GAME SUMMARY:
The Wolfpack played hosts to Lobos FC last Sunday on a cool evening in Duluth in the first leg of the Battle of the Packs. Lobos were shorthanded for the game, with only 9 suited players, but the squad battled well. The game kicked off with Superior controlling possession. Lobos, content to sit back, counterattacked when they could. The Wolfpack had a few great early chances, but shots from inside the box kept missing wide. In the 16th minute, Nick Raasch caught Wolfpack goalkeeper Riley Brennan off his line, giving the visitors a lead immediately after Brennan received a yellow card for dissent. The Wolfpack continued to push, and had the vast majority of chances in the half, but nobody on the squad could get a decent shot on frame, and Dassow needed to make no crucial saves to keep the lead.
The second half saw an improved Superior squad, who earned a penalty kick early in the half after a strong stretch of possession. Northland College midfielder Yabkal Demelash stepped up and slammed the ball past Dassow to tie the game. A few minutes later, in the 62nd minute, a Lobos player received a red card for slapping a player in a skirmish, and Lobos went down to 8 men on the field. The Wolfpack continued the heavy pressure, finally forcing Dassow into some necessary saves, but the Superior squad couldn’t find the go-ahead goal. In the 72nd minute, Lobos forward Abraham Camargo was slotted a ball through the centerbacks, and finding himself open on a breakaway, Camargo juked the keeper and scored to put the visitors back up by one. The Wolfpack entered desperation mode, looking to salvage points. After a few big misses and a few more good saves from Dassow, the Wolfpack found the answer. Joao Melo found space in the box, beat a defender, and passed the ball over to Kaden Bergman. Bergman took one touch and passed the ball past Dassow into the bottom-right corner of the net to tie the game. The Wolfpack, riding the momentum of the last goal, continued to push until the waning seconds, but missed a wide open shot to the right of the goal in the last second before the whistle blew, leaving a disappointing taste in the squad’s mouth, unable to get a win over a severely shorthanded Lobos squad.
BOX SCORE:
6-25/Lincoln Park Middle School/WPASL League Game
Superior Wolfpack FC.....................0 2 - 2
Lobos FC........................................1 1 - 2
First Half - LFC - Nick Raasch (Sergio Camargo) 16'
Second Half - SWFC - Yabkal Demelash (PK) 50', LFC - Abraham Camargo (Sergio Camargo) 72', SWFC - Kaden Bergman (Joao Melo) 86'
Saves: SWFC - Riley Brennan (3 saves); LFC - Jake Dassow (8 saves)
LOOKING AHEAD:
Superior Wolfpack FC (2-5-2) vs Lobos FC (3-3-1) | WPASL League Game
Sunday, July 9th | Merrill Area Recreation Complex (Merrill, WI) | 3:00 PM CT
Free Admission | Livestream TBD | 79 degrees and raining
The Wolfpack’s game this week against Poskin was postponed due to thunderstorms, with the new date unconfirmed. The next scheduled game is a rematch against Lobos FC in Merrill, WI, a game with significant playoff implications for both squads, who currently sit as the bottom two postseason seeds.