From the initial throw-in to the final whistle, the Brocach Bandits and the All Tool Legion clashed in one of the most physical games of the season. Both teams played to the fullest, and the disparity of the final score doesn’t reflect the evenly matched physicality of the gameplay.
All Tool consistently drove the ball down the field in the first quarter, and though they managed a few points, Bandit half-back Mike Stuht thwarted many drives with lengthy clearances, some reaching seventy meters. Much like most of the season, the Bandit forward-cum-goalkeep Alec Fortier cracked a point-blank goal to provide the extra oppression of score that Brocach has been known for all season.
In second quarter, Legionnaire Jerry Miller blasted a shot to the net to keep the Legion close on the board. The Legion’s Fehrenbach brothers, Michael and Andrew, kept up good ball movement and made several drives down the field along with their captains, Steve Schmid and Paul “Tebow” Steinbrecher, but the team could not produce the points needed to match the pace of the wily Bandits. This would prove to be the deciding factor in the game’s outcome. Legion goalie, Andy Haugh, made several great saves against the aggressive Brocach frontline, but the Bandits managed to sneak in another goal. By the end of the half, Brocach led the legion with a score of 2-7 (13) over 1-3 (6).
After half time, the All Tool Legion took to the pitch with cool determination and played with superb skill, but with nearly every drive, which were many, they couldn’t make the score. The Brocach defense gave constant pressure, disrupting several point and goal attempts. The Bandits would then clean up their clearances with hitman efficiency, placing two precision goals to the back of the net, one smashed in by Rookie Meghan Dillon, along with multiple points from the Brocach offense. In a display of their doggedness, Legion captain Tebow whipped in a defiant goal near the end of the game.
The All Tool Legion’s will to win never subsided despite the growing Bandit score. And Brocach never once let up their phalanx-like defense or their surgical offense. When the smoke cleared and the first sixty minutes of playoff battle ceased, the final on the board read – Brocach 4-13 (25) Legion 2-6 (12).
Brocach Bandits Divide and Conquer Legion by Ivan Baker