STORM LEFT LIMPING

STOCKTON- Sometimes a trip to California is no vacation. Saturday night the Chicago Storm took on the California Cougars, in Stockton, and came away with two bloody noses, a bloody knee and a 4-3 overtime loss for their efforts. The win was California’s third straight victory after starting the season 0-11.

The Storm had not played in over three weeks but they came out strong, owning much of the possession in the first quarter. Chicago midfielder Semir Mesanovic, who was already battling one knee injury, was taken down by the Cougar’s Gary Brooks resulting in his other knee and nose becoming bloodied. He still fought through the pain and managed to open the scoring on a left footed blast past Dominik Jakubek.

After Chicago cleared a ball out of bounds, the Cougar’s countered on a Vincente Figueroa goal on the ensuing restart. Former Storm midfielder John Ball played the ball to Figueroa who beat Danny Waltman to even the game up at one a piece. Neither team managed much offense throughout the second quarter leaving the score the same until half time, despite the Storm having to kill two penalties in the first half.

In the third quarter Gary Brooks took down Mesanovic again, this time in the box. The play resulted in a penalty kick. Chicago captain Novi lined up for the shot but Jakubek blocked the Novi try. The Storm did capitalize on the man advantage. Lazo Alavanja, who was playing midfield due to other injuries on the team, found a wide-open Awadalla Morad in the corner to give Chicago a 2-1 advantage. Less than thirty seconds later, Matthew Stewart beat Jakubek for his 10th point in four games and everything looked as though the Storm could cruise to an easy victory.

Fortune’s favored the Cougars when, once again, Chicago gave California a restart in Chicago’s zone. Once again the Cougars took advantage of the restart and John Ball scored his first of the night and the 197th goal of his indoor career. Now nicknamed “The Maestro” by the Cougar faithful, John Ball struck again when he found Bernie Lilavois during a power play. Ball shot towards Lilavois who used his chest to deflect the shot past Storm keeper Danny Waltman to draw the game even at three-a-piece.

The second bloody nose of the night came when Danny Waltman collided with an onrushing Cougar in the final seconds of regulation. Waltman would suffer through the pain and for the second time this season the Storm and the Cougars would go in to overtime in Stockton.

The first time these two teams met in an extra period California won their first game of the season. Saturday’s overtime was no better for Chicago. The Cougars Gary Brooks streaked down the boards and found a favorable hop that allowed him a clear shot past Waltman for the game winner at the: 56 second marker, giving California the 4-3 win.

HOME