Sideline Policy

Utah Youth Soccer Association (UYSA) has a sideline policy for games. Please view the image and read the information below to better understand where to park that lawn chair at games. Only those with coaching passes and players passes may enter the team area. Team managers are also allowed to visit the team area when medical attention is needed or the coaching staff asks them to enter for a brief moment.



Explanation of the diagram: The Sideline/player area is as follows, Team A and their parents will be on the same sideline. The team bench will be on the assistant referee side of the field. Team B and their parents will be on the same sideline as well, and the team bench will be on the same sideline as the assistant referee.

We continue to get great feedback from opposing coaches, clubs and referees that our parents are well behaved and understand that the game is an opportunity for the players to play, coaches to coach and parents/fans to cheer. We repeatedly hear from UYSA and other club directors, board and staff members that our club has some of the best sideline behavior and well educated parents in the state. Thanks for setting the standard and letting our kids PLAY.

"Experiment, Take Risks, and Be Creative"

What this means and why...

Children that are allowed to experiment, take risks, and be creative with a soccer ball develop the most gifted soccer skills. Unlike other countries, the United States treats youth soccer players as if they are "robots" in the words of Eric Wynalda. Many children in the United States lack the idea of creativity in the game of soccer. They are taught to defend, pass, and shoot. There is a middle game between those three important topics... space and freedom. To pass and shoot a player needs space on the field, weather the space be 6 inches or 30 yards. Creating this space is easiest when a player is extremely comfortable with the ball at his or her feet. Quick touches, tight spins, sharp turns and instantly generated ideas can get players out of tough situations. This also seems to be what is enjoyed the most by the youth soccer players as well as any other player or spectator of the game.

Eric Wynaldas "robot" statement:

Eric Wynalda has a dream of changing the way soccer is coached and played in the United States. Eric believes, that players need to develop personalities and their own style. Players should not be over-coached, play like robots or move from team to team in search of the “perfect fit”. The perfect fit is found collectively in a group of players who are loyal to each others development and the team’s progress.

Coaching Parents About Playing Time Decisions

By Jenifer Miller

Midway through a losing U-11 season, I decided to play for results with the rationale that it was more important to achieve a team success than it was to satisfy the whims of parents who counted their daughter’s playing time on a stop watch. Down three goals at halftime, the girls chipped away at their opponent’s lead and with 15 minutes left we were tied and on fire. A minute before the whistle blew, our opponent scored and we lost another heartbreaker. Nonetheless, I left the field proud of the girls’ play and the way they left everything on the field for their team.

Less than 24 hours after our best game yet, I received calls and e-mails from five different parents inquiring about the lack of playing time their child received the previous day. As it turned out, most kids played at least half the game...but who’s counting?

As coaches, we’ve all received those calls and when we do, we wonder how parents think that the playing time of their child is more important than the results of the team. As a U-12 travel coach, I believe that kids and their parents should understand that fair and equal are two different things. Fair is a term used to describe just or appropriate actions within a particular set of circumstances. Equal refers to a specified quantity. If we consider playing time as “fair” for an individual, referring to an amount of time that she plays that is more or less equal to the rest of her teammates, then it may not be “fair” to the team, especially if the child is not performing well during the game or at practice.

For the younger ages, I believe that playing time should be distributed on a more or less equal basis to provide the maximum opportunity to develop all players, not only the best kids. Even at that level, however, coaches still need to balance the good of the team with the developmental needs of the individual players. Sometimes a coach will play a child with stronger skills, more stamina and a better understanding of the game than a child who is still working to improve upon those skills. Is it equal? No. Is it fair? In my opinion, Yes.

By U-11 and U-12, the coach’s decisions behind starting and subbing players becomes more integrally related to the strategic chess match that takes place on the field. This changes at any given moment during a game. Sharing with players and parents the general rationale of why and how a coach at the travel level makes decisions goes a long way. This is especially important because many parents do not understand the nuances of soccer and therefore look at playing time with an eye biased toward their own children.

The following are various approaches I’ve taken to discuss with players and parents the rationale behind how and why I make player changes and determine playing time before and during the game.

