Lightning on the Move

By Ben Wilson

LOUISVILLE, KY - February 5, 2010 - The Louisville Lighting showed the Ohio Vortex that penalties and physical game play couldn’t stop them from climbing up the Professional Arena Soccer League’s Eastern Division by winning 14-8.

Louisville’s two first quarter goals came off an offense that looked disheveled and lost, as their passing game fell apart from the opening clicks of the clock. Taking advantage of Louisville’s sluggish execution, the Ohio Vortex’s Matt Tutich scored three goals. The Vortex went ahead 3-2 going into the second-quarter.

The opening stages of the second quarter were a repeat of the Lightning’s first-quarter debacle. At the 12:04 mark, Vortex midfielder Milko Cecez scored an unassisted goal, giving Ohio a two-goal cushion. Things took a 180-degree turn for Louisville as they scored two consecutive goals—at 11:49 Ryan McDonald shot a screaming liner of an assist from Glen Volk, and David Horne scored at 10:13 off an assist from Safet Kovacevic. Louisville ended the second quarter on a positive note by scoring a last-second goal to put them ahead 5-4.  

Louisville was down to four players three different times in the third quarter after multiple blue cards were issued for excessive fouls. Having limited players on the field didn’t stop Louisville from scoring five goals to Ohio’s three—blasting the lead to 9-6 as both entered the fourth-quarter of play.  The Lightning’s McDonald felt that his team’s third quarter run was the shift his team needed. “We were trying to push the momentum a little bit,” said McDonald. “Hopefully that would allow us to go up one or two goals.”

There was no lack of action in the final quarter. 43 seconds in, Ohio’s John Ball, whose rough style of play received less than stellar reviews from the Louisville fans, elbowed Louisville defender Lee Weyland in the right eye—causing an eye laceration. Ball was ejected from the match—prompting a loud cheer from the crowd.  Louisville focused all their aggression on finishing the game with the win. Louisville scored five goals to Ohio’s one and Volk and McDonald each finished the game with a hat-trick.