Opportunity lostTri-S Div. 2 men unable to move up for playoff run-Selkirk Journal

By Mark T. Buss

Friday September 09, 2005
Ivar Helgason (right) chips the ball over a Roma defender.

Photo by Mark T. Buss Selkirk Journal

— The Tri-S Div. 2 mens soccer team was unable to make up any ground in the Manitoba Major Soccer League standings last week.Playing to a 1-1 tie with Roma Tuesday, the lack of a victory left Selkirk in fourth place, two points behind the third place United Football Club with just one game left in regular season play.“We probably won’t be able to get third but going into the playoffs in fourth is alright,” said Selkirk defender Paul Gadient. “We’ve got one game left and (United) has two so it doesn’t look good.”Hosting the eighth place Roma squad at the Selkirk Rec Complex pitches, Tri-S took the advantage early and held momentum for the first half of the game. Striker Jon Coutts banged home his team-leading 10th goal of the campaign banking one off the post and in for a 1-0 lead.In the second half however, Roma found their pace and were rewarded with a goal to tie the score.As the game wore on, Roma took control. If not for solid goaltending by Kyle Swystun and a game-saving clearing effort from defender Sean Legget, Selkirk would not have earned the tie.“We were lucky to get out of that one,” Gadient said. “They picked it up and we became sluggish and fell apart.”Able to pull out a 3-2 win over Ragazzi last Thursday, Selkirk has struggled over the last few weeks. Losing 3-2 to division leaders F.C. Lusitania Aug. 26, Selkirk also lost 2-0 to the Southport Aeros Aug. 21.With Southport currently in fifth place in the standings, Gadient said his club will have their hands full if they have to play the Portage la Prairie team in the quarterfinals, which start Sept. 25.“It’s not that we can’t beat Southport, we haven’t even scored on them yet this year,” Gadient joked, pointing out Selkirk defeated Portage in the playoffs last year. “We’d be happy to take on anybody else in the league but we always seem to have trouble against them.”Although debate grows on the issue of Selkirk getting a two week break before the playoffs begin, Gadient believes it may be a blessing in disguise.“We could certainly use the extra practice time right now,” he laughed.In Div. 5 action, the Tri-S club also sits in fourth place, one point behind the Dawson Trail Bandits and four behind second place Croatia United.Selkirk does have four games remaining to make up lost ground and they will need those victories after a 2-2 tie with Les Gaulois Aug. 31 and a surprise 2-1 loss to the sixth place Granite United Tuesday.