When “Uncle Mo” is on your side, don't give him the boot
Uncle Mo, short for “Uncle Momentum,” may be a soccer coach’s best friend. Soccer is a very fluid game that often progresses and builds upon itself through time and as the on-field energy grows. When the “mojo” is flowing with a particular group of kids on the field then changing it abruptly to give a bench player his or her 15 minute quota will alter the flow of the game. Some of our less skilled players were on the field when the momentum turned for the better in our game because something magical was happening. For 15 minutes, everyone on the field clicked. The point, therefore, was not that I played my “best kids” to win but rather I had to manage the game by assessing what was working best in the moment.

Educating parents in advance that in soccer momentum builds and flows according to the dynamics of the players on the field (from both sides) will help them understand and appreciate the game from a different perspective. In addition, they’ll learn that coaches must manage the game according to the events and circumstances occurring on the field and not by whether a child has reached a quota of playing time.

Soccer's a lot like school - If you miss class are you prepared to take the test?
I make it clear at the beginning of the season that when a child misses practice for any reason (illness, school event, Grandpa’s 90th birthday, etc.) it is possible (this gives me some leeway) that he or she may not start in the next game or that playing time may be limited. I also make it clear that I am not punishing the child for missing practice, but rather looking at the situation from an educational perspective.

If this were school and a child missed class the day before a test then it stands to reason that the student might not be as prepared for the test than she would have had she attended class. It’s no different in soccer. When players miss practice, they’ve missed the lessons learned that day. Children already struggling with tactical concepts or having trouble with their skills might need additional time to understand tactical implications before the coach puts them into a pressure situation – the game. Having players sit on the bench gives them the ability to watch and observe before they enter the game. I often talk with the girls on the bench during a game and ask questions to see if they understand the tactical concepts we worked on in practice or what they’d do if they were in the game. Giving a player an opportunity to learn what she’s missed before putting her into a game is like reinforcing a math concept before taking a test.

Focus attention on positive reinforcement and not punitive behaviors
When one of my regular starters missed practice recently, I started a player that had been working hard at practice and in games but wasn’t playing much. She had come from our “B” team and was having trouble keeping up with the pace of the game at the level we were playing. I explained to the regular starter that I was not punishing her but rather rewarding the other player for her attendance and hard work. The starter understood and agreed. The new starter was so excited that she elevated her game to new heights, creating many scoring opportunities that ultimately led to a goal. Her skill level still does not put her on par with the regular starter, but giving her that one little reward, even at the perceived expense of another player, went along way to achieve positive results, both for the team and individual.

Explaining simple rules goes a long way
After another exciting and close match, not to mention a strong showing at a tournament, I received a call from a parent complaining about her daughter’s playing time. Although the player started and played quite a bit in the first two games of the tournament, she felt she was cheated out of playing time in the last two games. When I reviewed the situation with the mother, I realized the discrepancy in playing time came down to a question about our final match of the tournament, an overtime thriller in the semifinal.

Although the child complained to her mother that I didn’t play her fairly, the player also neglected to mention that I had intended to sub her at the end of regulation time but for five minutes couldn’t gain possession of the ball. Her mom also didn’t know that in a tournament only the players on the field may take PKs. As time ran out on the two, five minute golden goal overtime sessions, I didn’t have her daughter on the field because she wasn’t one of the PK takers. When I explained the rules, the mom started to understand better that I tried to play her daughter fairly, but in that given game, it simply didn’t work out because of the tournament rules and on-field circumstances.

We’ve all heard that life isn’t fair – and it isn’t equal, either. The best coaches may have different approaches when parents inquire about their decisions. I think it is better to answer the question before the problems arise. By pre-empting the situation and providing reasonable and educational rationales behind such choices at parent meetings, coaches set themselves up for successful communication opportunities.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the January-February 2009 issue of Soccer Journal.

Infinity players in the Herald Journal representing their respected high schools

Solid 2nd half
By Jason Turner
Published:
Wednesday, September 16, 2009 4:41 AM CDT
It’s amazing the difference 10 minutes can make.

For the first 50 minutes of Tuesday night’s intra-valley showdown, the Sky View girls soccer team had a difficult time creating good scoring opportunities against Logan’s backline.

From the 50th to the 60th minute, though, the Bobcats were on fire in the attack, and that made the difference.

Stacy Bair buried a pair of perfect through balls during that timespan, leading Sky View to a 2-0 victory over Logan at Crimson Field.

