The Knights got off to a promising start in the match as strikers Anthony Chimienti, Jimmy Frazelle, and Donny Ribaudo combined well with midfielders Scott Lucky, Pedro Lupercio, Levi Henson, and Marco Ramirez, but, as has often been the case this season, only two of ten first half shots found the target.  On the other end of the field, Knight’s defenders Raymond Harris, Dario Cordova, and Michael Elenz-Martin had their hands full with Sonoma’s speedy strikers as Sonoma had a little more luck with three of their six first half shots on target, but not in the net.  Not only were there shots aplenty for both teams, the officials logged many fouls during the match with the Knights going into the halftime interval with three yellow cards and twelve fouls compared to the three fouls and a single yellow card for Sonoma (though the fans seemed to think the referee’s decisions on those fouls appeared harsh or that other fouls might have gone unnoticed). 

           

Several halftime changes brought on fresh legs for both teams, but the nets remained empty for the better part of the half.  The Knights growing frustration with the officiating saw them receive two more yellow cards before finally making a breakthrough.  When the game’s first goal came in the seventieth minute it was a substitute who provided the service as the Knight’s Victor Lopez sent a well crossed ball from the right side to the far post for an onrushing Anthony Chimienti to power home with a superb diving header.  For Chimienti it was not only the opening goal of the match, but also his first goal of the season as he looks to recapture the form that has earned him the NPSL Golden Boot in seasons past.  Chimienti was unfortunate not to add his name to the score sheet again on several occasions before being rested and replaced by Arturo Barragan.  Ozzie Perez also joined the match and added solidity to the Knight’s midfield. 

           

For the rest of the game both teams fought hard to find the goal and in the eighty-seventh minute Sonoma’s unrelenting play saw their striker, Brandon Boone, get in behind the Knights’ defense for a one-on-one opportunity with goalkeeper Mark Torguson from which the striker made no mistake as he slotted home the late equalizer to snatch the game out of the Knights’ hands.  A late scare for the Knights occurred in the dying minutes when Eliot Ricks-Chambers went down in what seemed to be a horrific fall, but walked off the field and laid to rest any initial fears of a serious injury.  Though the Knights had more luck in finding the target in the second half, they were unable to take the three points they wanted from the match as it ended all square at one.  The Knights hope Ricks-Chambers and all of the other squad members will be fit when they visit the Sonoma County Sol in their next match on June 16 for what could be a decisive rematch in the NPSL Northwestern Conference.