Storm meet Dynamo in MMSL playoffs - Winkler Times

Storm meet Dynamo in MMSL playoffs


By Zach Samborski
Friday September 08, 2006

Winkler Times — As the month of August drew to a close, so did another Manitoba Major Soccer League season for the Winkler Storm as they forged a 1-1 tie against runner-up NKMB in Winnipeg on August 30.
The first half was quiet for the most part as neither team was able to score, but Winkler quickly got the ball rolling in the second when they made it 1-0 off a penalty kick by Jeremy Hamm.
NKMB managed to beat the Winkler defence to get the equalizer near the end of the second.
The absence of five starters was most likely a factor in the tie, said Storm coach Henry Enns.

Winkler finishes the season at the top of the MMSL’s First-Black Division with a 9-4-3 record and 30 points, while NKMB placed four points behind with 7-4-5. Third place Polonia brought home a 1-1 tie against Scotia United on Aug. 30 to also make their record 7-4-5.
Britannia, who finished the season in fourth, blanked the Spitfire 3-0 on Aug. 30 to bring their final standing to 7-5-4, followed by the Spitfire with 6-6-4 and cellar-dwelling Scotia United with 2-10-4.

The road ahead
While preparing for the playoffs, the Storm took the field for an exhibition game against Providence College Wednesday night. The Storm will then kick off the playoffs against the Winnipeg Dynamo in Winkler on September 12. The Dynamo finished in fourth place with a 7-8-1 record in the First-Gold Division this season.

Internationals edge Juventus- Chronicle Journal.com

Internationals edge Juventus
By Emmanuel Moutsatsos
Sep 5, 2006, 00:45

They thought the monkey was dead
Thought they had knocked it off their shoulders when they beat the Winnipeg Sons of Italy on Sunday to reach the final of the Thunder Bay Invitational.
But Thunder Bay Italia-Juventus, who lost to Sons of Italy in last year’s final, quickly discovered their was still some life in that stinky little primate since they weren’t able to ride the momentum garnered from that win as they were beaten 2-1 by the Minneapolis Internationals on Monday afternoon in the championship final.
“It was nice to get the monkey off our back and get the win off them,” said Juventus defender Tony Valente of his team’s win over Sons of Italy, who were the two-time defending champs. “That was probably our best game of the tournament so we had a lot of momentum heading into the final, but we came out a little flat.”
That will happen when you play five games in only three days — but the same could be said for the Internationals.
“I’m sure both teams were a little tired — there are so many games in such a short time,” said Valente.
What’s funny, though, is that Juventus probably wouldn’t have minded playing a little bit longer since they were the ones gaining momentum in the second half, but time ran out on the team that is the last from Thunder Bay to win the Invitational when they did it back in 2001.
The Internationals scored both of their goals in the first half and, though there was barely a cloud in the sky at Fort William Stadium, things looked glum for Juventus especially when Marcelo Santos had to bow out due to a injury.
Santos’ name might sound familiar since he was a standout player for the Thunder Bay Chill the past two seasons, but the midfielder by way of Brazil couldn’t get over a leg injury that he originally had suffered against the Sons of Italy the day before.
“I think it would’ve helped us for sure if he would’ve been healthy and able to play like himself,” said Valente of Santos.
It probably would’ve since Santos was probably the best player to have taken the pitch this weekend; signing a contract with the Milwaukee Wave of the Major Indoor Soccer League is proof to that.
Santos, the co-most valuable player of the year with the Chill this past season, will report to Milwaukee next month for camp before the team kicks off their league opener against the Chicago Storm in early November.
But Juventus played well despite Santos’ absence. That was evident when Frank Ianni broke through for a score with 25 minutes left in the half and it was close to being 2-2 when Ron Badanai, who had been questionably called offside on a play that would’ve gave him a breakaway earlier, sent a cross to Dave Colistro, who one-timed a shot on net only to have it steered aside by the Internationals keeper.
“We just ran out of time,” said Valente.
The Winnipeg Sweat Shack beat the Thunder Bay Lakehead Express by a score of 3-1 in the women’s final.

