FORT BENNING, Ga., (April 16, 2014) -- After a slow start Thursday, the 11th Engineer Battalion bulldozed their way to a 3-1 win over 1st Squadron, 16th Cavalry Regiment, at Doughboy Stadium in intramural soccer action.
The game opened with most of the action played on the Engineers' side of the field, even with the Engineers leading 1-16 by twice the number of shots on goal early on.
Midway through the first half, Daniel Sueros put the Engineers on top by scoring a goal from 20 yards out.
Momentum changed midway through the first half with the Engineer offense keeping the ball in the 1-16 end of the field, but with time running out in the first half, 1-16 tied the game at 1-1 on a goal by Joe Casiano.
The Engineers bounced back on their subsequent possession with Juan Delgado putting the Engineers back on top 2-1 as the half ended.
Although by the end of the first half the Engineers were ahead, 1-16 was gaining momentum and led the Engineers on the number of shots on goal, 9-7.
The ebbs and flow of the first half continued into the second half with the Engineers keeping the ball in the 1-16 end of the field, but again, 1-16 led in the number of shots on goal.
With time running out, James Rash sealed the game with a goal to ice the game for the Engineers, 3-1.
By game's end, 1-16 amassed 20 shots on goal to 17 by the Engineers.
Engineer coach Brian Hernandez-Snyder said it took his team a little time for his team to play as a group, then the game turned around for them.
"We turned it around about 10 minutes into the first half," he said. "We started playing as a group like we had the last seven or eight games. At that point, our momentum changed, we started playing like a team, moving the ball, talking and passing the ball and that's when we started scoring goals."
Hernandez-Snyder said with the score 1-1 and the number of shots on goal beginning to even out, he began putting substitute players in to give his first team a break.
"We have a starting front line and a secondary line, and when we started subbing out, we lost some of our cohesion," he said. "So, it took a bit to get the cohesion back and that's when they (1-16) started getting more goal scoring attempts. Their shots on goal came when we were transitioning to our subs."
The Engineers second goal came immediately after 1-16 scored as time was running out in the half.
Hernandez-Snyder said there was a sense of urgency to get another goal as the first half closed out.
"We knew time was running out in the first half," he said. "After the emotion of being scored on, we just turned it around so we could get the momentum back."
Hernandez-Snyder said that although the game evened out in the second half, the final goal came as time was winding down and wanting his team and 1-16 to close the game out without anyone getting hurt in the waning minutes.
"We were just trying to play an even game," he said. "We didn't want to go out there and get overly aggressive and didn't want anyone ruffed up or get anyone hurt, so we just wanted to play a nice fair game. We're out here to have fun and have a good time and that's what we did."
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