Shorthanded salvation

Even with a man advantage, the Springfield Demize were no match for the Thunder Bay Chill.

Midfielder Anthony Putrus scored in the 58th minute Saturday with the Chill minus the red-carded Cody Shelton, the only goal the host Thunder Bay squad would need in capturing a 1-0 victory at Chapples Park, the team’s fourth straight victory.

Putrus, who returned to the Chill this season after a two-year absence, said losing Shelton, who had just entered the game as a substitution, in the 35th minute had little effect on how they approached the last-place Demize.

“We obviously lacked a player up top,” he said. “Our strategy was still to press high and just force a mistake and it fell our way.

“We’ve got a little experience playing down a man. We’ve been doing it for a bit now.”

Though not quite as dominant as they were in beating Springfield the night before, the Chill also didn’t make it quite as dramatic, scoring the winner with plenty of time left on the clock, a beautiful three-way passing play that allowed Putrus to slash his way through the Demize defence and in alone on goalie Kyle Hoard.

“I think Brandon (Swartzendruber) got the ball up top and he played Nolan (Intermoia) in behind. I just put in a little extra effort, Nolan spotted me and he put it right on a platter for me and I just had to tuck it away,” Putrus said.

Unlike Friday, the Demize had their chances to score in Saturday’s rematch.

Their best opportunity came in the opening half, when Springfield forward Chris Anzalone intercepted the ball in the 18th minute and raced in alone on Chill keeper Christiano Costa, beating him cleanly but not the post, the ball bouncing harmlessly away.

Shelton’s red card drew the ire of a packed grandstand, but Intermoia said the officials got it right. At least that’s what he’s saying publicly.

“I really didn’t get a good look at it. It was a hard challenge, I guess too hard for the referee’s eyes. He made his call, there’s nothing you can do to change it. It’s the game of soccer and as a team we have to persevere through that,” Intermoia said.

It mattered little.

The Demize, who appeared content to sit back and try to salvage a point from their weekend north of the border, knew it was only a matter of time before the Chill broke through.

Continuing to press throughout the second half, Swartzendruber had his best chance five minutes in, firing a shot wide of Hoard.

Even after securing the lead – a goal that cost Hoard a yellow card – Thunder Bay kept pressing, looking for insurance.

Hoard made a two-handed save on Swartzendruber in the 64th minute, then with regulation time winding down, Intermoia was robbed when Hoard appeared to snatch the ball back from over the goalline. But the officials said the ball never crossed, and the tight contest continued.

Cold shots: The Chill are set to embark on a 10-day, five-game road trip starting July 2 in Springfield. The team then travels to St. Louis for one and Colorado and Des Moines for two apiece ... Playmaker Gustavo Oliveira missed his second straight game, but said he’ll be ready to suit up for the road trip ... Thunder Bay is third in the Premier Development League’s Heartland Division with 15 points. They trail second-place Des Moines by six points, but have four games in hand.