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.