© Copyright by Chronicle Journal.com

Hellas, yeah - Chronicle Journal

Hellas, yeah
By Emmanuel Moutsatsos
Sep 3, 2006, 00:30

Greeks need the whole alphabet.
They need it for their names. It’s out of necessity, really. Just peer over the roster for Winnipeg Hellas and you’ll discern what we’re talking about.
There’s Theo Pagagiannopoulos, Teddy Simeonidis, Justin Castalanos, Bill Economos and others.
“We use a lot of letters,” agrees Economos with a chuckle.
“We need most of the vowels,” notes Tom Pagagiannopoulos.
“My uncle’s last name is like 16 letters long, it’s Hasiathiansiathis,” adds Simeonidis.
There’s more to the Greeks than just their last names — much more.
For starters, there’s soccer.
The Most Beautiful Game On Earth was played best by the Little Country That Could back in 2004 when Greece won the Euro Cup, which raised the eyebrows of all in the sporting world and dipped the country and its many members across the globe in magic waters.
“We weren’t the best team on paper, but we had the biggest heart,” describes Dimitri Ifandis. “No one believed it would happen, but if you were Greek you believed it could happen.”
“It’s about what’s inside your gut,” says Pagagiannopoulos. “If you have the heart then everything else will follow. The talent, the commitment, the passion, but you’ve got to have the heart first.”
Adds Simeonidis: “I don’t even care if it ever happens again. That’s all we needed and I’m so happy we did it.
“I’m good for the next 100 years.”

THE GAME AGAINST Maples Juventus is going well for Hellas. They are dominating territory like a Spartan army would. Scoring opportunities are flowing like the Aegean Sea. They are running harder than Phidippides after the Battle of Marathon.
Yet trouble comes late in the first half when Andi Bodganovic’s cross deflects off a Hellas defender’s hand, which isn’t called by the referee by the way, and onto the boot of Juventus’ Antonio Valdovinos who proceeds to place the ball into the back of the net from 12 yards for a 1-0 lead.
Being down to Juventus is something Hellas is not used to.
Both play in the Winnipeg Premier division. Hellas, the second best team in the 10-team league, has beaten Juventus, the fourth ranked team, three times in the season and though Hellas starts to press even harder than before, it doesn’t look like they will be able to go 2-0 (they won earlier in the day) at the Thunder Bay Invitational Tournament that was in its second day of competition at Chapples Park on Saturday.

WITH AN ACCENT thicker than Chita Rivera’s makeup, George Ifandis, Hellas’ manager and Dimitri’s dad, gives his point of view of the game he’s watching. He gives it whether anyone is listening or not.
Having an opinion on everything — it’s the Greek way. For the most part they are right about anything they talk discuss (at least that’s what they believe) and Ifandis is correct when he infers the match is being played with pathos. That’s Greek for passion and both teams are exuding it in boat loads. That becomes clear in the late goings of the second half, with the score still 1-0, when a scuffle breaks out between the two teams.
“It’s horiotiko soccer,” laughs Reverend Nikolaos Tambakis, meaning the game looks like how its played in a Greek village with elbows and fists being used more than feet.
Tambakis is a young priest for the local Greek Orthodox church here in the city and knows a few of the players since he was brought up in Winnipeg and though he is there as a spectator, his duties as a priest quickly take over when Economos goes down shortly later with a leg injury.
“Time to get to work,” says Tambakis as he scurries to his car to get a prayer book and shawl then recite a prayer of healing for Economos, who is lying on the bench with his thigh wrapped in ice.
A priest caring for a player at a soccer match — it’s a scene you would see with no other culture than the Greeks.

HELLAS ENDS UP giving up a late goal. Bodganovic, who has been playing well all day for Juventus, seals the win with but a few minutes left in a spirited match. Hellas is dejected after the loss. The effort was there — with Greeks, the effort is always there — but the result wasn’t. They start walking towards their cars to head to a (what else?) Greek restaurant for lunch. Their heads are still down. They catch a glimpse of a women’s team warming up. The tide turns.
“Hey, ask them where they’re heading tonight?” says Ifandis.
It’s the Greek way.

