The men’s soccer league crowned its tournament champion last weekend, with no surprise as to the victor — Wolves, but a huge surprise as to the runner up —Pender Harbour.
While the thought of Rod Kammerle and John Jackson starring in a Cinderella story is unsettling, for the second time in five years, the Bananas were going to the ‘show,’ as their soccer cycle seems to mimic that of the Sockeye — nothing for three years, followed by bonanza appearances in the finals.
Heading into the weekend, the Chiefs were the team that looked most capable of de-fanging the Wolves, and hoped to take the hardware, but perhaps one too many Chardonnays were tipped the night before, as the squad looked flat, and it was again the fishermen from Pender that were the albatross on the Chiefs’ necks, fouling their hopes as was the case in the 2010 final.
Sitas also sputtered, and were overtaken by injury, as their star-studded midfield duo of Roman Horat and Fumi Takahashi, who ruled the pitch for CPU four years ago, looked a little worse for wear this time around. A grizzled Ted Chisholm and Tony Duffy, the graying Celtic Tiger, couldn’t make the necessary offensive inroads themselves, and the squad went the entire tourney without notching a strike.
The Bananas meanwhile, rolled through their group into the semifinal, and while luck, sassy attitudes and a little Kammerle dipsy doodle may not beat skill and youth most days, it did on Sunday, where the Bananas edged speedy Halfmoon Bay. Sprawling net minding from George Cuthbertson and a returning Al Stewart stonewalled strikers from both squads.
In addition to their fourth tournament victory, Wolves had an undefeated season to protect, a feat last accomplished a decade ago by Kenny “the Cannon’’ Campbell and his Gibsons Pigs.
In their semifinal against Ridgepoint, Wolves looked ready to fumble this feat in the final minutes. A goal from Jeremy Hudson and a left footed, one timer from Ridgepoints’ Jesse “Agnasaurus’’ Agnew had the game tied until extra time, when Junior Dixon placed his free kick into the side mesh.
However, by the final, the Wolves hit their stride, and Hudson notched a hat trick in the 3-0 victory.
Congratulations to Wolves for an undefeated season, and the most successive tournament wins, according to a brief glance at the trophy on display at Big Macs. Hudson and John Jackson took tournament MVPs, with Jackson dishing off saucer passes from the midfield, and Hudson putting eight of the Wolves 10 goals behind bars.
Honorable mention goes to a speedy Kyle August, who though wet behind the ears, was hitting his top gears, and an aging, but still cagey Eddie Paul.
Despite their bad boys’ rep and being referred to as the ‘’Bruisins’’ instead of the “Bruins,” Ridgepoint took the team Lady Byng for Most Sportsmanlike Squad. Thanks also to Grant Marshall, Rich Massulo and Jeff Wadge for administering the league.