“It was just like one of those little squalls,” SV head coach Doyle Geddes said. “That’s what it was, it was like a 10-minute squall where we were just all over them, and that was the difference tonight.”

It was the kind of intensity and ball movement Geddes was hoping to see from his club, especially after watching the Grizzlies (3-7, 1-4 Region 5) get the better of the Bobcats (7-4, 3-2) in the first half.

“It was a product of what we talked about at halftime because we were not happy at all with our possession in the first half,” Geddes said. “They outhustled us, they outpossessed us and they were basically beating us at our own game.”

Logan certainly didn’t look like a team that’s been down on its luck in Region 5 play. The Grizzlies held the Bobcats to zero shots on goal in the first half and had a few dangerous scoring chances themselves.

Sam Emmett darn near gave the hosts a 1-0 lead midway through the half when she drilled a swerving left-footed shot just outside the 18-yard box that appeared to graze the far post.

“Absolutely, this is the best game we’ve played all season when you look at the dynamic play and the hard work coming together,” LHS head coach Mitch Peterson said.

Peterson just wishes he could turn back time and take away the aforementioned 10-minute span. But, unfortunately for the Grizzlies, a poor five-to-10-minute span has made the difference in all four of their region losses this season.

“That’s the pattern we have, that’s the trend we have,” Peterson said. “It’s very close all the way through, zero-zero at halftime, maybe 1-0 at half ... but we’re competitive and then we lose something for eight minutes, six minutes and (the other team) gets a goal or two, and then we come back and fight again, but we can’t make up the difference.”

As dynamic of a finisher as Bair was in the second half, it was her teammates in the midfield who set the tone. Central midfielders Haley Voeller and Krista Whittle elevated their level of play a great deal, and both players were rewarded accordingly.

On Bair’s first goal, in the 55th minute, Whittle slid a through ball to the sophomore, who beat LHS goalkeeper Taylor Anderson on a perfect shot to the far post. Two minutes later, Voeller served a world-class through ball to Bair in tight space, who, once again, used her speed from the right wing to tack on an insurance goal.

“I was thrilled with Haley and Krista in the midfield because that’s where it begins, and they just settled the ball and started knocking it to free space and the whole team just seemed to embrace that,” Geddes said.

As for Bair, she proved why she is one of the region’s best offensive players, scoring her eighth and ninth goals of the season. In Sky View’s previous match, No. 30 had a goal and two assists.

“It feels good just to be there for the team and know that they support me,” Bair said. “It was a lot of fun.”

Sky View almost scored a couple more goals around the time Bair was heating up, as Macken Brady headed a Mia Felts corner kick off the crossbar, and Anderson had to make a nice diving save on super-freshman Jessica Brooksby’s low shot to the right post.

Logan struggled to find good scoring opportunities after halftime. Perhaps the host’s best chance came on a Katie Sorensen through ball to Tonya Anderson (pictured above - yellow #23), which SV keeper Megan Allred aggressively came off her line to break up. Allred was a bit shaken up on the play, but still helped lead the Bobcats to their fifth shutout of the campaign.

Although the Grizzlies were unable to find the back of the net, Peterson was pleased with how they “played for each other,” and, like Geddes, singled out the play of a few of his athletes.

“KD Tilley’s played amazing soccer the last three games,” he said. “She’s just coming alive. Hillary in the back, she was amazing. Hillary just works so hard all game. ... And I think Katie Sorensen and Jordan Houston, first half it was beautiful to watch the two of them work together.”

Mustangs 1, Tigers 1 (2OT)

Mountain Crest (6-1-1, 3-1-1) fired shot after shot at Ogden (4-3-2, 2-2-1) keeper Keri Lammert in the two overtime sessions, but Lammert was up to challenge — “my hat’s off to her,” MC head coach Dennis Giles said — preserving the draw for the hosts.

“I told the kids, ‘If you would have played this way the entire match we would have never went to overtime,’” said Giles, who added his squad struggled to adjust to Ogden’s narrow and short field . “I mean, we just dominated. It was incredible. ... These kids are capable of playing like that. It just seems like we cannot find that intensity that we need to find all of the time.”

Cassidee Nelson gave the Mustangs a 1-0 lead in the 34th when she got behind the Tigers’ backline on a Jessica Hoskin through ball. Hannah Lythgoe scored the equalizer for Ogden nine minutes into the second half.

