Carman Valley Leader-Short-staffed Kickers lose game lead

By Andrew Stewart
Photo by Heather Baril      Despite a strong start to their Tuesday evening game, the Kickers were unable to maintain their 2-0 lead, losing the game 4-2 against the visiting Reservoir Dogs.


The Carman Kickers soccer team were in action last week in a game that was finished by the squad under protest.Last Tuesday, the Kickers played host to the Reservoir Dogs and according to Coach William Hoogerdijk, despite playing short-staffed with only nine men, said “things were going fine.” The team had a 2-0 lead thanks to a pair of goals by Richard Vanderveen and were playing well enough to hold Reservoir off the score sheet.However, following the ejection of their goalie from the game, the team began losing their lead.“It was a brutal call,” said Hoogerdijk.According to Hoogerdijk, Carman’s goalie “supposedly handled the ball outside the 18 yard box”, which should come with a penalty shot as the maximum punishment.“The ref gave him a red card instead,” he added, which forced the team to play the rest of the game with only eight players.With a bare minimum of players left, Hoogerdijk hoped the team “might have been able to hold them to a tie.”But down to eight and playing without their regular goalie or backup goalie Fabric Crego, the Kickers surrendered four goals, losing the game 4-2.“It wasn’t a nice game,” said Hoogerdijk, adding that the players that showed up, “played a great game”.The loss drops the Kickers record to five wins, six losses and two ties, which still leaves them in a good position to make the playoffs later this summer.

Portage Daily Graphic Aeros short-handed, but lucky

BY NEATE SAGER
Southport’s Matt Bernard, right, tries to win possession from Mundial’s Karl Ehrhardt.
Staff photo by Neate Sager

WINNIPEG — Southport Aeros did not put their best foot forward last night, yet managed a 1-1 tie against Mundial.The Aeros arrived at Vince Leah Community Centre with only 13 players and lost one of their two subs before the opening whistle, as Darren Reichert became ill and spent the entire match on the sidelines. Nevertheless, a brilliant goal by Steve Wasyliw and a fortunate break on a second-half penalty kick helped Southport avoid defeat.“We didn’t field our number-one lineup out there, so for us to come out with a point, it’s pretty good,” Aeros defender Danny Brooks said. “We played really great the first half. Second half, we had some chances, we had some guys playing positions they weren’t used to playing and it was a bit of a challenge for us. But we hung on. It was a good road game for us. We had to weather the storm.”The bare-bones lineup led to Southport (5-5-1) using Chris Assenmacher and Matt Bernard, both of whom normally patrol the outside, as their centre midfielders for much of the second half. While both did as well as could be expected, Mundial (3-6-3) controlled much of the final 45 minutes. The Aeros’ best second-half chances were a pair of runs down the flank by Ian McCallister and Wasyliw and both ended with a shot sailing wide of the net. Mundial was kept at bay thanks in part to Steve Assenmacher’s pair of diving saves on midfielder Kevin Chaves. The goalkeeper was eager for redemption after giving up a soft goal early. In the sixth minute, Assenmacher went down to smother a weak shot from Eduardo Sierra, only to have the ball elude him and land on the foot of James Silva for an uncontested goal.“Their keeper had a good game,” Mundial coach Ian Leatt said of Assenmacher. “I didn’t think much of him in the first half, but certainly in the second half he had a good performance.”Chaves was also foiled on the penalty kick, which was awarded in the 48th minute after a hand ball inside the 18-yard box. The midfielder hit the crossbar and the Aeros cleared the ball from danger.“It was a bad break to get the call against us in the first place,” Brooks said. “Their guy shot the ball and it hit our guy’s arm before he could do anything, But that’s kind of typical. We got the break when the guy (Chaves) hit the post.”Until that point, early in the second half, the Aeros seemed to have the upper hand. They played their best soccer in the latter portion of the opening half. Wasyliw notched his sixth goal of the season around the 25th minute when he headed in a cross from McCallister.Late in the half, McCallister was a split-second late redirecting a cross from David Roy and narrowly missed the net. Moments later, Tony Bryson had a goalmouth pass tipped out of bounds by defender Mark Figueiredo.“I had the goalie drawn out,” Bryson said. “I just saw the guy’s light-blue sock flash out at the last second. It was a close one.”Given the chances his team had later on, Leatt believed Mundial deserved a better result.“I would say that the performance in the first half was pretty even-Stevens,” he said. “The second half, we had more chances, we missed the penalty two minutes in. At the end of the day, we should have had three points.”The Aeros resume action on Thursday when Low Profile S.C. visits Southport Recreation Centre.CORNER KICKS -- Four Portage la Prairie teams will be on the pitch this weekend, though Southport United is the only one playing at home.On Sunday, United (4-5-4) hosts New Youth United (8-2-0) in a 6 p.m. match.Portage Blaze head east to a tournament in Kenora, Ont. On the youth side, Portage Cobras boys squad and Portage Hericanes girls team are entered in the Brandon Coca-Cola Classic tournament

