BUCKS DROP OPEN CUP OPPORTUNITY IN FT. WAYNE
FT. WAYNE, IN (May 21, 2009) - The 2009 version of the Michigan Bucks Premier Development League (PDL) team looks brilliant on paper, but the side has yet to begin clicking where on the field after losing 2-1 away to Fort Wayne Wednesday night. For the second consecutive game this season, the Bucks have dominated possession and attacking play but have yet to come away with a win.
In Saturday night’s opener, they outshot the Kalamazoo Outrage 22-5 but settled for a 1-1 tie at home. On Wednesday night against the Fever, the Bucks came out attacking again and moved the ball at will in the first half but could not solve the final third of the field. The strong Bucks defense did not allow a shot on goal in the first half but could not convert two free kicks at the top of the box offensively or numerous corner kick opportunities. After going in at halftime with a disappointing 0-0 tie, the Bucks should have come out smoking in the second frame knowing they needed a win to keep their U.S. Open Cup chances alive. But it was the Fever that seemed to have the desire and attacked more in the first 15 minutes of the second half then they did the entire first half of play.
Both Ft. Wayne goals came on mental lapses on the part of the Bucks defense, and the young team put both of their opportunities away. In the 60th minute, a seemingly harmless ball was dumped over the Bucks defense into the eighteen yard box, where Bucks keeper Steve Clark found himself alone to have to defend a streaking Fever attacker. Clark got to the ball a second late and the ref blew the whistle for a foul and penalty kick for the Fever. Wayne Careen slotted the ball to Clark’s left for the 1-0 lead.
The Bucks made several substitutions to try to light a fire under the offense and it paid off when the attacking pressure led to a corner kick in the 78th minute. Dave Hertel headed home a Mauro Fuzetti cross to knot the score at 1-1.
The Bucks had new life and 12 minutes to get the necessary goal. Instead, the offensive minded team allowed a throw in from midfield to find PJ Wilson down the left side. Wilson walked into the box and slammed home what might be the PDL goal of the month from a sharp angle into the roof of the net from 12 yards out. With the 2-1 lead, the Fever packed in the defense and fended off the Bucks last minute chances to tie the game.
The Bucks sit at 0-1-1 on the season and now head home to face the Cincinnati Kings on Saturday at the Canton Cup tournament (3:00 PM kickoff) with hopes of getting their first win of the season. The club has not started a season without a victory in its first two games since the team's inaugural season in 1996, when they started 0-4 before recovering to make the playoffs and make it to the PDL finals.
“It’s a shame to play two games like we have with the type of possession and rhythm and to only walk away with a point," said Bucks Head Coach Dan Fitzgerald. "We have loads of talent and it is taking some time trying to figure out how to find the right chemistry. But that is no excuse. We have the talent on the field to score three goals in any given game. We have enough players that have played together to get that done. I was disappointed with how flat we came out and the lack of urgency that we seemed to play with in the first half."
"Fort Wayne kept gaining confidence as the game went on and we did nothing to slow that down. I told the boys before the season that any team in this division can beat any other team on any night- so they best come out ready to play from the beginning,” said Fitzgerald.
BUCKS NEXT HOME GAME FREE TO PUBLIC COMPLIMENTS OF CANTON CUP SOCCER TOURNAMENT
For the third consecutive year, the Canton Cup soccer tournament has invited the Michigan Bucks to play as part of their huge Memorial Day tournament this coming weekend at Independence Park. The organizers of the Canton Cup have purchased the entire gate for the Bucks home game on Saturday (3:00 PM kickoff) and have opened the game up for FREE to the public. The Bucks will take on the Cincinnati Kings in search of their first win of the young 2009 PDL season and should be highly motivated after a hard to swallow loss at Ft. Wayne on Wednesday night. For more information on the Canton Cup schedule, directions, etc., please feel free to visit the tournament web site at www.cantoncup.net. 
