Storm advancing to Premier - Winkler Times

It’s a scramble for the ball between the Winkler Storm and Spitfire F.C. August 16. They battled to a 3-3 draw. The tie ensures the Storm a place in the Premier division next year.

Times photo by Zach Samborski


By Zach Samborski
Friday August 25, 2006

Winkler Times — The Winkler Storm had to settle for a 3-3 tie in their last home game of the season Aug. 16 but the result brought with it a big bonus.
The game result not only nailed down first place in the First Division, it was enough to ensure the Storm’s promotion to the Premier Division for the next Manitoba Major Soccer League season.
Winkler took an early lead against Spitfire F.C. last Wednesday as Rineildo Oliveria scored twice to give the home side a 2-1 advantage at the end of the first half.
The Storm made it 3-1 early in the second, thanks to a penalty kick by Nico Nickel. The Spitfire would immediately respond by scoring off another penalty kick and got the equalizer with two minutes left in the game.
“We played very strong, but definitely let down on defence,” said Storm coach Henry Enns. “Spitfire played very well, and we need to do better on our scoring chances.”
The Storm are currently sitting with a record of 9-4-2, followed by the NKMB Saints, who were defeated by Scotia United 3-2 on August 16. They are sitting with 7-4-4. Polonia S.C. tied it up with Britannia on August 16 to bring their record to 6-4-5 as they remained in third place, followed by the Spitfire in fourth with 6-5-4 and Britannia in fifth with 6-5-4. Scotia United brings up the rear with 2-9-4.
The Storm will play their last game of the season on the road against NKMB on August 30. After a two week hiatus, they will kick off the playoffs on September 12 at home against the fourth place finisher in the Gold Division.

Carman post-season hopes are in doubt-Carman Valley Leader

Carman post-season hopes are in doubt


By Gene Still
Friday August 25, 2006

Carman Valley Leader — After finally making the playoffs last year, the Carman Kickers headed into the 2006 season with high hopes of not only making the post season but positioning themselves in the standings to make a serious playoff run.
And starting the season with a 2-1 record including an offensive outburst during a 7-2 victory over Colo Colo on June 9, the prospects looked good for Carman to make their pre-season aspirations a reality. However that turned out to be their last victory (as of press time).
But it wasn't meant to be this year as one and two-goal defeats, slow starts and losing their best offensive player and team leader early in the season, left Carman on the outside looking in as far as a playoff spot is concerned.
The Kickers have three games remaining in their regular schedule but were all but eliminated from post season contention with their loss on Monday to the St. James Hurricane. They were in sixth and last place in the Black Conference of the Fourth Division and Hoogerdijk said their only slim hope for making the playoffs involved catching Fusion.
But even then, if they ended up in a tie, Hoogerdijk said it seems as if the tie-breaker would favour Fusion because of a better record in contests with Carman.
"There are three games (left) for a possible nine points for us. But even if we tie them, they have an advantage in the tie-breaker of head-to-head games with us," said Carman Coach William Hoogerdijk.
He added that it's been a frustrating fifth year for him at the helm of the Kickers.
"It's tough and disappointing when you look at the standings and you're 2-9-2," Hoogerdijk said.
Losing high-scoring striker Lyle Vanveen to a knee injury after their third game didn't help the Kickers' cause. The coach noted that Vanveen was not only an offensive threat, but he helped out the team defensively and was a leader by example on and off the field.
"There's no way to say how badly that hurts you to lose somebody like Lyle,"
Hoogerdijk said. "Those are the kind of guys you're going to miss and are hard to replace."
The coach reflected on their three defeats by a single goal and the two ties and wondered what may have happened if Vanveen, one of the league's top scorers at the time of his injury, had been in the line-up.
"When you look at the one-goal games we lost and the games we tied, you can't help but wonder what could've been," he said.
The coach was quick to add that he was proud of the effort and character displayed by the team as they battled in every contest, regardless of the score.
"But you can't lose sight of the fact that our guys played hard every night and haven't given up," Hoogerdijk said.

Kickers doubled up by St. James Hurricane-Carman Valley Leader

William Hoogerdijk (with clipboard) goes over strategy during a recent Kickers’ home game. But strategy hasn’t been enough this year for Carman in their bid for a post-season soccer berth.

