With all of the kids leagues finishing up before Spring Break, we shift to a weekly format to highlight the ongoing action around here @ Soccer Quest;

Monday March 14th

The start of our annual Soccer Quest Spring Break camp was highlighted by a full camp of 24 participants, and the first day concluded with Germany winning the “Soccer Quest Afternoon World Cup!

Tuesday March 15th

Another great day of football here, and in our second day of competition, Argentina took the World Cup honours with a terrific win.  i also wanted to pass on some thanks, as Luke Mori and Shawn Zukowski helped me immensely as i was called to Kelowna to be there for my better half as she underwent some surgery.  Great job lads, and my very sincere thanks to you both for helping me out in my time of need!

Wednesday March 16th

My return from distant places, and a pleasure and privilege to be here as i join the kids for the 3rd day of the Spring Break Camp.  A competitive afternoon World Cup saw Cameroon take the title!  We did have one adult league match in the evening, which i will discuss below;

JACKSON’S HOLE MENS MASTERS LEAGUE

Abacus had a tough task tonight, as they had to match up agasint a red-hot and in-form Slocan side, and the match was equal to the hype, as it went back and forth and produced an 8-8 draw when all was said and done!  Slocan benefitted from some silly play by Abacus in front of their own net, as for the first time in my memory, i saw 2 penalty shots called in one match!  UNHEARD OF!  Suffice to say, the steady play of Abacus saw them through at the end, which means that, depending on results, Abacus will either finish 1st or 2nd depending on how the result goes in the Real Nelson match goes on Thursday night!

Thursday, March 17th

Another fun filled day in the Spring Break Camp, as the kids became more and more competitive about our afternoon World Cup!  I was quite pleased to see that Scotland took the World Cup (closest we will ever come to it!).  One more day tomorrow, and our Pizza day to look forward to!

JACKSON’S HOLE MENS MASTERS LEAGUE

The last three regular season games, and the title for the reg. season was hanging in the balance depending on how the last game went.  In the first match, Jackson’s Hole struggled for bodies once more and ended up being given a 3-0 defeat by the Mix Team.  Back to back wins for the Mix, well done lads!  The second match saw Red Dog overcome Ted Allens by the score of 7-2.  a good result for Red Dog before the playoffs begin and things get tougher.  The last match of the night saw Real Nelson get royally stuffed by Bia Boro 10-2, meaning that Abacus won the regular season title!  Real was short quite a few players, but take nothing away from Bia Boro, they kept up their good run of form and took it to the boys in white, thus doing Abacus a huge favour and making things very interesting before the playoffs begin.  It’s been a great season gentlemen, and let’s hope that continues into the postseason!

Friday, March 18th

It was an enjoyable last day in the Spring Break Soccer Camp, as the kids got to enjoy pizza for lunch and the last World Cup of the week, France gave their all but in the end Brazil took the win and the title!  Thanks to everyone who took part for a very enjoyable week, and we look forward to seeing you again next year!

Yours in soccer

FC

The last matches for the kids and more today @ Soccer Quest;

KOOTENAY GLASS & MIRROR 10/11 LEAGUE

Besides the 4/5 and 6/7 classes, this was the last series of matches for the kids this winter season @ Soccer Quest.  Our first final for the 10/11 League saw Chile finish the season on a high, taking the consolation final over Mexico by the score of 3-0.  Gretchen Lewandowski and Haley Slomba gave all they could to help the Mexican cause, while Chile were helped to their win by great matches from Sofia Arcuri and Jesse Harold.  Moving onto the WORLD CUP FINAL, Ghana once again were the class of the field, and furthered that argument with a comprehensive 5-2 win over Spain in the final.  Spain played very well, but Ghana were just that much better, as they have been for most of  the fall/winter season.  Gus Tahara-Edmunds and Thomas Baxter did what they could to keep Spain in the match, while Ghana’s winning effort was assisted by Ryder Marzicola and Max Eberle.  Once again, my congratulations and huge thanks to ALL players and parents, and we look forward to providing you with soccer fun in the summertime and back here again in the fall!

FINLEYS CO-ED LEAGUE

A quick and painless recap of the nights action in the Co-Ed League;

Neon Indians 10 Marshmallow Conspiracy 3
Gazelles 6 The Express 3
Premium Specimens 14 Shabangs 4

These results affected the table to the tune of Premium Specimens finishing in 2nd place, relegating Marshmallow Conspiracy to 3rd spot and one extra playoff match.  Who knew that would happen at the beginning of the season when M.C. was running roughshod over the rest of the league?  That’s why we play the matches!  Good luck in the playoff rounds to all sides!

