SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The NWS Knights were a single goal from a perfect 5-0 finish at the Rip the Duck Tournament May 1-2 in South Bend, Indiana. An overtime braveheart loss in their first game against Lincoln Way (Ill.) was the only setback the Knights suffered during the trip, scoring wins against Fox Valley (Ill.), Caledonia (Mich.), Lake Country (Wis.) and Orland Park (Ill.).
“We were disappointed to lose such a close game in our opener,” said Knights coach Josh Cole, “but I was really pleased with how our guys responded the rest of the weekend. Instead of getting down we played hard the remaining four games and dominated those contests. Considering that this was our first time playing against another team this spring, we looked great. We still have a lot of work to do, but you could tell we were technically more polished than most of our opponents.”
The Knights, who recorded two shutouts during the tournament, barely missed the four-team playoff round on goal differential and were one of the top defensive performers in a division that included over 20 teams from five different states.
“I thought our defense and goalies played extremely well,” said Cole. “They were disciplined and physical when they needed to be. Perhaps most important, they handled the ball extremely well and our clearing game was excellent.”
The Knights got offensive production from a wide variety of players and showed good balance from the midfield and attack units.
“Another thing we did very well was control the ball on offense,” said Cole. “We were patient and made good passes, yet we weren’t afraid to attack the goal when we had opportunities. We really made good decisions with the ball all weekend.”
The Knights return to tournament action June 12-13 at the Dick’s Sporting Goods Midwest Cup in St. Louis.