Stonewall Argus and Teulon Times-United climbs into second spot

By Jason Halstead — 

Stonewall United picked up a win and a loss last week.United, sitting in third place in the Winnipeg Division of the Manitoba Major Soccer League, struggled in front of goal in the scrappy match against Super Troopers at the Veterans Memorial Sports Complex last Tuesday, but found the net often two days later, downing Soho FC 6-2. In earlier action, Stonewall United won twice in a row by 5-1 margins, knocking off Cantalk on July 6, and Elmwood Football Club on July 8.Tough defeatAfter pressuring the Troopers’ goal for much of the first half of the match on July 13, United couldn’t find the back of the net on more than a half-dozen solid chances. Against the run of play, Super Troopers scored late in the first half and took the lead to the halftime break. The Super Troopers extended their lead early in the second half on a counter-attack, forcing Stonewall to pressure for a pair of equalizers in the final half-hour of the match-up.United clawed back to within a goal midway through the second half thanks to the club’s leading scorer, Jason Ferris. The home side continued to pressure the Super Troopers goal, but came up short.United was fortunate not to fall further behind in the late-going, after goalkeeper Chris Ford conceded a penalty kick after fouling a Super Troopers forward. Ford saved the spot kick, but the referee ordered a re-take after ruling that United players encroached into the penalty area before the ball was struck. On this second attempt, the visiting forward struck his shot on to the crossbar.Bounced backStonewall currently boasts a 6-2 record, good enough for 18 points and second spot in the Winnipeg Division.United bounced back to form last Thursday against Soho FC at John Blumberg Recreation Complex, downing the Winnipeg club 6-2.UP NEXT: Stonewall United next sees action on Thursday in the city against the Winnipeg Wolves.

Portage Daily Graphic July 20th - Aeros’ offence crashes in loss

BY NEATE SAGER
Southport Aeros’s defender Gary Bergen, left, eyes a loose ball during yesterday’s game against North Kildonan.
Staff photo by Keith Borkowsky

The Daily Graphic — Southport Aeros’ offence sputtered in a 2-1 loss to North Kildonan Saints last night.Though not for lack of effort, the Aeros had precious few cracks at Saints goalkeeper Alan Sobie for much of the Manitoba Major Soccer League second division match. Despite a late rally, third-place North Kildonan hung on for the win at Southport Recreation Centre, opening a four-point lead over the Aeros. For Southport, the main post-game question concerning their attack was not why it was lacking. It was over how they proceeded, and who was in the lineup. On the first count, forward Steve Wasyliw believed a change in tactics might have helped Southport’s cause.“We were chasing too much, just chasin’, chasin’,” said Wasyliw, who gave the Aeros a ray of hope with a 75th-minute goal. “We should be working the ball in from the corners. The goal was a perfect example. Tony (Bryson) kicks it in from the side, it skips across two guys and I was just standing there wide-open. Overall, we played fairly well, but I thought our passes were just too long.”On the latter count, the Aeros (5-5-0) seemed to generate more offence after they replaced struggling striker Duane Chaves around the 70th minute. The division’s leading scorer (13 goals) could have returned during the late push for the equalizer, except Chaves had already changed into street clothes. His teammates were not impressed.“Duane has to decide if he wants to be part of the team or he just wants to go out there and serve himself,” Aeros defender Danny Brooks said. “If he’s going to serve himself, he’s going to be doing it on the sidelines. Just to be called off and to go and leave and abandon your teammates, that’s unacceptable. “Ya, we took him off, but that didn’t mean we weren’t going to put him back in. You don’t just take off your kit and take off. You can quote me on this, no one’s bigger than the team.” North Kildonan (6-4-1), who won the Manitoba Major third division in 2003, scored early in each half. As Brooks noted: “They’re the best team we’ve played.” The Saints’ Manuel Hildebrandt scored less than 10 minutes into the contest, while Rick Jansen made it 2-0 in the 49th minute.“The early goals were big,” Saints coach Robert Schartner said. “They just gave our team a little bit more momentum and confidence during the game. That was important, since we really needed this one to stay ahead of everybody else.”Southport’s best chance in the first 60 minutes or so was in the first half. Matt Bernard connected on a header, only to have Sobie tip the ball off the crossbar.The Aeros are in action again on Thursday, when they face Mundial at Vince Leah Community Centre in Winnipeg.

