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The Knights (5-10-1) paid back the New Haven Bulldogs for a regular season 2-0 Northeast Hoosier Conference loss by holding on to win 1-0.
Steele believes that whenever a team has beaten the Knights once in a season, they should win the second confrontation.
“I believe if we play two games in a season the second time around we should be capable of beating them, because we are aware of everything they are capable of doing and what they do strategically,” Steele explained.
The Knights had been struggling to win since the season started, but they have been turning that around as of late.
“Personally, I felt like we had a very good chance of competing and winning this game tonight. The boys have been working really hard over the last couple weeks to get us where we need to be and it paid off tonight,” said Steele.
The Knights’ defense made an exciting, first-half goal by Blair Williams stand up.
Williams took a crossing shot from Bill Denney and booted it into the Bulldogs’ goal past goalkeeper Jerod Hevel at 34:23.
“It was No. 1 great hustle by Denney just to save the ball because it was nearly out,” recalled Steele. “So, he worked his butt off to get there, and secondly, Blair made his run at a great time and stretched out and was able to put the ball in the back of the net.”
Before that in the 17th minute, Kory Faus just missed heading a cornerkick by Norwell’s Zach Pearson into the net.
Norwell now advances to Saturday’s championship match at 7 p.m. against the Bellmont Braves who blasted the Heritage Patriots 7-0.
In the first meeting against New Haven, the Knights had trouble staying with the Bulldogs on defense. So last night, Steele changed his team’s defense to account for New Haven’s offensive strategy.
“They run with three forwards and we were prepared for that. So, we just stuck another defender back there to mark up and negate that extra attacker on their part,” said Steele.
The Knights also took away the Bulldogs’ long ball attack.
“We made sure that we kept our depth all evening. We knew that they going to play nothing but long balls for the most part. The way you win over long balls is just stay back there and pick them off and not allow them to get in and win those,” noted Steele.
Norwell goalkeeper Adam Harris also made a nice save on a direct kick by New Haven’s Oscar Coreas from inside the 18-yard line in the 47th minute.
Faus also made a nice defensive move to interfere with a New Haven attacker on a breakaway in the second half. The shot just skimmed past the right-hand goal post.
Norwell had an opportunity to score on a cornerkick in the 49th minute and 79th minute.
The Bulldogs also missed chances to score on cornerkicks in the 55th and 71st minute.
In the first match, Bellmont sealed its victory with four goals in the second half.
Sam Meyer led Bellmont with a three-goal hat trick and Ethan Brege knocked in two goals. Austin Alanis and Tyrell Lengerich rounded out the Braves’ scoring.
Bellmont goalkeeper Anthony Coleman made five saves and Heritage goaltender Alex Blauvelt made nine stops.
The Braves’ Mike Buuck was issued a red card.
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