2018 ISL Match Report
Date:  11/14/2018
Home Team:  Middlesex
Away Team:   Groton
Score (H-A):  1-0
Goals (Assists)-         Home:             #10 Josh Quirk (89', Penalty Kick)
                                    Away:              None
Goalkeeping-            Home:             Kenyon Palletier (45', 0 GA)
                                                            Alfonso De Vito (45', 0 GA)
                                    Away:              Rajit Khanna (45', 0 GA)
                                                            Jack Pedreschi (45', 1 GA)
Cardings-                  Home:             #2 Justin D'Alessandro (89', Yellow)
                                    Away:              #15 Patrick Kenyon (87', Yellow)
                                                            GK Jack Pedreschi (88', Yellow)
Notes:             The New England Class B Tournament kicked off with a Quarterfinal match-up of ISL teams, as the #1 seed Middlesex hosted the #8 seed Groton.  With wind chills hovering in the teens and gusts up to 25 mph, these were adverse conditions for the players and the fans.  The sideline was packed with students from Middlesex and Groton, along with their drums and vuvuzelas to make for a wonderful playoff atmosphere.  Over the course of the 90 minutes there were great chances for both teams, and Groton especially should be proud of the pressure applied in the first half and the multiple chances that were cleared off the line, hit a crossbar, or just did not quite find the right side of the post.  Max Strong and Chewy Bruni were constantly dangerous for Groton, and their set-piece threat was the key to many of these close chances.  Middlesex was rather thankful to see the score still tied at 0-0 at the halftime interval, and the second half saw a shift in the number of quality chances tilt towards Middlesex.  The attacking group of Anyolo Makatiani, Josh Quirk and Jacob Charles were clicking down the stretch with positive midfield support coming from Kwabena Kwakwa, Haydn Herrema, and the unsung hero of the match, Andrew Parker.  The pressure mounted over the last 20 minutes, but the two five-minute golden goal overtime periods and the possibility of penalty kicks were looking like a reality until the 89^th minute.  Kwabena Kwakwa turned in traffic through a number of players in transition and played an inch-perfect through ball that beat the Groton back line and came to the front foot of Jacob Charles.  Charles rounded the keeper and as he went to pass the ball into the open net he was brought down by the keeper and awarded a penalty.  Josh Quirk stepped up to the spot and stroke the match winner into the side net from 12 yards away with less than two minutes on the referee's watch.  Groton mounted on last attack, as a foul was given outside the edge of the Middlesex area, but the free kick went straight into the wall and was eventually cleared.  The final whistle went a minute later and the home fans stormed the field to congratulate the boys from Middlesex.  Huge congratulations need to go out to the boys and coaches from Groton, as this was an epic playoff match with loads of excitement and close chances- all played with a spirit and intensity of competition that captures what is best about schoolboy soccer in the ISL.  The win brings Middlesex to 16-0-3 for the season, with two of the toughest wins coming against Groton, and they both could easily have gone the other way.    Middlesex moves on to the New England Semifinals on Saturday, and will see a rematch of last year's NE Semis as they play against South Kent.