Barry Rice gets the goal as FC Edmonton draws FC Tucson

Barry Rice’s strange pass-that-became-a-shot allowed FC Edmonton to escape its first preseason match of the 2012 season with a draw. The Eddies drew FC Tucson of the PDL 1-1 Saturday in Arizona.

The Tucson side has been steeled for upper-tier competition as it has faced MLS competition during the preseason. It took just 10 minutes for the Arizona side to take a lead on the NASL team. Donny Toia beat Eddies’ keeper Michal Misiewicz, who got in 45 minutes of work as he gets ready to head to Florida early next week to join the Canadian pre-Olympic camp.

FC Edmonton’s Shaun Saiko and Kyle Porter will also leave camp in Arizona for the Canadian trials.

It was a choppy, uneven performance from the Eddies in the first half. Former Universty of Toronto keeper John Smits took over from Misiewicz in the second half, and Porter came in at striker for Michael Cox, while Matt Lam came in to play the left side of midfield, his first game action for the Eddies since he returned from his 2011 loan spell with Japanese second-division side JEF United.

FCE got the equalizer as forward Paul Craig streaked towards the Tucson goal. Rice, the former D.C. United player who is on trial with the Eddies, launched a ball towards Craig. The ball bounced in front of Craig, and then bounded by the keeper. The goalie, possible distracted by Craig’s run, allowed the ball to get past him.

Tucson hit the crossbar a little later in the game, while Edmonton had a couple of decent cracks on goal from 20 yards out.

Canadians Elvir Gigolaj, from St. Mary’s University, and Kenny Caceros, from Capital City FC of the CSL, got into the FC Edmonton starting XI.