DEA Bedford Over 30

DEA Bedford kicked off the Fall '05 season with a 2-2 draw at FC Barley. DEA was behind 2-0 with 20 minutes left before equalizing late. DEA started with 8 players, as the directions to the game were downright awful. Yes...there are TWO POND STREETS, apparently. Basically, it was get to Main Street and ask the newspaper dude for directions. Then, to make matters worse, the game was on Field Turf, and some players could have supported better boots. However, they perservered. Anyhoo, after playing smart at the start, DEA didn't create many good looks at the goal, but they were showing flashes of ball possession. This would prove hopeful for some success as more troops weaved their way through town. Not long after fielding the full squad, however, a quick counter found a nice little cross and Barley jumped ahead with 15 minutes left in the half. With under five left before the break, Barley got off a ripper from just outside the 18. Pacer keeper Chris Cloutier dived far to his left to parry the low drive. Bedford would go into the break only down one. With numbers for the full half ahead, they hoped they could still gain an important three-points on the road. Early in the second half, Barley got another with a similar play as the first. A short DEA pass in the back doesn't find fruition, a quick counter, a cross and #@*$%&!! DEA was down by two. Their black jerseys began to look hotter and hotter on the artificial surface. DEA had shown themselves to be the better squad by carring more of the play for almost an hour. However, it only matters on the scoreboard, and that looked bleak. It almost looked even more bleak when Cloutier was caught off his line, and left the gaping net wide open. However, Chris Florek battled back and cleared smartly off the line to keep it close. This would prove to be a huge play by day's end. Right about the 70-minute mark, Rich Powlowsky sent a long cross that Jon Cloutier had to turn on the jets to track down in the far corner. Jon sent a cross back across the goal. After Scott Sharby kept it in along the far touchline, he found Sonny Gagnon inside the box. Gagnon slipped a pass to Rob Cissell who hammered home a short drive to give DEA some life. With the clock becoming more of a worry, the sound of someone's car alarm distracted some on the sidelines. When Cissell's corner kick found the head of Chris Laberge, it soon became evident who's car it was. Laberge's thumping header found all webbing and DEA had levelled. Laberge ran up the pitch in celebration, soon passing the DEA players near the midfield stripe, and announced as he ran off the field "My car alarm is going off". OK, first...how in the hell did he know it was his? Second, he probably knew it was his for a while, but waited until he could pound home knotting goal before addressing it. Pure legend. All was well with the car (foul ball...stupid sport that baseball is, huh?), and now instead of trying to battle back, DEA looked to go ahead. Two glorious chances remained. One by Elvis Zukovic, a screaming drive that the Barley keeper got a finger tip on before it smashed off the crossbar. The second a low scorcher by Barry Fitzgerald that whistled wide. The game would end level at 2-2. Overall, not a bad start to the campaign. DEA is off next week in celebration of Labor Day. Two weeks out, they battle Westford, who will be "arriving" for an 8:30 battle at DEA's new fall home...Sportsman's Field.