Chicago Dutch Lions FC (3-2-4) hit the road once again for a rematch with the Milwaukee Torrent. Unfortunately for the Lions, a Conference Championship was out of the question given the fact that the Chicago Red Stars Reserves had clinched the championship with a victory of their own Wednesday night. However, the 2nd place in the Conference standings was at stake with three teams battling for the runner up position. The Lions managed to pick up a point with a 2-2- draw.
The Lions started strong. In the eighth minute, a feed from Abbey Hillman found the foot of Chesney Wargo in a crisscross sequence that found the back of the net that made the score 1-0. Shortly thereafter, on a breakaway chance of their own, the Torrent capitalized and found the equalizer midway through the first half. Similarly, to their first meeting, a back-and-forth affair was beginning to brew.
Controlling the time of possession was key for the Dutch Lions FC early on, as they kept up their high-paced attack. Multiple scoring chances fell just wide, but just before the end of the half, Abby Schwartz broke the tie and put the Lions ahead 2-1, which re-shifted the momentum. The Torrent would eventually flip the script, as they picked up the pace of their own and found the back of the net early on in the second half. Once the match was deadlocked at 2-2, the flow of the game slowed down on both sides. Missed opportunities to go ahead came and went as the clock trickled upward to 90 minutes. A scramble in front of the net in the final two minutes of the match, that would have sealed the win for the Lions, was just blocked by a Torrent defender.
An extra minute of stoppage time helped neither side. While the first match between the two clubs ended in heartbreak for the Lions, the second one ended in a draw where the Lions had opportunities but couldn’t find the game-winner on the road. A draw put the Lions at 13 points, and a win against the Milwaukee Bavarians on Saturday could secure a 2nd place finish in the Lake Michigan Conference.
Nikhil Erlebach commented on the game: “We started the 2nd half a little slow and allowed a goal off of a header again in the first five minutes,” Erelebach explained. “That disrupted our rhythm a bit and we were not calm enough in the final third to score the game winner. Of course, we want to finish the season on a positive note. Three points against Bavarians could mean a 2nd place finish for us,” Erelebach said. Overall, Erelebach is pleased with the way the season has gone and is already looking forward to bringing back a family-type atmosphere to the Lions’ organization. “Once the first season is over, I will miss all the great people who became part of the Dutch Lions FC family this summer. I hope we will see many of our players, staff, volunteers & fans, who were part of our journey in the inaugural season, again next year.”
The season will conclude against the Milwaukee Bavarians on Saturday afternoon at 4:00 p.m.