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Goalkeepers Key in Gutting Out 1-0 Win Against Chico

June 12, 2005 Unaccustomed to their 4^th place position in the League standings, the perennial League Champion Chico Rooks came to town with a point to make. Chico was surprised by Sol at their first meeting in Santa Rosa on April 30^th when Sol came away with a convincing 2-0 win.  The game on Sunday afternoon was a make up for the game scheduled May 21^st as Sol had qualified to participate in the Regional Tournament that weekend.  

Both teams came out very aggressively, attacking relentlessly but neither team was able to penetrate the others defense very effectively.  Chico actually outshot Sol in the first half 5 to 2 forcing a couple of solid saves by Keeper Eric Kronberg.    Finally, in the 35 minute, defender CJ Sigler brought down a Rook in the penalty area drawing the penalty kick.  Eric Kronberg was up for the challenge stopping the low shot to his right corner, holding on to the ball to prevent the rebound.  This energized Sol for the balance of the half, but nothing seemed to work in finishing into the net.   

In the second half, Sol came out stronger pushing up against Chico’s central defense.  This half was a back and forth affair as indicated by the 7-7 tie in the shot count.  Chico Keeper Dominic Jakubek, familiar to local fans from his days on the Sonoma State Men’s Team, was forced to make 3 second half saves compared to just one for Kronberg.  It got interesting in the 76^th minute when forward Brandon Boone was fouled in the penalty area and awarded a penalty kick .  Alternate keeper Derek Shaffer had entered the game as a forward and was nominated to take the kick.  Unfortunately, Shaffer hit a savable shot to Jakubek who would not let it go by.   

Redemption came quickly to Shaffer when in the 80^th minute, elegant dribbling up the Sol left side by Trevor Hurst allowed him to get off a great cross.  While others had not been able to physically push through the Chico defense, Shaffer’s size and strength kept him precisely in the position he wanted.  He headed the ball through Jakubek’s flapping arms into the net for the game winner.  The final indignity was suffered in stoppage time by Chico when an aggressive Brandon Boone was about to break loose on Chico defender Jesse Gregg who was forced drop Boone to prevent another goal. As Gregg was the last defender, he was shown the red card and ejected.  Final score: 1-0 Sol.