Photo by Phillip Fehr

By Gene Still
Friday August 25, 2006

Carman Valley Leader — They weren't blown away by the Hurricane but the end result was the same for the Carman Kickers as they lost to their hosts from St. James.
The 4-2 loss to the St. James Hurricane on Monday evening was the Kickers' fourth straight defeat and dropped their regular season record to 2-9-2.
However, Carman Coach William Hoogerdijk said for the most part it was a close game and the Kickers were not dominated by their opposition.
"I wasn't too impressed. They didn't throw to much at us that we couldn't handle," Hoogerdijk said. "We played well enough against them."
It was scoreless until around the 30 minute mark of the opening half when St. James scored two-in-a-row and were on the verge of taking a 2-0 lead into the intermission. But Carman's Colin Lodder scored in the final minute of the opening half to not only pull the Kickers' to within a goal, but also provided a boost and shift in momentum to the visitors.
"We came into the break feeling pretty good and I talked to the guys about some weaknesses we could exploit," Hoogerdijk said.

Tied the contest
And the Kickers did just that as Jordan Vanderveen knotted the score at 2-2 taking advantage of a goalmouth scramble about 10 minutes into the final half.
"We came out strong and were able to tie things up," Hoogerdijk said. "It was even after that with (scoring) chances both ways."
It stayed that way until just past the half-way point of the final frame when St. James scored to take the lead.
Hoogerdijk said after that goal, the Hurricane took a defensive posture and limited the scoring opportunities for the Kickers by clearing the zone whenever they got the chance.
Finally, with about ten minutes left in regulation and following a foul called on Carman, St. James scored on a free kick for an insurance marker en route to a 4-2 victory.
Kickers Notebook: Carman's next home game is Saturday, August 26 at 3 p.m. when they host Tri-S Strike Force at Carman Collegiate.

Kickers’ losing skid continues as they drop two more games - Carman Valley Leader

The Kickers played host to the first place Lusitania at Carman Collegiate. But home field was no advantage for the Kickers who lost to the Revolution.
- Photo by Phillip Fehr


Kickers’ losing skid continues as they drop two more games
In tough with first place opposition

By Gene Still
Friday August 18, 2006

Carman Valley Leader — It was another rough stretch for the Carman Kickers as they dropped two more games.
The Kickers lost a high scoring affair, 5-4 to the first place Lusitania Revolution on Tuesday evening at Carman Collegiate Field.
Full details were not available as of press time.

A short bench
And in their previous contest, this one with Southport U nited, another slow start along with playing a man down, proved too much to overcome for Carman.
The Kickers hit the road on August 9 for a matchup with Southport who were also tied with the Revolution for top spot.
But a less than inspiring performance early on was costly as they went into the intermission facing an uphill battle on the scoreboard. Going into action down a player, also didn't help the Carman cause.
"We had a rough first 20 minutes," Kickers' Coach William Hoogerdijk said. "We eventually got burned for three goals and were down 3-0 at the half.
"We had some brief defensive lapses and it cost us."
However it was again a different story in the second half. Within the first ten minutes, Carman's Tyler Termeer scored twice to cut the Southport lead to 3-2.

‘Created well’
"We started off great in the second half, despite the mismatches in numbers," Hoogerdijk said. "We created well and still played them tight (defensively) and it paid off."
But like many of their other defeats earlier on this season, it was a case of too little too late as the Kickers lost 3-2 to drop their regular season record to 2-7-2 and left them in sixth place in the Black conference of the Manitoba Soccer League's Fourth Division.
"We came close to tying it, but just couldn't seem to get that third goal."
Kickers’ Notebook: Carman’s regular season record now stands at 2-8-2 and has them in sixth place in the Black conference of the Fourth Division. The Kickers next home action will be an afternoon contest starting at 3 p.m. on Saturday, August 26 when they entertain Tri-S Strike Force.

Storm blank Rovers - Winkler Times

Storm blank Rovers
Still holding down first as season nearing end

By Zach Samborski
Friday August 18, 2006

Winkler Times — The Winkler Storm made it three in a row Aug. 11 when they blanked the Britannia Rovers 2-0 in Winnipeg.
After missing out on a number of chances to score in the first half, the Storm put the game away with second half goals Jeremy Hamm and Rineildo Oliveria scored back-to-back goals.
“Basically, our defence didn’t give up any chances,” said Storm coach Henry Enns. “We played our best game.”
The three win streak began with wins over Scotia United and Polonia S.C.
As of August 14, the Storm were still in first place in the Manitoba Major Soccer League’s First Division with a 9-4-1 record. Second place NKMB took home a scoreless tie against visiting Polonia S.C. on August 11 to bring their record to 7-3-4. Polonia is in third with 7-4-3, while Britannia’s loss dropped them to fifth place behind the Spitfire.
The Storm finished off the home season Wednesday night against Spitfire F.C. Game results were not available at press time. They will conclude their regular season against NKMB on August 30.

