J.F. Byrnes 2
T.L. Hanna 1
#1 seed Hanna "upset" by #4 seed Byrnes (who coincidently gave AAA #1 Riverside their first regular season loss). Great match with lively fans on both sides. Hanna Centre Forward Caitlin Robinson got the jackets on the board first with a quick turn and shot off a free kick from Molly Harpe. Jackets D holds firm for the half.
Ahhhhhhhh, the second half. The guy who coined the phrase "It's not how you start, but how you finish" would be shot should he come into the city limits right now. Byrnes attacked the flanks well, Hanna adjusted. Byrnes adjusted and crammed it down the middle. Hanna adjusted again. The first goal made bad words shower down from the heavens as Hanna keeper Kendall Maxwell came out of the box for a cross, caught it, and then was hit/bumped by a Byrnes attacker. The force from contact backed her into the goal. A goal was called, then questioned by yours truly. The centre ref deferred the Hanna coach's appeal to his collegiate counterpart running the Byrnes sidelines. She, dumbstruck, declined to overturn the call. No hard feelings here, of course. Whatever doubts about Byrnes ability to score a legit goal were erased shortly thereafter following a well placed laser after a ball bounced one too many times in the box. The jackets pushed and pushed to no avail. Ballgame.
