By Ryan Kozlowski, Assistant Coach
The Conneaut Eagles were misfortunate to leave their opener with just a tie. But, the side attempted to be positive; as it goes in soccer if you take care of business at home and tie on the road, your usually going to be in good shape.
Conneaut looked more confident on their home field with their passing and overall effort from the onset. It took Tyler Bone 11 minutes to open his, as well as Conneaut's, goal scoring account on the 2012 season.
Brandon Jackson laid the ball off for Tyler Bone, about 20 yards out, and Bone caught the goalkeeper going the wrong way and lofted a ball into the far corner.
The relief was apparent for the Conneaut side, yet despite out shooting Titusville 24 to 4, and pelting the Titusville net with misfire after misfire, the Eagles really didn't threaten for the next 30 minutes with anything substantial.
As time progressed in the game and the score stayed at 1-0, that little seed of 2011 doubt starting creeping in, as Conneaut began to wonder if Titusville might luck themselves into a goal and a tie.
And as it goes, you think it and it almost happens, as things got shaky for Conneaut's senior goalkeeper Nick Stockton around the 60th minute; Stockton came out for a ball and couldn't get to it, a Titusville player pounced on it and hit a rocket to net, but senior Josh Betts backed up his goalkeeper and made a goal line save to make it 1-0.
A huge goal line save that appeared to kick Conneaut's offense back into gear.
Junior Tyler Bone, a player expected to step up and lead in the midfield, took over the game minutes later and pushed farther up into the striker line at times. Bone started beating 3 or 4 Titusville players and working one-two combinations with midfield partner Brandon Jackson.
The improved performance in midfield started to pay dividends as Jackson set Bone up with a beautiful pass, from 20 yards out again, and Bone fired this one into the net, at the 70th minute mark, to make it 2-0.
Three minutes later Jackson set Bone up with a carbon copy play, using the mantra if it's working- keep working it, and Bone scored again to secure a hat trick.
With 3 assists for Brandon Jackson and 3 goals by Tyler Bone, it appeared that Conneaut finally found their midfield duo.
Starting lineup: ST- Richard Moore, ST- Tanner Williams, LW- Ethan Mona, CM- Tyler Bone, CM- Brandon Jackson, RW- Brandon Moss, RB- Josh Betts, CB- Tanner Houck, CB- Tommy Mullen, LB- Cole Snodgrass, GK- Nick Stockton
Substitutes used: Tanner Dittrich, Nick Moss, Cody Zinz, Luke Graham, Chase Vickers, Mark McLean, Brandon Haylett, Kyle Ledford, Chris Toth
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