Rochester Thunder Lose in USL-PDL Playoffs
Thunder Bay, ON - Friday, July 30, 2010
The Michigan Bucks set yet another Premier Development League (PDL) record when they advanced to their eighth Elite Eight playoff game after shutting out the Rochester Thunder 2-0 on Friday afternoon in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The Bucks advance to the Central Conference Championship match on Saturday at 5:30 against the host Thunder Bay Chill, who defeated FC London 1-0 in the second half of the Conference Final Four.
Kenny Uzoigwe
The Bucks came out the aggressor on Friday and pounded the Thunder defense for the first half of action. It would take a 14th minute Mauro Fuzetti (Houston, TX/ Michigan) corner kick that found the head of Bucks striker Kenny Uzoigwe that accounted for the game’s first goal. The 6’4 striker buried the header into the top corner for his fourteenth goal of the season and to give the Bucks a 1-0 lead.
The first half ended with the Bucks out-shooting the Thunder 9-5, although corner kicks were even at 6-6. Bucks goal keeper Mitch Hildebrandt (Livonia, MI/ Oakland) registered his seventh shutout of the season by making a huge fingertip save on a Rochester shot that was destined for the top corner.
The Bucks finished their fifteenth PDL regular season as the second highest scoring team in the league and knew they needed more offense to insure victory against a strong young Rochester side. Lightning would strike early with what may be the PDL goal of the year when Stefan St. Louis took a long ball at mid field, turned two defenders, beat a third and ripped a shot from 35 yards out that beat Thunder goalkeeper Sebastian Narvaez for a 2-0 lead in the fifty-fourth minute.
With a commanding lead, the Bucks put the game into possession mode and made Rochester chase the game for the final thirty minutes. Although the Bucks had the better chance to finish a third goal, Rochester looked to have lit up the scoreboard when a shot headed for the Bucks net was cleared off the line by Colin Givens (Rochester, MI/ MSU) to preserve the shutout.
The Thunder finished the PDL season with a record of 10-4-3 (33 points). Rochester ends up tied with Hollywood United for 11th best record of 67 teams participating in USL-PDL regular season play in 2010.
Congratulations to the Rochester Thunder players, head coach Neil Cassidy and his staff for an outstanding season.
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I wished I would have had more of a chance to get down to Rochester and show my support for the Rochester Thunder. It was fun to watch them at the two exhibition matches against the Stars. I certainly wish the Thunder the best and continued success.