The second match from the qualifying round for the 2006 Bethesda Premier Invitational pitted the Commack Blasters against the hosting club's Bethesda Sharks. Temperatures climbed into the mid-seventies, nearly fifteen degrees over normal for this time of year, making conditions ideal for both teams. The winner had the inside track to the semi-finals and the action on the field was well played throughout the first half with neither team scoring.

Commack broke the ice at the eleven minute mark of the second half after making several changes in our field positions to break the Bethesda marking pattern. Saulty crossed a ball from the right corner to Gina as left forward who was cutting to the net to meet the ball near the right post. Gina's left footed shot around the keeper caught the left post for a 1-0 advantage. Commack maintained the better of the possession for the next fifteen minutes and successfully shut down the Bethesda attack as time was running down. As the center referee's watch sounded for thirty minutes completed, the players were asking how much time was remaining and were told to continue play. At 31:20, a foul resulted in a free kick by Bethesda from the right side about forty yards from the goal. Despite having everyone back on defense for this apparent last play, the well placed cross landed on a Shark forward's foot and was placed into the net's right side, almost in slow motion, for the 1-1 equalizer. On the resulting kickoff, the whistle sounded to close the match at the thirty-two minute mark. The extended time and resulting draw moved the Blasters from the semi-finalist's bracket into one of the consolation matches as Bethesda defeated the YMS Speed Demons, 1-0, later in the afternoon.

Across the GU/16 Chesapeake Bracket, two fields were used. Field #4, the wide pitch on which Commack played, saw a total of five goals scored from six total preliminary round games. Meanwhile, Field #3 which was not as wide, saw fifteen goals scored across six games. Goals were clearly at a premium this weekend on Field #4 and the extended time certainly did not favor Commack in this contest.

As it turned out, this was the closing match of the tournament as heavy rain moved into the Gaithersburg area during the overnight. Tournament officials cancelled the second day's action by 7:00am Sunday morning. The end result for Commack was a 0W-0L-2L record which extended the team's unbeaten streak to a team history high fourteen straight matches.

Date: November 11, 2006     Venue: Maryland Soccer Complex - Boyds, MD