© Copyright by Chronicle Journal.com

Aeros win MMSL season finale - Portage la Prairie

Aeros win MMSL season finale


By Brian Bowman
For The Daily Graphic
Friday September 01, 2006

Portage la Prairie — Southport Aeros season could be summed up in two ways.
Overall, it was one they would like to forget. But if they could bottle up their play in the final two games and save that for next season, this team’s future looks bright.
Southport (3-11-2) won its second game in a row to end the regular season, dumping first-place Blue Blazers (8-3-3) by a 4-2 count in Manitoba Major Soccer League Second Division action last night at Southport Recreation Centre soccer pitch.
“It was a moral victory for us to beat the top team in the league,” said Aeros head coach Mitch Walker after the game.
Southport played Black Group’s top team hard all season, earning a 1-1 tie with them on July 26.
But the Aeros struggled the rest of the way, compiling a 1-11-1 record after opening the campaign with a 1-1 tie against Selkirk.
That sour taste just got a little sweeter with a pair of season-ending victories.
“The guys always showed a certain level of talent, but mental lapses throughout the season cost us,” emphasized Walker.
Southport finished dead last in the six-team Black Group of Second Division and will miss this month’s playoffs. But, fortunately for the Aeros, the two worst teams in the division which would usually be relegated to Third Division will not face that ignominious fate this time around.
That is because with the new realignment of MMSL divisions scheduled for next year, Second Division will operate with 18 teams in 2007.
The four non-playoff teams from First Division will be relegated to Second Division for next year, while the top two teams in Second Division move up to First Division.
Also joining Second Division next year will be the two group winners and the two runners-up from Third Division.
In the future, the top two teams in Second Division will move up to First Division, while the two last-place teams in First Division will move down to Second Division.
Meanwhile, three teams will move up from Third Division each year, with the three worst finishers in Second Division moving down to Third Division.
Dylan Wiebe, who had a strong game up front for Aeros last night, said the team will be confident heading into next season.
“We kind of fell apart this season. We were inconsistent,” said Wiebe, 21, who is in his fourth year in the league. “But we definitely showed a lot of character winning the last two games.”
Part of the problem was the youthfulness of the Aeros’ lineup. But with another year under their belts, this team should be fine playing in a league where talented, older players are often matched up against those still in high school.
“With the age difference, guys get pushed around,” said Wiebe. “There’s a big difference between high school and men’s league.”
Southport showed that growing maturity during last night’s victory in what was, at times, a chippy affair with Blue Blazers. The Aeros were strong in going after the ball all night, and when push came to shove, the local side weren’t afraid to trade elbows with the visitors.
And Aeros used that physical play to their advantage, jumping out to a 2-0 first-half lead on goals by Duane Chaves, his eighth and ninth of the season.
Jordan McAllister made it 3-0 about five minutes into the second half on a beautiful header, before Illya Torres scored on a penalty kick after Matt Robinson was taken down in the box by Southport’s Cam Scott.
Tony Bryson put the Aeros up 4-1 before Jamal Torres added a late goal for the Blazers.
Southport took advantage of the Blazers playing a man short for the entire game due to only 10 players and their goalkeeper showing up to start the contest, and then two men short after Illya Torres received a red card later in the second half.
“We didn’t go back on our heels and let them come to us,” said Walker, adding players like McAllister and Nick St. Goddard will be more of a force next season.
“We fought for the ball and got more possession of it and we had more scoring chances (as a result). The last couple of games we started going for the ball.”

Tri-S soccer on fire - Selkirk Journal

Selkirk’s defensive play has been superb giving up just 18 goals in 14 games.

Photo by Mark T. Buss


Tri-S soccer on fire
Local side scoring, winning as playoffs loom

By Mark T. Buss
Friday August 25, 2006
Selkirk Journal — Talk about good timing.

With just two games remaining, Tri-S Div. 2 soccer team coach Ken Semperl believes his club is peaking as they head into the playoffs.

After scoring just one goal in their first three games, and limping to a 2-1-2 record to start the season, Selkirk has shot to 8-3-3 and set up a showdown with Penarol S.C (9-3-2) Friday at the Selkirk Rec Complex soccer pitches.

With a win over Penarol – and an expected victory over 1-11 IPAC Ukraine Aug. 31 in Winnipeg – Selkirk would propel themselves into second place in the Gold conference of the Manitoba Major Soccer League standings and second overall in the division.

“We beat Penarol earlier this year but they’re a younger team that likes to move the ball,” Semperl said. “We’ll have our work cut out for us but we’ll have to attack them to be successful.”

Selkirk struggled offensively in the early going but their ability to “attack” the ball has turned the tide.

Semperl said a team philosophy calling for midfielders to pressure the ball carrier has kept the action at the far end of the pitch.

With veteran strikers Ivar Helgason and Bill Anderson joined by Div. 5 call-ups Chris Spicer and Ian Dixon, the front four have been able to find the net with regularity as a result.

In total, Spicer now leads the team in scoring with seven goals in 10 games placing him sixth among leagues leaders. Dixon and Helgason are tied for 12th with five goals each.

“It was tough for me to get into the flow this year because I’m playing against better and more skilled players,” said Spicer, who scored 25 goals to lead Div. 5 strikers in 2005. “We’ve become more comfortable with each other up front and it’s shown better results.”

When opponents have been able to cross midfield, Selkirk’s defence has been brilliant. Giving up just 18 goals in 14 games, the experienced defensive core of Sean Leggit, Paul Gadient and Brad Wilson have been able to fend off attackers.

