California slips past Dynamite despite
four second-half goals by Tony Avery
January 10, 2010 | 12:10 pm No comments
Despite four goals in the second half by Tony Avery, the Denver Dynamite lost 7-6 to the California Cougars on Saturday at the Bladium in Denver.
Avery scored his fourth goal of the half on a penalty kick with 53.4 seconds left, cutting California's advantage to one goal. The Dynamite then brought in a sixth attacker. With about 20 seconds left, Chris Handsor had a chance at a loose ball in the goal arc, but the Cougars defense closed in before Handsor could get a foot on it, preserving the win for California.
Each of Avery's goals in the second half tied the score for Denver or brought the Dynamite within one goal of California.
After the teams were tied 2-2 at halftime, Brian Farber opened the scoring in the third quarter to give the Cougars a one-goal lead. Twenty-two seconds later, Avery scored.
Then Nelson Santana dealt the Dynamite a serious blow with two consecutive goals to put the Cougars up 5-3. Avery, though, scored with 47.3 seconds left in the third quarter to close the gap to 5-4.
Jorge Martinez opened the scoring in the fourth to give the Cougars a 6-4 lead, but Avery scored again with 8:05 left to bring it back to 6-5.
Craig Scheer's goal 18 seconds later put California back up by two.
The Cougars improved to 5-3 and moved into a tie for second place in the Professional Arena Soccer League's Western Division. The Dynamite dropped to 1-5 and remain in fourth place in the West.
The next four games for the Dynamite are against the Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League's Saskatoon Accelerators, the first two next weekend in Denver then the next two the following weekend in Saskatchewan.
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