MBA tops Valor

On a day where the JV squad was down to one substitute, all feet contributed to a victory over visiting Valor.  The Big Red took the initiative, keeping the ball and patiently probing and combining for opportunities on goal.  Griffin Arnold took advantage first, slotting in a left footed shot from outside the penalty area low and hard to the bottom right corner.  The score remained 1-0 at half, despite near absolute posession by the Big Red.

However, this performance proved to be partially a tactic by the Valor coach, as in the second half, they altered their playing style completely, pressing the Big Red and forcing a more frantic style of play.  Valor evened the game on a defensive miscue that resulted in a handball in the box and a converted penalty kick.

Fortunately, the Big Red didn't quit, but instead found a winner when Will Adair drove past his defender to put in an excellent cross that found the willing runner, Mikail Idrees, in the box, who unselfishly found keeper turned goalscorer, Ian Baldwin, who blasted the game winner toward the far post and past a stunned Valor goalie.  The Big Red ground out the remaining 10 minutes thanks to strong effort from the team as a whole, and particularly from Michael Spengler and Cooper Allen in their final home games as JV soccer players.