Aeros suffer shutout loss against UFC - The Daily Graphic

Aeros suffer shutout loss against UFC

By Brian Bowman
For The Daily Graphic
Tuesday August 15, 2006

Portage la Prairie — Same old effort, same old results for Southport Aeros.
Missing several players in their lineup, the Aeros put forth a gritty effort in a 2-0 loss to United Football Club in Black Group action from Manitoba Major Soccer League’s Second Division at Southport Recreation Centre soccer pitch last night. The loss was the fourth straight for the Aeros.
“It was mental breakdowns -- not picking up the man or the check,” said Aeros coach Mitch Walker, whose club is now 1-11-2, after the game. “It’s mental lapses like that other teams capitalize on.”
United Football Club (6-5-2) capitalized on one of those mistakes around the 25-minute mark of the first half on a great individual effort by Rolly Magne.
Magne, with his 13th goal of the season, made a nifty play heading the ball over the outstretched arms of Aeros keeper Glen Pauch and then tapping the ball into the empty net for the 1-0 lead.
It would be a lead United would never relinquish.
“It wasn’t a pretty game,” admitted Magne, who saw limited action due to a pulled hamstring injury. “But we wanted the three points and we wanted to redeem ourselves when (Southport) beat us.
“We definitely had the better chances and our defence took away their top players and didn’t give them many chances.”
But while Southport’s offence was stagnant most of the night, it was United which had its fair share of quality chances in the first stanza, most of them coming in the latter stages of the half.
With the game still scoreless, Aeros defender Eric Philippot made a great play stopping a shot that had eluded Pauch. Minutes later, United’s Charles Chukwukaene missed on a glorious chance, nailing a shot from about 20 yards out that sailed just over the goal.
Still, while the score was just 1-0 after Magne’s tally, one could sense that lead was going to be widened. And it was, around the 35-minute mark of the half, on a goal by Chris Wasylin.
Wasylin, who was later ejected from the game in the second half after receiving his second yellow card, scored on a nice header off of a throw-in.
“It’s been like that all season,” admitted the Aeros’ Tony Bryson. “We let our guard down for 10 minutes and they pop a couple.”
While the team has struggled in the win column, Bryson was impressed with the effort the team came up with despite missing several regulars in its lineup.
“It’s hard when you have nothing to play for,” he admitted.
The Aeros’ next action is on Aug. 24 against AC Slater in Winnipeg. Southport,which is destined for relegation to Third Division of MMSL next year, will wrap up the regular season on Aug. 31 against Blue Blazers, with the game slated to be played in Southport.

Southport gives Kickers an early boot with a three-goal lead-The Daily Graphic

Southport gives Kickers an early boot with a three-goal lead


By Paul Grigaitis
For The Daily Graphic
Thursday August 10, 2006

Portage la Prairie — Southport United head coach Albert Philippot was expecting an evenly matched game last night against Carman Kickers. So was Kickers coach William Hoogerdijk.
Both Carman and Southport, which are in Manitoba Major Soccer League’s Fourth Division black group, squared off at Southport Recreation Centre’s pitch last night.
“I’m expecting a hard match,” said Philippot before the game. “This team (Kickers) is a very talented team even though it’s not reflected in their stats. We’re fairly even and we play the same style.”
From the start, it seemed as if Philippot was going to be proved wrong -- in a good way. Chris Assenmacher missed an early opportunity to score with a shot going high over the net, but Ken Buhr opened the scoring for Southport moments later. Then a few minutes later, another goal by Buhr. A few minutes after that, another goal by Buhr. With an early 3-0 lead, it looked like United was going to dominate the entire game.
“They had nothing coming at us,” said Philippot.
United started the second half with a healthy lead, but the Kickers scored 10 minutes in. Then 10 minutes after that, the Kickers scored again bringing the game to within one goal.
“We weren’t marking our players properly,” said Philippot.
Carman played like the strong team Philippot anticipated, forcing Southport to play defensively.
“Late in the second half, we started playing like we were in the first,” said Philippot.
United (6-4-3) held on to win 3-2, but the close match has Philippot concerned about the near future.
“We have to learn to play 90 minutes because the team we play next is not an easy team,” he said.
On Sunday, Southport United will host St. James Hurricanes (6-3-3), “the only team that has beaten us in our pool,” said Philippot. “We have something to prove in our next game.”
Philippot said the key to a win against the Hurricanes is to start strong and keep playing that way the whole game.
“We’ve got to come out strong like we did tonight,” he said. “We can’t take them lightly, because if we do we’ll be on the bottom end of the scoring, that’s for sure.”
Assenmacher suffered an injury in the first half, but Philippot is expecting an injured Darrin Reichert to return. “He’s a strong midfielder.”
All three of Southport final games will be played at home. After the Hurricanes, Southport faces Fusion FC (4-7-2) on Aug. 20 and on Aug. 28, another top team in Lusitania Revolution (6-3-3).

