not-break defense kept them in it with a chance to win it in the end, and they capitalized. Credit the Strikers for playing with a ton of heart and forcing the issue on the Predators, who didn't answer the call with the scores when they had the chance.

So by winning, we got a 15 minute break to rest up and get ready for the final...