Goalkeeper Plays Starring Role In Banner Month for League-Leading Fury FC
Soccer News: Ottawa Fury FC had been playing well heading into the month of September, but the second-year club took its level of play to new heights in recent weeks. One of the players that particularly stood out in Fury FC’s impressive run of form in September was goalkeeper Romuald Peiser, who has been voted as the NASL‘s Player of the Month.
With assistance from one of the strongest back lines in the league, Peiser conceded just two goals in five September matches. Consequently, Ottawa went undefeated in that stretch, winning four and tying one. Just this past weekend, the club clinched a postseason berth.
“What we did in September was really fantastic,” Peiser said. “No one was expecting that, including us. We approached the month one match at a time and when you look back, we did something exceptional.”
Peiser posted three clean sheets in September to bring his grand total to 13 for the year. The Frenchman also lowered his league-leading Goals Against Average (GAA) to 0.77, putting himself in pole position for the NASL Golden Glove award. He has only been beaten 20 times in 26 matches in 2015.
“Romuald has been a very important piece of this team,” said Fury FC head coach Marc Dos Santos. “He will be the first one to admit that he represents the incredible work that everyone has done defensively. He works very hard in training and brings the same attitude in every match. He’s a winner and we are happy that his work is getting recognized.”
Along with the efforts of his teammates, Peiser has helped Ottawa maintain its lead in the NASL Fall Season Standings and climb to the top of the league’s Combined Standings. The 36-year-old veteran, who has experience playing in the top flights in France, Portugal, and Romania, has made 65 saves this year – only five behind league leader Akira Fitzgerald (Carolina).
To illustrate just how strong of a month Ottawa had as a team, Peiser beat out two of his teammates, Tom Heinemann and Sinisa Ubiparipovic, for the league’s Player of the Month honor, edging them by two and three votes respectively.
“I am very happy right now because of what we have achieved as a team,” Peiser said. “I have to thank my teammates and the coaching staff because everyone makes it feel like a family. It has been a great season for me, but it is because of the environment at the club. I am really proud to be part of Ottawa Fury FC.”
Fury FC ensured itself at least the No. 4 seed in The Championship with its 2-0 win over Canadian rival FC Edmonton on Sunday. The club surely won’t stop there, though. If the season ended today, Ottawa would hold the top seed as the Fall Season Champion and owner of the best overall record. With four matches left, Peiser and his teammates will look to lock down the top spot to make sure Fury FC fans have the opportunity to see postseason soccer up close and personal at TD Place in November.
Ottawa heads down to Tampa Bay to take on the Rowdies this Saturday, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Al Lang Stadium. The match can be seen live in the U.S. on ESPN3 and in Canada on NASL.com.