Mountain Crest had a couple of shots find the woodwork after Lythgoe’s goal, but none were good enough to strengthen the Mustangs’ hold on second place in the league standings.

Infinity players in the Herald Journal representing their respected high schools

SV notches key region win
By Jason Turner
Published:
Wednesday, September 9, 2009 2:47 AM CDT

SMITHFIELD — When Haley Voeller found the back of the net in the 74th minute, it almost seemed like the weight of the world was lifted from the Sky View girls soccer team — players, coaches and fans alike.

In a Region 5 match the Bobcats desperately needed to win, Voeller’s picture-perfect finish gave them that ever-so-important insurance goal as Sky View shut out Box Elder 2-0 Tuesday afternoon at Hansen Field.

“You just keep praying for the insurance goal, especially against a Box Elder team that we just seem to struggle with,” SV head coach Doyle Geddes said. “That was a relief to have that one, and the way it happened was really nice, too.”

It was one of Sky View’s best goals of the season as Krista Whittle served a spot-on 15-yard square ball to Voeller at the top of the 18, and Voeller one-timed a shot just over goalkeeper Natasha Litchfield’s head.

“It was nice because we work on it in practice, knowing that somebody is down there for the through ball,” Whittle said. “It’s good to know that when your team works hard at practice it’s going to show in a game.”

It’s the kind of goal that could potentially give the Bobcats (5-4, 1-2 Region 5) more confidence in the attack down the road.

Sky View dominated the possession battle and created a lot of scoring opportunities, unofficially outshooting Box Elder 25-7. However, the Bobcats struggled to put those shots on target as only nine of them were on goal.

Whittle pinged a shot off the crossbar at the 70-minute mark and, less than a minute later, Robin Hansen hammered a volley off the right post. Even Meagan Payne’s goal in the 43rd deflected off the near post before going in.

Missed chances like that gave the Bees (1-4, 0-3) hope late in the match as they only needed one good play in the attacking third to steal a point on the road. That’s why Voeller’s fourth goal of the season was such a relief.

“It’s a relief because we did take a lot of shots and we need to put more on goal, but when we have two goals up there, it feels like we have a lot more leeway, even though we want to do everything we can to keep our shutout,” Voeller said.

Sky View responded from its heartbreaking double-overtime setback to Mountain Crest last Thursday by taking it to Box Elder the first 20 minutes of the opening half. The hosts took the majority of its 11 first-half shots during that time frame.

Jessica Clements, Jessica Brooksby and Hansen all missed scoring by a matter of inches in the first 20 minutes. Clements sent a perfect cross to Brooksby from close to the left corner flag midway through the half, but Brooksby’s shot inside the 6 went right to Litchfield, who made some good saves.

“The big thing for us is we just needed to get three region points on the board,” Geddes said. “... We had a rough halftime because we’re sitting there nil-nil in a game where we know if we bring more effort and more intelligence we’re going to win, but we only have 40 minute to take care of that and that was nerve-racking.”

Megan Allred made five saves to preserve Sky View’s fourth shutout of the season, and center back Macken Brady stymied a handful of potentially dangerous Box Elder scoring chances.

“There are times where we just feel like, ‘OK, we just need Macken in defense, push everybody else (forward),’” Geddes said while laughing. “She’s just such a complete player.”

Infinity players in the Herald Journal representing their respected high schools

Much better start for MC
By Jason Turner
Published:
Friday, September 11, 2009 2:37 AM CDT

HYRUM — In its previous Region 5 match, the Mountain Crest girls soccer team got off to a horrid start, allowing three goals in the first nine minutes to Bonneville.

Needless to say, the Mustangs were determined to rectify their early-game struggles two days later, and they did just that.

Mountain Crest put relentless pressure on Box Elder in the opening 10 minutes and it paid off with a Randi Kendrick goal at the 4:15 mark, which propelled the Mustangs to a 2-0 victory Thursday at Lynn R. Miller Field.

“It was very important that we started off strong because we felt like we kind of gotten taken advantage of (by Bonneville) because we were flat-footed, but we did really well coming out really strong today, and we knew we had to prove a point that we don’t play like that,” MC wing Mindi Beckstrom said.

