Virgina Rush Nike - 2
Reston Knights - 4
The Nike Boys went on the road to Northern Virginia for the second round of the Virginia State Cup. Their opponent was the Reston Knights. The Nike Boys came out hard and aggressive putting the Knights on their heels right from the start. A foul in the early minutes of the game by Reston gave the Nike Boys a free kick off to the left of the Knights goal. Josh took the kick and sent a bending ball over the outstretched hands of the Reston keeper and into the back of the net. Nike Boys 1 Reston Knights 0.
A short time later in the 12th minute, Wes makes a run at the Reston Keeper. His shot at the far post is blocked by the keeper but Colby runs down the rebound and fires it back at the Reston goal, past the keeper and into the back of the net. 2-0, Nike Boys with only 12 minutes gone.
The lead was short lived as the Reston Knights pulled back two goals to level the score 2-2 at the half. In the second half the Knights pulled away from the Nike Boys with 2 more goals. Final Score Nike Boys 2 Reston Knights 4.
The Nike Boys State Cup push is over for the Fall of 2009. The Knights were ranked far above our Nike Boys and most people probably assumed this would be a breather for the Knights. The Nike Boys gave them all that they could handle and even though the long drive back home was not a happy one, they gave it their all.
It was a typical fall day, overcast, windy and cool for the first round of the 2009 Virginia State Cup at the Hampton Roads Soccer Complex. The VA Rush Nike boys were taking on the Sterling FC. The Nike Boys jumped out to a quick lead in the 15th minute when they were awarded a free kick. Josh sent the ball into the box where a leaping Kerby headed it back. Brett was there to send the ball hard into the back of the net. Nike Boys - 1 Sterling FC - 0. The Nike boys kept pushing forward but the first half ended 1-0.
The second half was a different story as the Nike boys came out a little flat. Sterling FC had the best of play for the initial minutes of the second half when they were awarded a free kick in the 49th minute. The Sterling FC player launched a bending ball just past the hands of Lally and into the Nike net. All even at 1-1. Before the Nike boys could regain their shape, defensive confusion gave Sterling FC another attacking opportunity and they sent the ball past the outstretched hands of Lally into the Nike net for the second time in less than one minute. Sterling FC - 2 Rush Nike -1. It did not take the Nike boys long to respond. in the 55th minute Wes drew the foul and won a free kick. Robert sent a curling ball into the box and Brett headed it into the Sterling FC goal for his second of the game. All level at 2-2.
The game went back and forth for the next few minutes as the ball went up and down the field and the tackles came in quick and hard. When it looked as if regulation time would end at 2-2, the ball fell to Wes in the 80th minute and he sent it low and hard just under the Sterling keeper and into the net. Nike boys pull out a last minute goal to win 3-2 and move to the next round of the State Cup.