 

BLAZE ROMP -- Portage Blaze ended a mini-losing skid last night with a 5-0 win over the Wildcats in a Winnipeg Women’s Soccer League match at John Blumberg Park.“We went back to the basics tonight,” said Portage’s Tanis Mauws, whose team won for the first time in three matches. “Our attention to our fundamentals was exceptional, we played a solid 90-minute soccer game.”The Blaze (7-3-1 in league play) got off on the right foot with defender Pam Nicoll’s goal 10 minutes into the first half. Nicoll’s strike came from just shy of the centre stripe. “It was a monster kick,” Mauws said. “Seriously, it was huge.”Jill Fast added two goals for Portage, while Andrea Addison and Andrea Moffatt each tallied. Carrie Blanchard recorded her eighth shutout of the season.“Carrie was stellar, the defenders in front of her were stellar,” Blaze coach John Kerr said. “The midfield was a strong unit. I’d say Amy Link was player of the game. She was good in the midfield and both wings.”The Blaze travel for a tournament this weekend at Kenora, Ont.

Kenora Miner and News - July 19/04 Spitfire win Kenora Tournament

Kenora teams strike out in final matches
By Peter James

Heading into the the finals of the Kenora Men's Invitational tournament Sunday it looked as though local teams were poised to sweep the championships. It didn't turn out that way.
Local teams advanced to the finals in all three events, but each squad failed to win their final match, sending all three championships to Manitoba.
The Plaza Fury, Solid Construction Stingers and the Wiley Point Royals were the three teams to advance to the final day, only to see their dreams dashed Sunday afternoon.
The Royals had a shot at the biggest pay day, as they played in the A-side final against the powerful Spitfire Football Club from Winnipeg.
"It's bittersweet," said Royals player Linden Penner after the 3-0 loss in the final game.
The Royals were the only team in the tournament to win their first four matches, but they may have simply run out of gas in the final.
Jeff Richards set the tone early for Kenora, laying a hockey style check on a Spitfire player in the first minute and earning a yellow card.
The call didn't slow the Lakehead hockey player down as he made a few strong rushes to generate the best scoring chances for the Royals in the first half.
However it was the Spitfires who struck first. Joel Alicio blasted a shot from the top of the penalty area past Royals goaltender Jeff Goodman.
"The first goal was very important to us," Spitfire captain Ozzy Garrett said.
The Spitfires, who feature a small but skilled group of strikers kept up their attack in the second half, but weren't able to beat Goodman early on.
The tide began to change when Goodman was sent off after a verbal exchange with the linesman. Judd Robertson performed well in relief, but being down one man hurt the Royals attack. Richards aggressive play early on came back to haunt him later in the half when he was sent off after receiving his second caution.
The Spitfires were able to take advantage of the depleted Royals, scoring twice in the second half including a second goal by Alicio.
Penner said the remaining players had to run even harder to compensate for the loss of the two starters. They were able to generate a few chances in the final minutes, but were unable to put the ball in the net.
"It's always a different game when you capitalize on your scoring chances," Penner said.
"It gives you a chance to win."
For their win the Spitfire collect $1,300. The Royals got a cheque for $900.
Garrett said this is the first major tournament for his team, who play in third division in Winnipeg but are almost certain to be promoted this year. He said the team enjoyed the tournament and would like to try to defend their title next summer.
"Next year definitely," he said. "We had a great time."
The defending champion Solid Construction Stingers advanced to the B-side final, but were upended by Minnedosa, 3-2 in extra time.
Mike Hall had both of the Stingers goals, but they were unable to hold onto leads of 1-0 and 2-1.
Captain Dave Hewitt said he was proud of his team, despite the loss in the final game.
"We're happy where we ended up," he said adding the team has been struggling this year after losing a few key players in the off season.
In the C-side final, the Plaza Fury were unable to find the back of the net, losing 1-0 to Remington's Hotspur from Brandon in extra time.
The Fury had a number of chances to score late in the second half, but seemed to be just off the mark when they were around Hotspur's net.
"We turned it up," Fury player Peter Manicone said of his team's late surge. "We forced them to work."
However it was Brandon's Darren Gerdis who broke free in overtime to score the golden goal winner.
Pre-tournament favourites like the Casey's Spurs and the Sure Thing Centuries both failed to make it to Sunday, each finishing with a 1-2 record in the round-robin. They were both stuck in a tough group with the Spitfires and a strong Dryden team.
The newest team in the Men's league, the Rite-Way Playaz, almost made their first breakthrough. They finished in a three-way tie at 1-2 in Group 2, but lost out on a Sunday bid on goals for and against to the Lions team from Winnipeg.
The Lake of the Woods Dynamo finished the weekend at 0-2-1. The Korona Football Club lost their first two games, the score from their final match wasn't available
Manicone, who also organized the tournament, reported everything went smoothly.
Soccer fans don't have to wait long to get their next dose of action. The Casey's Women's League will host its tournament beginning Friday.