Storm pull out narrow win in match with lowly Scotia - Winkler Times

Storm pull out narrow win in match with lowly Scotia

By Zach Samborski
Friday August 11, 2006

Winkler Times — It appeared they would be headed for defeat early on, but the Winkler Storm managed to pull off an impressive comeback to beat cellar-dwelling Scotia United 3-2 in Winnipeg on August 3.
In the first 15 minutes of action, Scotia drew first blood for an early 2-0 advantage. However, the Storm would fight back when Jake Hildebrand scored their first goal about 30 minutes in, followed by David Duerksen getting the equalizer near the end of the half. Winkler took the lead midway though the second half on a goal by Brodie Thiessen.
“We were missing three or four starters, but the young guys fought hard,” said Storm coach Henry Enns. “Turning the game around was a great accomplishment.”
Thanks to the win, the Storm continued to hold on to first place in the Manitoba Major Soccer League’s First Division with a record of 8-4-1. Close behind in second are the NKMB Saints with 7-3-3 following their 2-0 loss to the Spitfire on July 25 and a 4-0 win over Britannia on August 3. In third is Polonia S.C. with 7-4-2 after defeating the Spitfire 5-3 on August 3, followed by Britannia in fourth with 6-4-3 and the Spitfire in fifth place with 5-5-3. Scotia United continues to sit in last place with a 1-9-3 record.
Winkler returned to action Friday night when they hit the road to face off against Britannia. They will finish off the home season stretch against the Spitfire on August 16, followed by their last game of the regular season against NKMB on August 30.

United holds on for 2-1 win-The Daily Graphic

United holds on for 2-1 win
Victory over Tri-S Strike Force puts Southport at the top of Fourth Division Black Group

By Paul Grigaitis
For The Daily Graphic
Wednesday August 02, 2006

Portage la Prairie — Hot and humid weather wasn’t enough to slow down Southport United who came up victorious in a tight soccer match with Tri-S Strike Force.
The win was the fifth for Southport and crucial to its standings.
Southport started slowly, but withstood Sunday’s heat and held on to a narrow 2-1 lead for an important away game victory.
“This time of the season you don’t want to start slow. You want to take it to the opposition,” said head coach Albert Philippot.
Jamie Bernard opened the scoring for United with a goal midway through the first half, but the Force scored with about 10 minutes remaining. The game remained tied until about 30 minutes into the second half when Darren Reichart scored the winning goal for Southport.
“Basically, we kept putting on the pressure,” said Philippot.
The coach said it was a very important win.
“The win meant a lot. It was a team we wanted to win against.”
The game also saw the return of the team’s leading scorer, Ray Chabot, who pulled a muscle during United’s previous contest against Fusion FC on July 17.
Sunday’s win places Southport into a three-way tie for first place in Black Group of Manitoba Major Soccer League’s Fourth Division. Saint James Hurricane and Lusitania Revolution are the only other two teams with 18 points in the division.
“We want to stay up there,” said Philippot. “We want to keep on playing like we know we can.”
United has four more games before playoffs begin -- all of them on home turf. The local team plays Carman Kickers at 7 p.m. on Aug. 9.
“They want to move up, too,” said Philippot, adding his team won’t take the Kickers lightly. The last time the two teams met, Southport won by a score of 3-0.
Playing aggressively is a key factor to Southport as the team heads toward the playoffs.
“We can’t let up,” said Philippot. “We have to play hard in the next four.”
After the Aug. 9 game with the Kickers, Southport finishes the season against Saint James, Fusion FC and then Lusitania on Aug. 28.
Even with the playoffs on the horizon, Southport will use the same strategy it has all season.
“We’re not looking any further than the next game,” said Philippot. “It’s how we’ve been playing so far and it’s worked for us.”
Although a little disappointed with Sunday’s slow start, Philippot credits his team’s effort for Sunday’s win.
“The guys played their hearts out and came out with a win.”
Lusitania and Southport both have four games left in the season. However, Saint James has five games left, giving it an opportunity to pull ahead and take hold of the division’s lead by season’s end.