Yours in Soccer

FC

The last 2 days in soccer here @ Soccer Quest

JACKSON’S HOLE MENS MASTERS LEAGUE

It had to happen eventually, and it finally did.  The Mix Team won their first match of the season, and the opponents will stun and surprise EVERYONE!  Abacus took a 10-9 loss to the Mix lads, as the Mix garnered enough quality players to really give the Abacus lads a real run for their money!  To be fair, Abacus was missing some key men which did not help their cause, but it did not matter in the end as Abacus still had the ability to defeat the opponents placed in front of them, and they missed that chance, opening the door for Real Nelson to take first place back.  We will find out if they snapped up that opportunity!

CANADIAN 2 FOR 1 PIZZA 12/13 LEAGUE

A close match and a blowout in the two finals for the 12/13 league tonight.  The question is, which game was which?  As it turns out, the consolation final was the better of the two matches for competitiveness and spectacle, as Brazil managed to outlast Germany in a “replay” of the final of Japan/Korea 2002!  It was one of those back and forth matches that crop up quite frequently in here, and it was very enjoyable to watch.  For Germany, the Zimmer sisters, Taylor and Sydney, had great matches, while the winners of the match were given terrific shifts by McKenna Bennett and Megan Tennant.  We then moved onto the WORLD CUP FINAL, pitting New Zealand and Nigeria against each other.  Nigeria have had a terrific winter season, and finished a superior display by knocking the Kiwis over with a 7-1 win.  Nigeria was patient, defensively smart, and got great keeping as usual, while New Zealand looked like a deer in headlights on the big stage and could not cope with the pace or power of the Nigerian attack.  New Zealand’s best efforts came from Aidan Mushumanski and Josie Day, while Nigeria’s march to victory was lead by Blake Castilian and Ben Cameron.  Congrats and my thanks to ALL teams and players, as yet another great season in this league came to a close.  We look forward to seeing you again in the summer and fall!

JACKSON’S HOLE MENS MASTERS LEAGUE

The penultimate week in the Mens Masters League was filled with some ugly scores and results, as the middle of the pack jostled for position to finish off the season.  Slocan laid down a marker to everyone else and a real beating to Ted Allens in a 17-4 win, although TAJ had NO bench and gave it their all, and Slocan could have probably slowed down a little and maintained possession a wee bit more.  this was followed by the surprise of the evening, as Bia Boro was knocked off by an amazing effort from Red Dog, as they defeated the “Yellow & Navy” by 12-8.  Every team has one side they alsways struggle against, and for BB it is Red Dog!  the eveing finished with a bit of  a whimper, and injuries and absentees meant that Jasckon’s Hole could not field a side versus Real Nelson, therefore helping RN to a 3-0 forfeit win, which combined with the Abacus result, put Real back in the drivers seat of the league going into the last week!  Drama next week!

Yours in Soccer

FC

A re-cap of today’s events here @ Soccer Quest

NELSON STAR 14/16 LEAGUE

We move forward and onto the 14/16 finals today, as the consolation game at 430pm saw Uruguay and Canada meet up.  The game promised goals and it delivered, as Canada managed to knock off Uruguay to the tune of 12-5.  Uruguay unfortunately got entangled in old habits again and it cost them a chance at third place overall, but all credit to Canada, who took their chances when they came to them and put their opponents away.  Quinn Dawson and Claire Halleran were at the centre of everything good for Canada, while earnest efforts were put in by Jake Anderson and Ethan Perkins in a losing cause for Uruguay.  We then moved onto the WORLD CUP FINAL. as the form team of the season, Ivory Coast, met up with the offensive prowess of Holland, but it was not Holland’s day as they were dumped by the Coast to the score of 13-7.  To be fair, Holland were missing a couple of quality players, but as stated earlier in this blog, Ivory Coast had been riding a tide of good form throughout the year and it continued in the final, as they buried their chances when they came and defended fairly well throughout, even if Holland came back towards the end and made the score a wee bit respectable.  Danielle Wiest and Theo Bakas were terrific in contributing to the winning cause for Cote D’Ivoire, while the defeated side could thank Katie Bow and Joshua Matosevic for what they brought to the table in the match.  Thanks to everyone involved this season, especially the players, as they were terrific all season long.  We look forward to seeing you in the summer and then back here in the fall!

