Buffalo away... I'd Rather Not Talk About It

This past Saturday the Albany Rebels traveled across the state of New York to face the Buffalo Fenians.

While the Rebels were without six regular starters and a lot of firepower, they still brought a solid defensive squad with a plethora of new blood. The game was close through the close of the first half. Coach Henry Best described the first ten-minutes of the game as “garbage” but noted the club improved as time went on. Forward Pierre Massena picked up a shoulder injury early in the game from a hard hit. He would be limited but play through earning the Rebels a penalty kick and a 10-minute man advantage with a Buffalo player taking a black card. 

Halftime score:

Rebels: 1-2 = 5

Buffalo: 0-6 

Final Score:

Rebels: 1-3

Buffalo: 2-12

At halftime the Rebels discussed the need to simplify the game: attack the ball and work hand passes. They proceeded to do the exact opposite, consistently being beaten to every second ball and sending speculative kick passes to nowhere. Dominating possession now, Buffalo attacked in waves patiently working scoring chances. Were it not for the heroics of fullback and Man of the Match Christopher Scotto Di Carlo the score would’ve been even more lopsided.

A couple of years ago, the Rebels traveled to Syracuse, came out flat, and got smoked. A few weeks later, they corrected those faults and dominated Syracuse at the Midwest Championships. The Rebels will look to make a similar turnaround this season on their return to Buffalo on August 2nd.

As a result of Rochester’s stunning triumph over Syracuse, the Rebels will not be able to force a three-way tie and have a chance at repeating last season’s NY Cup victory.

Scorers:

Pierre Massena: 1-1

Marc Massena: 0-1

Ryan Moloney: 0-1

Game Ball:

Christopher Scotto Di Carlo