February 28, 2010 – GW 4 – International 4

February 28, 2010 – The game did not start well for team in the tired green jerseys.  Two minutes into the mid-table match against International, Arso Mitreski was shown a blue card for a ticky-tack.  Thirty seconds later, the Italians made the most of their power play opportunity and grabbed the early lead.  But Green White regained their composure to equalize just three minutes before the intermission.  Sean Connor did the honors, seeing a rebound off the boards from Nick Dudziak into the net.  Following the break, Brendan Connor got a cheer from the crowd for plunking Metro League President Joe Zyzda in the head with a wayward clearance.  The moment of levity seemed to lift GW and seconds later, Green White captured the lead on the power play when Nick Dudziak poked in a shot from Jamie Limna.  Five minutes later, a cagy restart from Brendan Connor at the top of the box extended the lead to 3-1.  Placing the ball, Connor quickly played Tom Czop to the left, where the new Hannah Storm of Green White, bodied off a defender to turn and force the ball past the near post.  Commenting after the match, recently suspended PTI host, Tony Kornheiser blasted, “Tom Czop was wearing a horrifying, horrifying outfit today . . . way too short for somebody in his 40s or maybe even early 50s by now . . . He had on his typically very, very tight shirt.  He looked like he has a sausage casing wrapped around his upper body . . . I know he is very good, and I’m not supposed to be critical of Green White, so I won’t . . . but Tom Czop . . . come on now!  Stop!  What are you doing? . . He is what I would call a Holden Caulfield fantasy at this point.”  Undaunted by the criticism, Czop silenced his critics moments later with a double effort off the glass to collect his brace and extend the Green White lead to 4-1.  What made it all the more remarkable was that the long-time GW First Teamer, did so only after taking a Nancy Kerrigan-like beating along the boards.  Several dramatic pounds on the glass; a James Brown-esque escort from the field, and a slam of the door to the bench later – the stallion returned in inspirational form to the theme of Rocky Balboa.  It was almost as if someone from Indiana was watching from the stands.  But with the game seemingly in hand and only eight minutes remaining, GW let it slip away, conceding three (3) unanswered goals to end the match with a 4-4 draw.  In the waning second, Arso Mitreski finished as he started; this time with another blue card for expressing his displeasure at the no call of a hard foul on Ozzy Rodriquez along the boards.  Unfortunately, throwing a water bottle at the opposition was not received well by the league and Mitreski has reportedly been  suspended from the league for one year.  (Biting contributions and analysis from Chris Salatino and Kurt Melcher).

Squad:  Jose Cornejo (k), Monroe Bell, Jr., Brendan Connor, Sean Connor, Tom Czop, Anthony Derose, Colum Donahue, Nick Dudziak, Jamie Limna, Arso Mitreski, Jason Okroy, Ozzy Rodriquez; Art Rosiles, Eric Spiess. Goals: TCzop (2) (Assist: BConnor), NDudziak (Assist: JLimna), SConnor (Assist:  NDudziak).

In other Metropolitan League action on February 28, 2010:  Eagles 4 – Zrinski 1; Vikings 4 – Maroons 2; Schwaben 1 – United Serbs 2; Sockers 3 – Connection 2.