FINLEYS MENS OPEN LEAGUE

The final regular season matches were played tonight, with playoff implications affecting the top three sides, as Innkeepers, Young Guns, and Kootenay Co-Op were all still waiting to confirm where they would finish in the regular season, but it depended on the results from this evening.  The first match of the evening saw East Shore United taking another shot at beating the Innkeepers, and they took full advantage in an amazing match that finished 6-5 to ESU!  Trust me when i tell you that the “crowd” was going crazy in the last few minutes as the ESU keeper, Jason Allard, stood on his head and made several amazing stops to keep ESU in it, and then with less than a minute left, ESU went down the other end after yet another great stop by Jay and scored the winner, which had many implications.  First of all, Young Guns had won the regular season title without even kicking a ball, and it also opened up an opportunity for Co-Op to steal second spot from Innkeepers and the resultant bye in the first round that came with it!  Young Guns went on to celebrate their title success with a resounding thump, as they annihilated The Action by the score of 13-1, Mitch Popadynetz having himself a field day with sevral goals.  It then came down to Co-Op, and they did what they had to in a 18-5 shellacking of Selkirk College, which meant that Co-Op then finished second and both them and Young Guns took the first round byes, meaning that we now have a week long break before the first round of playoffs start next week, with 3rd place Innkeepers taking on 6th place in the early match, while 4th place Action match up with 5th place East Shore United.  Should be good ones!

Yours in Soccer

FC

Starting to wrap these things up!  Monday action;

KOOTENAY CO-OP 8/0 LEAGUE

It all came down to tonight, as we had both the third place match and the final!  The third place match was a pretty good match, as Japan came back from their tough loss last week in the semi-finals to defeat England 7-3.  Jack Centrone and Noah Quinn gave great efforts for the English, while Japan’s stars of the evening were Kaz Tahara-Edmunds and Logan Hildebrand!  The following match was the one we were all waiting for, as 3rd place Cameroon met up with 4th place Argentina in the World Cup Final!  The match went back and forth and although Argentina managed to build themselves a few healthy leads, Cameroon always had the answer to come back.  The game then hinged on one key moment.  It was 7-7 with about two minutes left, when Cameroon managed to break on the backline of Argentina, and when Callum Cutler somehow wriggled himself into a good shooting lane, he made absolutely no mistake, winning both the match and the Winter title for Cameroon to duplicate the one they won in the fall!  A heart-broken Argentina side had Nate Atkins and Farrah Marzicola to thank amongst many others for getting them so very close to winning it all, while the biggest contributions for the winners came from Gretchen Lewandowski and Matteo Mushumanski, while it must be mentioned that not only did Callum Cutler score the winner for Cameroon, he also got the other 7 as well, so way to go little man!  Thanks for yet another terrific indoor season to all players, parents, and other fans, your support is what makes us great!  We look forward to seeing you at a local summer camp come July!

 THE BRIDGE FM LADIES REC LEAGUE

The final round of matches took place tonight as the Ladies Rec League closed out its’ regular season schedule.  All positions were more or less accounted for in regards to playoff match-ups, so I suppose the only question was whether Creamers would actually lose a match, or could they go through the entire season undefeated?  Answers below;

Dirty Dozen 4 4Play 1
Creamers 8 Finleys Jiggers 6
Scornets 3 Red Dog 2

So there it is, Creamers become one of the first teams in Soccer Quest Nelson Adult League History to go undefeated during the regular season, so congrats to you ladies!  The first round of playoffs goes in two weeks and sees Creamers and Scornets both get a first round bye, while the two matches are as follows;

Dirty Dozen v 4Play
Finleys Jiggers v Red Dog

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all players and teams the very best of luck!

Yours in Soccer

FC

Another training weekend for the KRS teams, and although there was disappintment on the boys side as University of Lethbridge Head coach Randy Bardock had to cancel his visit due to family illness, the players came in and worked hard over the two sessions on Saturday and Sunday.

We also had three players head to Calgary the weekend previous to test themselves at the University of Calgary Mens Team tryouts.  Kevin Lewis, Chris Rushworth, and Luke Mori handled themselves very well and did the programs proud as they were all provided with opportunities from the U of C.  Well done lads!

Yours in Soccer

FC

The usual fun recap of the evenings’ events;

KOOTENAY GLASS & MIRROR 10/11 LEAGUE

Semi-Finals tonight, and unfirtunately, as i expected, the two top sides managed to brush aside their tough opponents and make it to the finals tonight.  Spain versus Mexico was up in the early match, and Spain kept it exceptionally tight at the back in a tidy 3-0 win.  Camryn Parnell gave her all for Mexico, while the finest players on the pitch for Spain on the day were those irrepressible Elias sisters, Haley and Shayla.  The second semi saw Chile take on the might of Ghana, and Ghana asserted themselves with a simple 8-4 win over the Chileans.  Ellee Atkinson was immense for Ghana, while a terrific game from Finnegan Megale was in vain for Chile.  The finals set up like this next Friday;  Chile and Mexico play in the 3rd place match at 430pm, while Ghana and Spain meet in the FINAL at 545pm.  As usual, best of luck to all sides!