In the first 10 minutes alone, the Mustangs (6-1, 3-1 Region 5) peppered Bees goalkeeper Natasha Litchfield with six shots on goal and earned four corner kicks. Litchfield narrowly punched out attempts by Beckstrom and Juliette McCann, but couldn’t stop Kendrick’s powerful shot from the top of the 18.

Kendrick received a pass from Beckstrom and fired a right-footed shot at Litchfield, who got her hands on it but couldn’t stop it from tucking inside the near post.

It was all the offense Mountain Crest would need as the hosts dominated the possession battle the majority of the game. The Mustangs unofficially outshot the Bees (1-5, 0-4) 28-7, but the visitors were able to get behind the MC backline on a few occasions.

The Mustangs recovered in time to break up most of the plays, but keeper Janelle Shorts had to make an aggressive play off her line in the first half, and Box Elder’s Quinnce Johnson missed a wide open look after halftime.

“We’ve got to make sure that our D-line keeps dropping so they don’t get behind us,” said MC center back Shelby Rudd, who made several good plays in the attack. “We need to stay close to them all of the time.”

Defenders Randi Edvalson and Karlee Campbell both took some big hits and were shaken up a bit, but should be OK, MC head coach Dennis Giles said.

“We’re banged up, beat up and thrashed a little, but we’ve just got to step up and play, and I think they will,” Giles said. “I’ve got some young kids who can come in, but they’re inexperienced.”

The Mustangs got an insurance goal in the 55th minute when Beckstrom rebounded a shot by Jessica Hoskin from about six yards out. Mountain Crest took 16 shots after the break, but only put three on frame.

“We’ve got to finish, we’ve just got to finish,” Giles said. “And that just comes with time, we need more time. We may run out of time, but the kids are doing great and they’re getting in there (in dangerous scoring positions), and that’s what I like.”

Mountain Crest could have easily dented the scoreboard a few more times in the second half. For starters, Makelle Eggleston (pictured above) pinged a point-blank pass from Hoskin off the crossbar, and Beckstrom misfired on a penalty kick in the 65th.

Litchfield dove to deny a shot by Cassidee Nelson in the first half. Morgan Olsen set up the attempt by dribbling right through the heart of the Box Elder backline.

“We had three or four point-blank shots that should have went in, but we’ll get it,” said Giles, whose squad notched its third shutout of the season. “Like I’ve said, one day this is all going to come together. One day, but I hope it’s sooner than later.”

Bobcats 4, Tigers 1

After spotting Ogden (4-3-1, 2-2) a 1-0 lead five minutes into the match, Sky View (6-4, 2-2) made the most of its trip to Weber State’s home pitch.

“It was just a speed bump, really, because we did a great job of just controlling this match,” SV head coach Doyle Geddes said. “It was a beautiful field, great venue ... and really, I think it gave us an advantage. ... We were able to spread them out, ping the ball around and when we started figuring out that our best scoring chances would come by putting the ball across the face (of the goal) from the wings, we ended up with some really nice goals out of it.”

Stacy Bair played a big part in three of Sky View’s goals, converting on a penalty kick in the 24th, and then delivering a pair of textbook crosses from the wing, which were headed in by Krista Whittle and Jessica Clements, in the second half.

“I know she was frustrated (in the last couple of matches), and so it was really good to she the ball go through her a bit more,” Geddes said of Bair. “And I think she helped the process by being very unselfish, and so the balls that she gave up came right back to her.”

Jessica Brooksby scored the Bobcats’ other goal on a great through ball from Robin Hansen in the 18th, said Geddes, who also singled out the play of reserves Shakiah Saltern and Jaden (J.D.) Larsen.

Infinity players in the Herald Journal representing their respected high schools

Kendrick powers MC
By Jason Turner
Published:
Wednesday, September 2, 2009 3:16 AM CDT

Logan's Hillary Dodd, right, heads the ball as Mountain Crest's Randi Kendrick (10) defends during their match Tuesday night in Logan. (Eli Lucero/Herald Journal) Click here to view more photos from the match.

As fast as Jessica Hoskin is, it’s really easy for opponents of the Mountain Crest girls soccer team to focus on containing the senior forward.

That’s when players like Randi Kendrick have been able to rise to the occasion so far this season.

Kendrick scored two goals in the final 10 minutes of the match, propelling Mountain Crest to a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Logan in the Region 5 opener for both teams Tuesday night at Crimson Field.

