Catnip Found in Marauder’s Goal
by Jack Harrold
The middle game of the day saw the County Clare Cats take on the embattled Ale House Marauders. Rarely has a team been as cursed with injuries and absent players so early in the season as have the Marauders, but you would not know that anything was amiss during the opening quarter of play.
Ale House full forward Steve “Jake” Jakubowski opened the game with a quick goal to start things off. Furious play between the midlines kept both sides honest. Clare managed to find the back of the net, followed quickly by and amazing puck out by Ale House Goalie and Captain Jerry Miksch that went all the way down the field for another Marauder goal. Thus, the expectation of a good game was built as the quarter ended with Ale House ahead 3-1(10) to 2-1(7).
Clare shifted a few players around the second quarter, determined not to let the Marauders run away with the game. Furious play by Clare’s Sean-Rae Zalewski and Caleb Hunnicutt kept play in their offense. Ale House would manage a pair of points during the quarter, but the rest of the story was Clare’s midfielders and half-forwards; as soon as they came in range, they took their shots. Any shots falling short were quickly scooped up by the forward line and converted. Momentum had swung into the Cats favor as the first half closed, Clare up 5-4(19) to Marauders 3-3(12).