THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 18, 1996 TAG: 9608180194
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY REA FARMER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HIGH POINT, N.C. LENGTH: 50 lines
The Carolina Dynamo blew their home field advantage Saturday night, drawing red card ejections on two key players, as the Hampton Roads Mariners took a 1-0 overtime win in a Select League second-round playoff game at A.J. Simeon Field.
The teams will meet in a rematch Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. at Old Dominion University.
After playing an extremely cautious and methodic regulation, the Mariners exploited their two-man field advantage in the extra period. Just 2:34 in, Dustin Swinehart drove into the box, faked a defender and blasted the winning shot.
``I saw the goalie coming out and I tried to go inside the defender,'' Swinehart said. ``I got behind the defender and the goalie was out and the chip shot was on. The keeper got caught in the middle, he wasn't far enough out to get me and he couldn't get back.''
The Mariners (19-6) flooded the field in celebration of their second franchise playoff victory. If they win Tuesday, they advance to the Select Six Finals. If they lose, a 30-minute mini-game will be played immediately following the game, with the winner advancing.
The Dynamo (19-6) tripped themselves up when defender David Moxom was ejected late in the first half for an off-the-play chopping tackle on Dave Schifrin.
In the second half, leading scorer Yari Allnutt drew a yellow card at 14:27, then a second at 18:24, causing an ejection.
Neither player will be eligible Tuesday night.
Despite the two-man field advantage, the Mariners struggled in regulation. The Dynamo did not appear short-handed, dominating the offensive attack. Hampton Roads struggled to adapt to the unusual advantage and played cautious, controlled soccer.
``It's an unusual situation,'' Mariners coach Shawn McDonald said. ``You don't practice it, don't even face it that often. There's so much more space, it becomes unnatural.''
Swinehart said it's difficult not to let down knowing there's a free teammate ready for backup.
``It's easy to get mentally lazy,'' he said. ``There's the biggest chance of slowing down with a man advantage. You can think, `Oh, I'll let that go because Sterling's got it.' They only have nine men, so they're working twice as hard. You have to work as hard. That's the thing you have to battle through.''
``In regulation, it was back and forth,'' said Mariners keeper Matt Olson, who had seven saves to nine for Scott Garlick of Carolina. ``Neither gave anything up.'' by CNB