“We’ve been working on that for quite some time ... because we know they’re keying on Jess because she’s fast, and they were watching her and they were doubling her,” MC head coach Dennis Giles said. “And here Randi steps up the way she did, and that’s what we need. And we’ve got a lot of kids capable of doing it, there’s a lot of them out there.”

The Mustangs have indeed proven they have a lot of players who can be dangerous in the attack, and that’s a big reason why they are now 4-0 on the campaign. Seven different players have already scored for Mountain Crest.

“Every single person on our team wanted to win,” Kendrick said. “This is a big game for us and our first region game, so we just came together as a team and everybody said they were going to work their butt off and just do their part.”

As for the Grizzlies (2-4, 0-1 region), it wasn’t the ending they were hoping for, but they improved substantially after setbacks to Morgan and Springville last week.

“I think we did a lot better,” LHS goalkeeper Taylor Anderson said. “In our practices lately, we’ve been focusing more on making it harder for each other and pressuring each other more, and I think our unity is getting better.”

Anderson was certainly a big reason why it was anyone’s match when the 70th minute rolled around. The senior was outstanding, coming off her line on a handful of occasions, with no regard for her body, to thwart dangerous Mustang attacks.

“That’s what we’ve been talking about is ... owning the goal, and no matter who’s shooting at you, you are telling yourself you are going to deny them that goal,” LHS head coach Mitch Peterson said. “It could be your teammate in practice, it doesn’t matter who it is. I mean, you have to take ownership of (the goal), and Taylor did that tonight.”

Unfortunately for Anderson and the Grizzlies, Kendrick was also up to the challenge. Logan spent the majority of the final 25 minutes or so chasing Mountain Crest, and Peterson felt his players got a little winded.

As a result, Kendrick was able to get behind the Logan back line on a through ball at the 71:35 mark. Kendrick’s initial shot was stopped by Anderson, but No. 10 stuck with the play and scored.

With less than two minutes to go in the game, Kendrick settled a pass from Hoskin and buried an absolutely perfect shot into the upper 90 of the far post.

“Logan, they were much better than I thought they were going to be,” Giles said. “... They’ve got some great players out there. I’m impressed with them, and they’ll be coming at us again, I’m sure. They put it together and they did well, but we finally came through and got our timing down and got them in the goal.”

Mountain Crest’s first goal was equally as impressive as the last. Kendrick tracked down a corner ball on the right side of the pitch, laid it back to Hoskin, who immediately crossed it to Mindi Beckstrom. Beckstrom then one-timed a volley just inside the far post.

The Mustangs were controlling the possession battle until the 21st. That’s when Maddie Daines headed a ball to Tonya Anderson behind the MC backline, and Anderson fired a shot past keeper Kjersty Cook from 12 yards out.

Logan then proceeded to win the possession battle for the rest of the opening half.

“I think all it did was give us the little confidence that we needed, and the realization to slow down and get back into our game,” Peterson said. “... Right then, we realized, ‘Oh, OK, we are in this thing.’”

Like her counterpart, Cook was solid in goal. The junior made four saves, including two in which she had to dive to deny well-driven shots by Sam Emmett.

Logan welcomed back senior Jordan Hartman, who had missed the first five matches recovering from surgery on her left arm.

Lakers 3, Bobcats 1

Take away the first 20 minutes and visiting Sky View outplayed the defending 4A state champions, SV head coach Doyle Geddes said. However, a trio of goals by all-staters Ally Shaw and Jaiden Thornock in that timespan proved to be too much to overcome.

Shaw and Thornock have now scored 14 of Bonneville’s (4-1, 1-0) 17 goals this season.

“We just had a lousy 20 minutes,” Geddes said. “Once we settled in, the game looked really nice, but that first 20 was absolutely ugly ... and you can’t do that against a team like Bonneville.”

The Bobcats (4-3, 0-1) trimmed the deficit to 3-1 in the 22nd when Robin Hansen scored on a pass from Megan Payne. Unfortunately for Sky View, it had a handful of near misses that would have changed the tide of the match.

For example, Stacy Bair and Shaylee Saxton both took shots that found the woodwork, while Haley Voeller narrowly misfired on a shot from about six yards away.

“We got one (goal) back,” Geddes said. “We could have gotten eight or nine back, but they have a solid keeper. It could have been a 5-3 or 6-3 game for us after our wake-up call.”