Carman Valley Leader-July 16th/04- Kickers right in thick of playoff

Planning second half push
by Gene Still 
  The Kickers, seen here in action during a 4-0 victory over St. James, are looking to add even more to their win total in the second half of the Fourth Division season.

 

Carman Valley Leader — What a difference a year makes. Unlike this same time last season when the Carman Kickers were battling just for a playoff spot in the Manitoba Major Soccer League’s Fourth Division, this year’s squad is not only in a post season position, as of press time, but they’re actually battling for positioning in this fall’s playoffs. Kicker’s Coach William Hoogerdijk said they’ve reached the midway point with a solid 5-4-2 mark which is good enough for fourth place. The top eight clubs qualify for the post season. “It’s encouraging but at the same time, you don’t want to get complacent and rest easy,” Hoogerdijk said. “The last part of any season is always more intense as teams are generally playing better to either make the playoffs or secure their spot. “There’s no easy team to play against in this league.”The coach noted that number one goalie, newcomer Ryan Bultena, has been just one of the reasons for the club’s improved play and record. “When he’s (Bultena) played, he creates a sense of confidence in our defence, that he is quite capable of making the save if someboday does get through,” Hoogerdijk said. And the coach was quick to point out, that at this level, players are not always available to play every game because of outside commitments like a job or schooling. But when Bultena has been forced to miss contests, back-up Mike VanderVelde has “filled in admirably”. Hoogerdijk is also excited about how well the defense has performed, especially since many are converted midfielders. But the coach added that they can’t afford to get “overconfident” because they have lost six points in the standings due to forfeits, near the start of this season’s schedule. “It’s nice to be in that position (fourth in standings), but we’re only half-way through the season and we still have 11 games to go,” Hoogerdijk explained.

Kenora Miner and News-July 15th/04 Tournament is the jewel of local soccer season

