2021 ISL Match Report
Date:  10/30/2021
Home Team:             Middlesex
Away Team:              Thayer Academy
Score (H-A):             3-1
Goals (Assists)-        Home:             #10 Yared McDonald (20', Unassisted)
                                                            #6 George Lin (47', Unassisted)
                                                            #2 Olly Mylon (80', Assist #8 Jake Zaas)            
                                    Away:             #9 Jackson Palladino (56', Assist #7 Brady Monturio)  
Goalkeeping-             Home:            Aidan George (90', 1 GA)
                                    Away:            Jack Regan (90', 3 GA)
Cardings-                   Home:             #8 Jake Zaas (Yellow, 37')
                                                            #8 Jake Zaas (2^nd Yellow = Red, 83')
                                                            #3 Jonah Zaas (Yellow, 90+)
                                    Away:             None
Notes:            
            The Family Weekend guests were treated to a thrilling, competitive, and end-to-end matchup as Middlesex hosted Thayer.  The first half saw Aidan Doyle put his stamp on the game and help to dictate the flow of play while looking to feed the ever-dangerous Jackson Palladino with progressive service.  The Middlesex back line did a good job of keeping the play in front of them and the best chance of the first half for Middlesex was taken by Yared McDonald in the 20^th minute.  McDonald stepped in to press just outside of the penalty area and won a 50-50 challenge at the far corner of the box.  He then stepped in to volley the ball with his first touch and the strike sizzled into the far side net for the 1-0 lead.  Doyle played a great one-two along the right edge of the Middlesex area and hit a curling effort low to Aidan George's right that the keeper extended and just got a hand to for the save in Thayer's best chance of the half.  As the second half began, George Lin decided to take matters into his own hands.  In the first two minutes, he stepped into a vertical ball on the floor in the central channel and won it with a touch that found time and space for a strike with his second touch from 25 yards out that went bar-down in thunderous fashion for the 2-0 lead.  Then, in the 60^th minute, Jackson Palladino took a lay off at the left edge of the box to open his hips and curl a wonder-strike to the far upper 90 and down off the crossbar and post to bring Thayer back into the match.  As the match approached the last ten minutes, Jake Zaas played a ball into the seam for freshman Olly Mylon to seal the last defender and rip a shot to the near post that was well saved by Jack Regan.  Mylon jumped on the rebound and slid it home with a reverse ball back across the grain and into the back of the net for the 3-1 final.  Both teams played with great spirit, technical quality, and positive sportsmanship.  The match was marked by two of the best goals witnessed in quite some time from Lin and Palladino.  Doyle, Teagan Rich, and Palladino excelled for Thayer, while McDonald, Lin, and freshmen Olly Mylon and Bear Tibbitt gave standout performances for Middlesex.