Olè! Olè! Olè!

In what had to be the topper of the 2007 Summer MYSA Northwest Minnesota U19 Youth Soccer League, the Pelican Rapids Tigers traveled to Bemidji Monday night to face the Lumberjacks. The Tigers had defeated the Lumberjacks 3-1 on June 6th at David Brown Field, the only loss to date for the Jacks. These Tigers were not the listless Tigers of last week. Both teams knew this was the game they needed to win. Referee Dobbelstein knew this was the match he could not let get out of hand. After the opening whistle he kept using it. He dipped into his pocket for yellow cards and gave both teams a stern warning that the next yellow card could be for an entire team. He did a great job officiating. The Tigers scored first, then the Jacks sailed a penalty kick over the crossbar and banged another volley off over the crossbar. With the setting sun in their faces the Tiger defense clogged up the middle in the second half thwarting the persistent Lumberjack attack. The Tigers went up 2-0 on a quick counter which caught the Jack Reserve Goalie by surprise. Five minutes before time Mr. Dobbelstein awarded the Lumberjacks a second penalty kick to make it 2-1. The last five minutes were frantic, but the Tigers prevailed and oles were in order. Bemidji fans told us they knew this would be their stiffest test at home of the summer. It was their fifth match in four days, played in high humidity with an evening temperature pushing 90 degrees. It was a great evening of well officiated, well played soccer by two evenly matched teams. The Tigers record is now five wins, one draw, fourteen goals for and six goals against. They are six points clear of Fergus Falls. Next game is Wednesday night versus Heartland in Akeley. These guys look like a team.