NH and NF went head-to-head in a fierce battle, as the march to IM Soccer play-offs continue, ending in a 1-1 tie.
The game was marked with intense play by both sides. NF had several players moving the ball around offensively, but NH’s “iron curtain” defense of Ed “Flowers” Parkinson and Sahil “Don’t Call Me Mr.” Patel, combined with goalkeeper Leo “Meola” Addimando, held them scoreless through the first half. Meanwhile, David “Too Quiet” Frias put a goal in on a hotly contested penalty late in the first half.
In fact, the conflict over the penalty spilt over the rest of the game, adding to the suspense. “I was so nervous that I bit all my fingernails off,” commented spectator Mia Hamm, international soccer star, sometime coach of NH and its # 1 fan.
NH was hurting in the second half, as Thomas “Bo Jackson” Scriven, their striker, had to leave for another sport. Alok “A-Lock” Deshpande filled in nicely on defense with the help of Doina Rares. Team captain Marcelo Menusso and Danladi Verheijen led the charge on offense, but NF continued to hold off all attacks. And so the game continued into the final minutes when NF finally put in the equalizer on a long attacking run past two NH players.
