By Corine Gattie The News Virginian
Published: April 17, 2008

STUARTS DRAFT – Acrobatics were displayed on the pitch between Fort Defiance and Stuarts Draft on Thursday night. Both team’s keepers had a night of leaping and throwing their bodies at the ball, and received many “ooh’s and ahh’s” from the bleachers but in the keeper showdown Fort (4-4, 2-1 Southern Valley) took the 1-0 victory at Draft.
“We showed some looks earlier in the game,” Cougar coach Chris Loomis said. “I think both teams did very well tonight and played a solid 80 minutes.”
In the first quarter, Draft’s keeper Matt Sundeen dove in headfirst after a ball to keep the game knotted 0-0. Sundeen’s counterpart, Derek Uhler, showed his athleticism by leaping into the air and caught a ball driven by Draft’s Alex Wood on an angle.
Some of the bigger players on Draft got close but Uhler did not let it intimidate him.
“They’re bigger [Draft] than I’m used to, but I wanted the shutout,” Uhler said.
The Indians netted their goal when James Ulmer broke out of the box and tucked the ball from a screen pass.
Fort’s head coach Brent Hull was impressed with the win.
“It was a very good game tonight by both teams. Draft showed they are just as good as any body,” Hull said. “It just was a really good match tonight. Uhler really stepped it up for us.”
Draft (2-4, 0-2 Southern Valley) tried a different formation in its defense adding another stopper. One cannot mistake Chris Mahanes, also a linebacker on the Cougars’ football team. The senior was mowing down the Indian forwards.
“Instead of one stopper we added an extra one,” explained Mahanes. “It makes us more physical, and that’s what we want is to be is more physical. We want the forwards know that we are there.”
Draft’s defense showed up in a big way, but its offense could not penetrate Fort’s gates.
“We had a bunch of opportunities, like one-on-one, but we just could not put it in.” Loomis said.
Draft will play Rockbridge on the road next week and Fort will host Spotswood.