Canton, MI (May 29, 2010)- The Michigan Bucks finished off a late game rally and the Cincinnati Kings on Saturday afternoon as the Main Event of the annual Canton Cup Memorial Day soccer tournament. Over 1,300 fans enjoyed the Bucks offensive display of soccer over the course of the afternoon’s match played on a scorching 90 degree sunny afternoon that saw Bucks second half substitute forward Stefan St. Louis (OaklandUniversity) score the game winner in the last minute of the game. With the 2-1 home win, the Bucks finished US Open Cup qualifying with a record of 3-1 and finished second to the Dayton Lions (3-0-1), the team who delivered the Bucks only blemish on the season. Unfortunately, only one team in the Great Lakes Division of the Premier Development League (PDL) moves on to the first round of the Cup.
As in each of the first four matches this season, the Bucks dominated the attack and the stat sheet, but struggled to finish chances to put the game away early. Saturday was no different, when the team outshot the Kings 21-10 on the day and had an incredible 9-0 advantage on corner kicks. Twelve of the Michigan shots came in the first half; several from point blank range. Star forward Kenny Uzoigwe was the number one nemesis early and nearly finished three first half chances. Winger Andy Lorei was the Bucks offensive player of the game and continuously drove at the Kings defenders and crossed dangerous balls into the box, many of which resulted in corner kicks. Despite the offensive edge, both teams went into half time scoreless.
The second half started out a bit sluggish and both teams were caught napping early in the stanza. Two minutes after the break, Cincinnati midfielder Justin Jenkins stole a ball and played it to forward Steve Beattie, who beat Bucks goal keeper Mitch Hildebrandt (OaklandUniversity) for a 1-0 lead. It wouldn’t take Michigan long to equalize in a similar fashion. Lorie made a nice steal of his own and when he drove at the net, he drew the attention of both the last defender and goal keeper Corey Whisenhunt. The crafty forward slid the ball between the two to Uzoigwe, who tapped in the equalizer. The Bucks knew they had to win the match to keep their Open Cup hopes alive and continued to press offensively. Lorei and attacking midfielder Ben Speas both ripped shots off the crossbar, but none of the starting forwards could find the magic needed to put the game away. Bucks coach Gary Parsons made wholesale changes up top to get the game winner when he subbed in Rubin Bega (MichiganState), Mauro Fuzetti (Michigan) and St. Louis. The attacking continued and finally paid off when Bega’s corner kick in the 90th minute found St. Louis in the goal mouth. The Trinidad forward had two touches on the ball before beating Whisenhunt for the game winner.
Parsons was happy with another second half Bucks victory, but was disappointed not to qualify for the Open Cup in his first year at the helm. “It is always a major goal and a priority to qualify for the Cup each year. Everyone knows how tough it is to go undefeated over the first four games of the season, especially in this division. We wish Dayton all the best in representing us in the division and the PDL. Now we need to shift our focus to the main goal, qualifying for the PDL playoffs, which is going to be another major challenge in this group. 3-1 is a nice start, but our focus is now 100% on our upcoming match in Chicago on Thursday. Games against the Fire are as intense and important as any games in the PDL each season. We need to come away with a positive result,” said Parsons.
Bucks Chairman/CEO Dan Duggan was pleased with the turnout and the Canton Cup experience. “We have enjoyed this relationship for the past five years now and look forward to continuing this tradition for the foreseeable future. The Canton Soccer Club and the Canton Cup committee puts on one of the finest tournaments in the Midwest each year. We are proud to be invited to represent the highest level of soccer in Michigan. Many of our current players played in this tournament as kids and can relate to what it is like to come back and be a role model and an example of where you can get if you really take soccer serious as a youth player. On the field today, the Bucks had several players that have played professional soccer or represented the US as national team players (including two who just returned from the U20 National Team this week in Chad Barson and Zarek Valentin) who put on a heck of a show for all the Canton Cup participants. And I would like to remind everyone that the tournament committee bought all the tickets so that everyone could watch the incredible match for free. We look forward to next year, where we have already begun planning how we can make that game something really special,” concluded Duggan. “I personally would like to thank all of the tournament staff, the ball boys and volunteers that made today’s game a huge success.”
Following Thursday’s road game in Chicago, the Bucks return to PDL action at home on Saturday against the Cleveland Internationals at Ultimate Soccer Arenas (7:30 kickoff). Saturday’s game is sponsored by the Michigan State Youth Soccer Association (MSYSA). To get further information about tickets to the next home game, please visit our web site at www.buckssoccer.com
