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.