With keeper Kyle Swystun leaving mid-season for work up north, Div 5 netminder Eric Rensfelt has been called into duty on several occasions. When he is not able to suit up, Semperl has been filling the keeper position by committee.

“We’ve had other members of the team playing net and it has been interesting at times,” Semperl laughed. “Overall they filled in admirably.”

Playoffs begin the first week of September.

Carman drops two more games as season nears end - Carman Valley Leader

Carman drops two more games as season nears end


By Gene Still
Friday September 01, 2006

Carman Valley Leader — Two more games and two more losses for the Carman Kickers who are left on the outside looking in as far as a playoff berth was concerned.

Lusitania 4 Kickers 1
Carman travelled to Winnipeg last Wednesday to face the first place Lusitania Revolution.
And the Revolution controlled most of the play and it showed on the final scoreboard as they came away with a 4-1 victory.
"We played hesitant in the first half," Hoogerdijk said.
However thanks to some outstanding goaltending the Carman net courtesy of Rich Vanderveen, the final outcome could have been much worse.
"Richie was amazing, making some outstanding saves," Hoogerdijk said. "They had lots of scoring chances. But Richie was standing on his head to make saves in the first half especially."
Despite Vanderveen's best efforts, that wasn't enough to prevent Lusitania from earning the win and the end result was never really in doubt.
The visitors did have a brief offensive territorial burst in play but only after the Revolution had taken a commanding three-goal lead.
"When we got down 3-0 and then that's when we started playing really hard and started to come on a bit," Hooegerdijk said. "The guys started to turn it around at the tail end but it was too little, too late."
Lusitania made it 4-0 before Carman's Stephen Melvin scored on a penalty kick.

Tri-S 1 Kickers 0
The Kickers returned to town last Saturday afternoon for their final home game of the 2006 season at Carman Collegiate.
But Tri-S Strike Force spoiled the Kickers' plans to go out on a winning note at home.
Despite their less than inspiring performance, Carman went into half-time in a scoreless tie with Tri-S.
"For whatever reason we came out completely flat. It wasn't a good way at all for us to play," Hoogerdijk said. "I don't think we really had what you could call a single good scoring chance in that entire first half."
Looking to regroup during the break, the coach said the players were expecting to come out much stronger during the final 45 minutes but that never really materialized.
"At the half a lot of our guys were saying that 'it's a team we should beat,' and they're right, I believe that but that's not the way things turned out," he said.
But there was no rally in the second half for the Kickers as Tri-S got what turned out to be the contest's only goal. And they retreated into a defensive shell which limited Carman's scoring opportunities and resulted in the Kickers eleventh loss of the season against only two victories and two ties.
"We just couldn't get a goal," Hoogerdijk said. "It was kind of disappointing especially with that being our final home game of the year."

Hoogerdijk steps down as Kickers’ coach - Carman Valley Leader

Hoogerdijk steps down as Kickers’ coach
Disappointing season for the team

By Gene Still
Friday September 01, 2006

Carman Valley Leader — William Hoogerdijk is stepping down as head coach of the Carman Kickers soccer team.
"I've decided to take a step back," Hoogerdijk. "It's a chance for me to do something different."
Hoogerdijk just wrapped up his fifth season at the helm of the Fourth Division club. And following their first playoff appearance last year this season has been nothing short of disappointing for the coach and the team.
After heading into the season with high hopes of not only making the playoffs but also going further into the post season, instead the team found itself mired in last place in the Black conference of the division with a 2-11-2 mark (as of press time) with one game remaining.
The year got off to a promising start as they began with a 2-1 record including a 7-2 triumph over Colo Colo. But that's when their season began to unravel with a knee injury to team leader and offensive catalyst, striker Lyle Vanveen.
And Vanveen's injury turned out to be more serious than they had first hoped and he ended up missing the rest of the season.
Another problem for the club was slow starts that usually entailed the entire opening half. That left the Kickers playing in a catch-up situation and ultimately another defeat.
Those three factors along with what Hoogerdijk noted was an inability to cash in on their scoring opportunities, proved to be their undoing this year.
"It's extremely frustrating," he said. "I don't like losing - I hate it."
However, among the highlights for him during his tenure, near the top of the list was qualifying for the playoffs in 2006 and the relationships he's formed with many current and former players.
"Making the playoffs last year was a huge plus," he explained. "I've got a lot of good memories about the players I've worked with and developed friendships."
He noted that by leaving at this time gives the team plenty of time to decide what it wants to do for 2007.
"It's also a chance for them to do something different," Hoogerdijk said. "Maybe get a new coach or play without one or have a player-coach.
"It's a case of where maybe a change is a good thing."