In full war regalia, Hakoah All-Jewish stars met with plenty of opposition against a revamped Bethlehem soccer team on Saturday afternoon on Lehigh Field and at the conclusion of ninety minutes of fast and vigorous football had to be satisfied in sharing the league points. Both teams notched two goals.
The Bethlehem lineup was one drastically revised over the team presented in the cup ties and conspicuous by the absence of such celebrities as Archie Stark, Tommy Gillespie and Johnny Jaap, all three forwards, and Bill Carnihan, center half. The forward line suffered mostly for the two regulars, Alec Dick, outside left, was the only player in his usual position while Alec Massie, blond topped inside forward, played an understudy to Archie Stark, center forward.
Another rearrangement was the shifting of Bill Finlayson from his back position to that of center halfback, the latter a position in which he played regular before coming to Bethlehem, while Gibson, on the shelf most of the season with injury, went back to his regular berth at right fullback.
As a center forward Alec Massie acquitted himself as a player of great possibility in this position. Not as versatile perhaps as Archie Stark in the distribution of play and not as expert with his head, Massies first time drives are sent through with rifle speed and anywhere within scoring zone is a most dangerous shot. This was evident in the two markers garnered, both shots on which Fischer, Hakoahs big man in goal, had no chance whatever.
The first half was played devoid of any unusual incident and at the end of which Hakoah was leading 2 to 1., was just the opposite after the restart. Hauesler, Hakoah forward, who has a reputation of heckling players and has been a victim of banishment in games more often than any two other players in the league, found Bethlehem players in a reciprocal mood. Especially Pitt, the fiery red-headed Irishman, playing a halfback position with Bethlehem, and the mild and easy-going Captain McGregor. Several of Haueslers illegal tactics were glaringly visible, the one in particular when he held McGregor from the rear.
Bethlehem assumed the upper hand on the opening kickoff when playing against the wind the initial attack of the game ended with a marker in favor of Bethlehem. The ball was centered to Massie, who without hesitation took a first-time drive and crashed the sphere into the rigging.
The homesters held the lead for about fifteen minutes when Hakoah got a cheap goal immediately following a Bethlehem throw in in Hakoah territory. Before the ball was cleared Wortman laid his boot to the leather and Fraser had to be content to see it whiz into the net.
One down at the restart, Bethlehem put on pressure and in less than a minute of play the count was equalized. Again it was Massie who tore through to take a cross from Purgavie, going into the air to breast the ball into the net. Hakoah protested the goal but Referee Johnny Walders stood firm in his opinion.
Bethlehem -- Hakoah
Fraser G Fischer
Gibson RFB Grosz
McGregor LHB Sternberg
Reid RHB -- Nickolsburger
Finlayson CHB Guttman
Pitt LHB Mahrer
Rollo OR Schwarz
Robertson IR Hauesler
Massie CF Gruenwald
Tollan IL Wortman
Dick OL Greenfeld
Goals Massie 2, Wortman 2. Substitutions: Purgavie for Robertson, Neufeld for Wortman. Referee, John Walders, Philadelphia. Linesmen, J. H. Carpenter and Horace Williams. Time of halves 45 minutes.