Hampton Roads Piranhas News Release - www.hrpiranhas.com

Saturday, June 21, 2008

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA -- Foster Field should have been an inch or two longer or wider, the goals an inch or two taller or further across. If that had been the case Saturday night, the PDL Piranhas would have come away with a win over first-place Reading at Virginia Wesleyan College. Instead the Rage scored one goal in the 38th minute of the match and that was the end of it.

It was truly a game of inches. Reading’s lone goal came on a shot by Reading’s Allen O’Connor that ripped up the middle from inside the 18-yard box right into the chest of Piranhas’ goalkeeper Andrew Techanchuk. Techanchuk made the initial falling down save, but the ball glanced off him right to the foot of Rage forward James Taranto who scored over the sprawling Techanchuk’s head.

In the 45th minute, Piranhas midfielder Josh Nolz had an open shot that sailed inches wide left.

In the 75th minute, Piranhas forward Kyle Hartley’s shot rang off the crossbar and forward Tom Woolard was called offsides by inches when he corralled the rebound and took another open shot.

“We are just an inch or two away,” said Piranhas’ head coach Jon Hall. “This game had a teams that had a 2% difference in quality and 100% difference in number of goals scored. We applied great pressure tonight with just had not quite enough quality of play.” The Piranhas outshot the Rage 12-11.

The Piranhas next match is against Newark on June 28 at 7 p.m. at Virginia Wesleyan’s Foster Field. Tickets are $5 at the gate and gates open at 6 p.m.