Original Article on Longview News-Journal Website

Scoreless tie good enough as PT advances

|By BOB WARD|

Saturday, January 29, 2005

Friday's preliminary match between Pine Tree and Mount Pleasant highlighted the play of its goalkeepers. Neither one let in a goal as the two teams played to a 0-0 tie on a gray, overcast day at Pine Tree Stadium.

Pine Tree goalie Matthew Cain and Mount Pleasant keeper Francisco Medina recorded five saves apiece.

While the tie was worth just one point for a shutout, the Pirates still won their bracket to advance to today's semifinals of the 2005 Muddog Classic Tournament. They finished the three-game preliminary round with 19 total points.

Pine Tree will face Sulphur Springs today at 12:30 p.m., with the winner advancing to the 7:30 championship match, and the loser playing for third place at 5:30.

Mount Pleasant also reached the semifinal round after winning its bracket. The Tigers will meet Whitehouse at 11 a.m.

Cain came up big for the Pirates late in the match against Mount Pleasant as he knocked away two close-in attempts by the Tigers.

With just over seven minutes to play, Mount Pleasant had a free kick from 27 yards out. Clint Foster delivered the ball inside where Adam Gonzales attempted a header, only to have PT defender Nick Dodds head it out of bounds near the left post.

Given a cornerkick, Foster fed a ball from the left side of the box toward the goal where Gonzales and then Foster each had opportunities, only to have Cain block both attempts before PT's defense finally cleared it.

Several minutes later he cut off Jose Nino's angle, after the Tiger forward tried to head a shot that went wide of the net.

The Pirates' best opportunity came in the first minute of the second half as Kyle Niehaus threw a long ball downfield to Tony Guillen, who dribbled through a defender. Guillen attempted a shot from about 10 yards out, but Medina was able to get a hand on it, sending it over the top of the goal.

The Tigers then cleared away the subsequent cornerkick by Pine Tree.

Twice in the first half, Medina made sprawling saves after Tony Guillen took a long pass from Jonathan Zimicki and shot the ball from about eight yards, and when Jesse Reynolds attempted a shot after a throw-in from the left side of the net. Medina made a leaping stop of Reynolds' attempt, then scrambled to recover the ball after it nearly popped loose.

Mount Pleasant outshot Pine Tree 8-6.

In other games Friday, Henderson and John Tyler tied 1-1; Palestine and Hallsville played to a 2-2 draw; Jacksonville and Whitehouse played even at 1-1, while Whitehouse also defeated Sulphur Springs 1-0; Marshall blanked Center 2-0 after falling earlier to Sulphur Springs 3-0; Jacksonville clipped Arlington Seguin 3-2, and Seguin posted a 4-0 shutout of Center.

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