There has been plenty of tinkering to the Ottawa Fury FC roster in its inaugural season in the North American Soccer League.

Coach Marc Dos Santos has brought in defenders, has reworked his midfield when injuries made it necessary and has stated he wants to be stronger up front next year.

One area that requires little attention these days is in goal, where Romuald Peiser has established himself as a powerful veteran presence.

Peiser, a native of Phalsbourg, France, has now started six consecutive games since Ottawa signed him during the last transfer window. The move surprised some, considering Devala Gorrick had played every minute in goal leading up to Peiser's signing. But the 35-year-old arrived in Ottawa on the heels of six years in the Portuguese Primeira Liga with Naval and Academica and was seen as a significant upgrade.

Peiser is proving to be as advertised and for Dos Santos, as expected. The coach was looking for an upgrade in goalkeeping experience and fully anticipated Peiser would come in and not only become a leader on the team but stop the ball as well.

Peiser was one of the best players on the pitch Sunday as Ottawa scored a last-minute goal draw Carolina 2-2, making eight saves while working the clock and providing his usual vocal presence in the back field.

Playing in Canada has been something of a learning curve for Peiser who is competing on artificial turf for the first time but it was obvious Sunday he has found a comfort zone with Fury FC.

"I feel really good," Peiser said after training at TD Place Tuesday. "(Sunday's match) was fantastic. We never gave up and fought until the last second."

As for the transition to the artificial grass, Peiser credits the team's training staff for helping him adapt to the new surface.

"It was tough at the beginning, the first three weeks were really difficult," he said. "After three weeks it was pretty good and now I don't have any problems."

Not only is Peiser in constant control of the penalty box, his communication with his players ­-- particularly the back line -- rarely stops and is never subtle.

"Communication is very important for us," the keeper said of his vocal style. "You have to be focused on the game and to talk a lot helps me to be focused."

After Sunday's match, Dos Santos said it was a typical Peiser performance and something fans should get used to seeing.

"For fans and media it might be a surprise (but) for me, I know him, it's normal," Dos Santos said. "That's the person he is and the keeper he is so I'm not surprised by his performance."

BECKIE CLOSE TO RETURN

Fury defender Drew Beckie is being credited as a "perfect patient" by team medical staff for the way he has bounced back from an ankle injury suffered three weekends ago.

Beckie, who dressed as a substitute Sunday and could play this weekend in Tampa Bay, said he's happy with how his recovery has gone, crediting athletic therapist Mel Fiala and other staff for getting him back to training sooner than expected. That, and a handy recovery tool.

"There's a thing called the game-ready machine and it's pretty magical," Beckie said Tuesday. "It compresses and makes your foot pretty cold."

The latest X-rays show Beckie's ankle injury is almost fully healed and the risk of re-injuring it is low.

"If I can't hurt it any worse I might as well go for it," he said.

Beckie rolled on his ankle while back-pedaling towards his own goal and was taken off on a stretcher. He admits he feared at the time the injury was more serious than it turned out being.

"Luckily it didn't turn out as bad as it felt," he said. "

DID IT CROSS THE LINE?

Without any kind of goal line video technology, it's impossible to say for sure if Ottawa's late tying goal Sunday crossed the goal line.

Carolina players certainly didn't think so, with several of them chasing after the linesman after the final whistle in protest of a call they believed cost them two points. The linesman, however, likely had the best view of anyone not playing for either team; he was standing on the goal line and didn't hesitate to raise his flag and signal a goal.

Game footage shows an incredibly close call as RailHawks keeper Akira Fitzgerald's body and hands are inside the net as the ball bounces into his hands. Dos Santos said he couldn't say for sure after reviewing the tape himself and Peiser, who was playing forward as an extra attacker and was right behind goal-scorer Oliver, said it didn't matter now.

"From my angle, I saw the ball touch behind the line," said Peiser, who also said it was impossible to be completely certain. "It's difficult to see, but really I don't care now."