PWMA Defends Corporate Challenge Title
On the evening of June 7, 2005, the Porter Wright Soccer Team gathered together for a practice at Wolfe Park and began its journey into the Coed Corporate Challenge Tournament history books. Having emerged as tournament champion the previous year, the PWMA Team was well aware of the pressure to repeat the victory — and the fact that every other team in the tournament was focused on preventing just that. The veterans/coaches in Mike Underwood, John Carney and Andy Bojko, however, were not phased by the mounting pressure and kept the team’s focus on the practice at hand rather than the upcoming tournament. As the players left the field that night, they were ready and focused for the upcoming championship.
Porter Wright stepped out onto the pitch in the first round of the tournament against Comp Management. The pitch was in decent shape, and the light drizzle that began to fall as the referee started the match helped to soften the otherwise hard surface. The team scored its first goal when Andy Bojko dribbled through four defenders with the skill of a former Chilean professional and placed a pass (which was finished by Andrew Post) across the edge of the goalie box.
Ten minutes later, Rob Stalter increased PWMA’s lead to 2-0 with a long run down the left-hand side of the pitch and a shot on goal that found its way past the outstretched arms of Comp Management’s goalie. In the second half, it was all Porter Wright as Andy Bojko netted two more spectacular goals, leaving the final score at 4-0.
By the second round, Porter Wright was battling a short-handed PriceWaterhouseCoopers team that contained some very skilled players. Porter Wright, however, did not waste any time getting on the scoreboard as Andy Bojko and Andrew Post each scored a goal in the first half, which provided a two goal cushion heading into halftime. The lead was extended to 3-0 early in the second half when John Carney ripped the back of the net with a shot from 20 yards out. A few minutes later, Andy Bojko produced his second goal of the game, stretching the team’s lead to 4-0. Eric Plinke also found the back of the net in the second half, giving the Team a 5-0 victory and a spot in the championship game against Bricker & Eckler.
The championship game proved to be a tough battle of skill, determination, and heart. It was played just shortly after the conclusion of the semifinal games, and both teams were slightly drained from the earlier contests. The Porter Wright team, however, broke through the wall of fatigue in the tenth minute when Andrew Post found the back of the net from just inside the six yard box. Only five minutes later, the lead was extended to 2-0 when Rich Helmreich played a spectacular through-ball to Andrew Post, who slipped the ball just past Bricker & Eckler’s goalie. In the second half, Andy Bojko continued to dominate with a blast from 15 yards away that flew past Bricker & Eckler’s goalie, making the score 3-0 and clinching a Porter Wright victory.
As the final whistle blew, Porter Wright celebrated its second championship in a row and took a moment to look back at the road they had traveled. The team played extremely well during the tournament, fighting through injuries, ankle sprains, and general fatigue, but the team was undoubtedly carried by its strong defense. The defense provided 270 minutes of perfect soccer, not allowing a single goal in the entire tournament and frustrating every opposing offender who set foot on their side of the field. Perhaps there is truth in the old saying “the offense wins games, but the defense wins championships.” It was certainly true in this case, and with the entire defensive core returning next year, the team is looking forward to defending their title for a third year running.
This year’s team was comprised of several returning starters and a few new faces. The defense, all returning players from last year’s team, included goalie Rob “The Wall” Schmidt; sweeper John Carney; stopper Rich Helmreich; and outside defenders Mike Underwood, Beth Seabrook, and Lori Ramirez. The defense also brought in two outstanding off-season recruits in Ryan Sherman and Penny Barrick, who proved to be formidable obstacles for every opposing offensive player.
The midfield was run by Andy Bojko, who has been the team’s backbone for the last couple of years, and Karen Hammond, who proved to be another outstanding off-season acquisition by Mike Underwood and John Carney. Elizabeth Laudeman, Mike Heintz, Neeta Mulgaokar, Dan Miller, and Robert Gresham provided excellent speed and skill at the outside midfield positions.
Forwards included Eric Plinke, notorious for his unique scoring and shot-making prowess; Rob Stalter, and Andrew Post.