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963rd AACS captures Intramural Soccer title

  • Published
  • By John E. Banks
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE --  The championship of the 2008 Intramural Soccer season came down to the two top teams. 
   At the end of the championship battle, the No. 2 seeded Golden Dragons of the 963rd Airborne Air Control Squadron shut out the top seeded 965th Airborne Air Control Squadron Knights 5-0 June 3.
   The game was played under windy and hot conditions, causing each team to substitute players every couple of minutes to stay fresh.
   Phil Weber scored the first goal for the 963rd AACS at 25:00 of the first half. A corner kick landed in front of the 965th AACS goal and Weber redirected it into the net for the score.
   The 963rd AACS kept up the pressure. Center half back Justin Crawford sent a pass from midfield to the penalty box area where forward John Hard took the ball in stride. Hard sent a quick shot into the back of the 965th AACS net raising the score to 2-0 at the 37:15 mark.
   The scoring blitz continued as Crawford sent a long kick into the penalty area where Hard picked it up and sent a shot past the 965th AACS net minder, putting the 963rd AACS up 3-0.
   "That was a great half of soccer," said Joseph Bowers, 963rd AACS head coach and fullback.
   In the second half, the 963rd AACS kept up the offensive pressure and scored two goals 5 minutes apart to seal the victory.
   Crawford intercepted a pass at midfield and raced into the penalty area on a clear breakaway. He sent a blistering shot into the right corner of the net, increasing the score to 4-0 at the 2:25 mark of the second half.
   The scoring finished as Crawford sent a quick pass to Hard, who raced up the left side of the field and sent a shot to the left corner of the net to make the score 5-0.
   The 965th AACS tried to muster up an offensive attack over the next 30 minutes of play but were thwarted at every turn. The best opportunity came when forward Ron Gonzales attempted to send a header off a corner kick, but it sailed over the crossbar.
Crawford, who scored one goal and assisted on two others, was the player of the game.
   "This season we played well together and had players step up and play positions that may have not been comfortable with," Bowers said. "This was truly a team effort."