                                                                                                                   By Peter James

It's the showcase event for men's soccer in Kenora and with an ultra competitive league this year all eight local soccer teams will be gunning for glory this weekend.
"The tournament is what everyone looks forward to every year," said Hap's Men's Soccer League president Peter Manicone.
The tournament, which begins with action Friday night, features all the local teams plus eight visiting teams. The Dryden Drillers are the only other Northwestern Ontario team, with the rest of the field coming from Manitoba and beyond.
Manicone said the tournament is so popular among our western neighbours that he had to turn away about a dozen teams this winter.
"Our tournament has become a huge success," he said.
This year the league has separated their tournament with the one hosted by the Casey's Women's Soccer League.
Manicone said it allows for all the games to be played at the soccer complex.
In the past the organizers have opened the tournament up to Manitoba teams in first division and lower, but due to changes in the way the Manitoba Major Soccer League operates, this year they've decided to limit it to second division and below.
Winnipeg's Juve (3-5) is the only second division team coming. They'll be joined by the Spitfire F.C. (7-1-1), the top team in the third division. Both Stonewall United and the Cork &Dock Lions are also coming from the Manitoba League.
The field is filled out with two entries from the Brandon league, Minnedosa and Remington's Hotspur. The final team is The Smoke, a group of former Dryden players who are re-uniting from across the country to play in the tournament.
The competition may be stiff from visiting teams, but don't be surprised if a local team takes home the trophy again.
"We're a (recreational) league, but we still have some pretty good calibre teams," Manicone said.
The Solid Construction Stingers have been the premier team in recent years and are the defending tournament champions, but they'll be in a dog fight if they want to repeat.
The Casey's Spurs have jumped out in front of the pack in the standings with a 5-1 start to the year, but they're trailed closely by the Sure Thing Centuries (4-0-2) and the Plaza Fury (4-2-2).
Manicone said the face of men's soccer is changing with the introduction of younger teams.
"Traditionally the stronger teams would scout the high school teams and bring in the top players," he said.
Now this year, teams like the Rite-Way Playaz (1-7) are breaking the mould and creating their own team of recent grads.
"The talent of these players now is amazing," Manicone said.
The first team to do that are the Wiley Point Royals (3-3-2), last year's league finalists. Manicone said that team has really come together over the years and is now a force in the league.
"The popularity of the sport has gotten bigger and better," he said.
Fans who want to catch the action can stop by the field beginning at 5:15 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. Saturday.
The playoffs begin at 8 a.m. Sunday, with the championship final slated for 4 p.m. All the games are at the Brinkman Road soccer complex.

Lucania's Robin Hart signs with A-League's Edmonton Aviators July 14, 2004

Lucania would like to congratulate midfielder Robin Hart who has signed with the A-League's Edmonton Aviators ( http://www.aviatorssoccer.com/). Hart, who has been training and playing with Lucania, for the first part of the 2004 season, is expected to be a regular contributor to the Aviator roster.

While Lucania were hoping Robin would be a full time member of the squad, manager Mike Nardiello stated "Robin is a very quick and skillful player. We would have liked to have Robin around for the entire year. But we are obviously very happy for him as he has been pursuing this opportunity quite diligently."

Once again Robin, congratulations. Keep us posted!

Please visit the Lucania History Vault (www.leaguelineup.com/lucaniafc) for the full article (Edmonton Sun).

Winkler Times-July 12/04 - Winkler Storm rule Britannia

By Ashleigh Viveiros

Winkler Times — The Winkler Storm thumped visiting Britannia 4-1 in Manitoba Major Soccer League action Wednesday night.
The Rovers drew first blood in the early minutes of the game, scoring a goal off of a corner kick just 15 minutes in.
Despite spending much of the half on their own side of the field, the Storm tied the match at 1-1 on a Randy Froese header.
The Storm kept up the pressure in the second, with Zach Pauls scoring off a penalty kick, and a breakaway goal by David Doerksen. Jordan Pauls slammed in the final goal of the game with just 15 minutes left on the clock, bringing the final score to 4-1 for the Storm.
“We didn’t play the way we like to, but we played hard,” said coach Celso Arevalo.
“We needed this win,” he said. “We’ve been on a losing streak for awhile.”
With Wednesday’s win in the book, the Storm are 3-4-1 in eight games, with 20 still to go in the season.
The 2004 roster is a blend of returning Storm players with players from the now-defunct South Central Hurricanes, and the team is still trying to find its rhythm, said Arevalo.
“They’re trying to find their way as a team,” he said. “We’ve been working on weak points.”
Despite the struggle, Arevalo said the potential is there for the team to finish in the top five in the first division.
The Storm were on the road for a pair of games this weekend. They met third place A.C. Italia on Friday and visited fifth place Scotia on Sunday. On July 18, they host the Chilean Selects at 3 p.m.

July 12, 2004 - Lucania drops two games to the Spitfire (Lucania SC)

Lucania drops two games to the Spitfire

Lucania made the trip home from South Dakota after losing both games this weekend to the PDL's Sioux Falls Spitfire. The Spitfire, who are currently sitting in 7th place in the Heartland conference, were clearly more polished around the Lucania goal, converting on most of their chances.

