After months of inactivity, the Sunshine Coast adult soccer leagues took to the field last Sunday. And instead of downpours, teams had to contend with frozen fields. One women's game and two men's games weren't played because the ground was too hard.
Top men's league contender Gibsons United made the big trek up to Connor Park in Halfmoon Bay and bagged two more points for their effort. HMB had their chances and could have taken the match if they had delivered on some of their opportunities. Big new forward Marcel von Hershel brought scoring and skill to the front line. John 'the Gardner' Rogers had his chances to plant a couple in the back of the net, but still has to weed out a few kinks on his finish, as he sent a ball just over the crossbar.
For United, Sean Rees opened the scoring, though he was on the field only for short shifts. Rees was standing by the far post and put his left foot to a cross from Neville Judd to volley the ball into the back of the net. The second goal of the game came when Tony 'You lookin' at me?' Duffy expertly sent a ball onto the chest of Pat Taylor who took the pass in full stride, then hit the far corner of the net.
At Ted Dixon, the Chiefs lost a tight match to Coast Progressive United (CPU) and were within a goal until the last minutes. The 2007 Chiefs did well in this year's draft, as the first of Garry Feschuk's young Pegasus team become eligible for the men's league. Keith Julian and 'Magic' Mattie Joe loomed large in the middle of the field and raised the level of play to keep CPU on their heels. It was the cagey old veterans who scored for the Chiefs, as Duane Craigan blasted a ball under the crossbar and Clarke Joe tucked one into the side mesh. For CPU, scorers had to go to the side of the net to beat hot new keeper Jerel Eade. Goals came from Fume Tagahashi, back from Japan, who sent a 20-yard precision ball over the crowded box, off the post and in, as well as from Kurt Vernon, Dean Totten and Dave Rogers.
In the women's league, the Pigs started the year off on the right foot with a 2-0 win over the Blazers.
The first goal of the game came when Koree Rogers sent a through ball converted by Blattler. Lisa Houle took a turn on the Pigs front line and knocked in a ball rebounding around the front of the net, after a humming and nicely hit ball from Ellen Thomas.
CALs Crushers and Marshall Mayhem played to a 2-2 tie at Connor Park. Mayhem took the initial lead, with goals from Trina Geisbrecht, who nailed a nice lefty into the top right corner, and from Dawn Bezaire, who headed in a cross from Andrea Aleong.
CALs got two goals from Laura Nickerson, as well as outstanding play from their three defenders, Tracy Pearl, Tracy Cousins and Carla Grey.
The women's league will miss the now defunct Welcome Woods Wild - those beaming women in bright shirts, smiling after every winless week and providing such stellar examples of sportsmanship.