Commenting on the weekend's results, coach Kevin Mackay was upbeat with the team's performance stating, "we learned some very valuable lessons this weekend. At this level, you need to have the focus to finish your opportunities. Sioux Falls did, and came away with two results. Despite this, I was happy with our ability to consistently break down such an athletic, organized club."

Game one ended 2-1 with the Lucania goal coming from striker Tim Colisimo.

Game two ended 3-1 with the Lucania goal coming from veteran defender Bill Klymchuck, who converted on a penalty shot.

Lucania (www.leaguelineup.com/lucaniafc) are looking forward to a few less hectic weeks which will give the squad a chance to heal some wounds and prepare for the ever-important month of August which will include the MSA Cup playoff and two home games vs. the Minnesota Blast.

Portage Daily Graphic July 06/04 Draw heats up race for position

BY NEATE SAGER


United defender Dana Way, left, is challenged by Kildonan’s John Landgraff during the first half.

Staff photo by Neate Sager
WINNIPEG -- Southport United settled for a tie after losing their cool against Kildonan Fusion last night.
At Braeside Park, Kildonan, winners in only one of their previous eight starts in the fourth division of the Manitoba Major Soccer League, converted a late penalty kick to earn a 1-1 draw against United.
In a rough match which had more heated arguments than an entire season of Trailer Park Boys, United took three yellow cards in the second half. Dana Way received one of the cards for a hard tackle, while the other two were called against Bill and Jimmy Meadows after they voiced objections with Ray Rosolowich’s refereeing.
“Guys were holding their tongues at first, but it (rough play) kept on happening and getting worse as the game went on,” United co-coach Karl Seidlitz said. “These things happen, it’s unfortunate. The referee should have had some assistance in this game but they (the soccer league) just don’t have the help. An assistant referee would have helped a lot. There were quite a few things going on behind the play .... Both teams were guilty of a lot.”
If nothing else, Seidlitz said United (3-5-2) learned at least one valuable lesson last night.
“That kind of game is a very difficult one to play in,” he said. “I’ve played in those before, but you can overcome it. It takes mental toughness. That’s one thing to take from this game .... I noticed towards the end, one of their players said something to Billy (Meadows) and he just started laughing.”
Kildonan (1-6-2), who stayed in the hunt largely thanks to goalkeeper Darren Achorn, received their chance to score the tying goal due to a call which led to a lot of perplexed stares on the United sideline.
In the 75th minute, United goalkeeper John Penner ranged off his line to cover a loose ball. Kildonan’s Blair Kissel, also running full tilt, crashed into the keeper and was flipped head over heels.
Rosolowich awarded a penalty kick, which John Littler converted for the first goal against United in close to 350 minutes of play.
The referee’s apparent ruling was Penner deliberately spiked Kissel with his cleats. When such a call is made, the goalkeeper is supposed to receive a red card in addition to the penalty. However, Penner -- who said the call was the first against him in his soccer career -- stayed in the match.
“I went down to cover the ball and I brought my legs up to protect my face,” he said. “That’s what you’re taught to do.”
Defender Glen McCulloch added, “He (Kissel) was showing the ref the stud marks on his leg. There were none.”
José Poblano supplied United’s goal, beating Achorn in the 37th minute after receiving a cross from Jimmy Meadows.
All teams in the fourth division play a home-and-home series. Kildonan visits United on Sept. 2, the next-to-last match of the season.
“On a larger field at Southport, it will be a different story because they will just be chasing us,” Seidlitz said. “This is a very small field and there’s no room to move. Plus guys are learning now you can’t change the (referee’s) decision.”
Both United and Southport Aeros resume action on Friday. United is on the road, facing Rangers at Sturgeon Creek.
The Aeros (3-4-0) will play for the first time in two weeks when they host second division-leading Kildonan Cavaliers. Play gets underway at 7:30 p.m. at Southport Recreation Centre.
CORNER KICKS -- Portage Blaze play the first of two back-to-back road contests tonight, travelling to John Blumberg Park for a regular-season match against Canadians. The Blaze (8-4-2 overall) face St. James Storm in a MSA Cup qualifier tomorrow.

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