FINLEYS CO-ED LEAGUE

A quick recap of the games this past evening in the Co-Ed League;  Three blow-outs…Yuck again;

Marshmallow Conspiracy 13 The Express 2
Neon Indians 10 Shabangs 3
Premium Specimens 16 Gazelles 3

Looks like the Indians have it all wrapped up in the league, and now it is up to M.Conspiracy and P.Specimens (what silly names this league has) to knock them off in the playoffs.  To be fair, it looks like Gazelles, Shabangs, and The Express are just there to make up the numbers, so please prove me wrong and knock off the other lot you three!

Yours in Soccer

FC

Onwards and upwards, football speaking-ly;

JACKSON’S HOLE MENS MASTERS LEAGUE

As per usual, Abacus did what they always do, grinding out a win no matter who they play.  This time it was the turn of Jackson’s Hole to taste defeat at the hands (or feet) of the league leaders, alhough Abacus was pushed hard by a tough side who gave it their all on the night, in a 4-2 loss to the top side in the league on form right now.   Real are running out of games to catch back up with Abacus, and it looks like the regular season title might be heading their way!

CANADIAN 2 FOR 1 PIZZA 12/13 LEAGUE

One terrific semi and one in which the league leader asserted their authority in the 12/13 league tonight.  The first semi saw New Zealand and Germany meet up, and it was quite the match to watch, as the  game went back and forth several times, only for New Zealand to score late and take the match 7-6.  Amy LeBlanc was absolutely brilliant with a hat-trick, ably assisted by Liam Osak who had a stormer as well, while Germany had outstanding efforts from Rowan Megale and Laurel Halleran.  The second semi showed everyone just why Nigeria won the regular season crown, as they took it to  the defending fall champs Brazil in a comprehensive 9-5 victory.  Angus Peterson and Allie Zondervan lead the way for Nigeria, while Ezra Lemay and Emily Graeme gave all they had for Brazil in a losing cause.  The finals are now set for next week, as Germany and Brazil meet in the 3rd place match at 430pm, and the FINAL goes at 545pm between New Zealand and Nigeria.  Best of luck to all teams and players!

JACKSON’S HOLE MENS MASTERS LEAGUE

Slocan got themselves back together tonight playing against Red Dog as they once again defeated the Canines 8-5.  Seems that Slocan is definitely Red Dog’s “bogey team” as they don’t seem to be able to match up very well against them, and if I was Red Dog i would hope that I do not end up playing Slocan in the playoffs!  The second match of the evening saw Real Nelson make a bit of a statement to Abacus and the rest of the league, as they knocked off a difficult Ted Allens Jewellers by the score of 7-0.  It is immensely tough to keep a clean sheet in here as it is, much less doing it against scorers of the calibre TAJ have, and so that makes it that much more impressive that Real managed to do it.  Kudos to “Big Sexy” Scott Hargreaves for the clean sheet!  The last match on the night had the ever effervescent Bia Boro playing against the mighty Mix, and as usual BB scored lots of goals and also gave up quite a few, in an 8-5 win, which now leaves them solidly in third in the title run up, the last spot available to qualify for the “Kootenay Champions League” next season! ;-)

Yours in Soccer

FC

As we head into the tail end of the season;

NELSON STAR 14/16 LEAGUE

We moved into the playoffs in this league tonight, and although the finishes were not nearly as exciting as in the 8/9 league the night previous, we still had two good match-ups.  The first semi was between Holland and Canada, and although it was tight for awhile, the superior firepower of  Holland showed as they ended up taking the match 11-6.  The second match was immense, as the standings met nothing to either Ivory Coast or Uruguay.  Both teams attacked relentlessly and with ten minutes left the game was tied at 8 each, then somehow, as they have done all season long, Ivory Coast found a winner and took the match 9-8.  This means that next week’s finals will be Canada versus Uruguay in the consolation match at 430pm and the FINAL will be between Holland and the Ivory Coast at 545pm.  Good luck to all teams and players!

FINLEYS MENS OPEN LEAGUE

Nothing quite settled or formalized as of yet, as the three top sides managed to take care of the three lower sides in tonight’s action.  First up was Young Guns versus East Shore United.  The last time these two sides met, ESU was handed a real stuffing, and they were looking for some payback on the night, but it was not meant to be as the form side in the league continued to impress with a relatively pedestrian 10-3 win.   As a member of Y.G. i can assure you that we never really got out of third gear, and anyone watching the match can attest that Jay Allard in net for ESU played amazingly!  Suffice to say we did the job asked of us, and now it was up to the rest of the results to dictate where things shook up.  Innkeepers quietly got on with their end of things, defeating Selkirk College 11-6 after getting an early scare from the college lads, who had a tidy lead and could not hold it.  Co-Op had the toughest test of the night, as they went up against the always unpredictable Action, but they managed to squeak out a 10-7 win which leaves everything down to the last day to determine both the league title and the playoff standings.  The fixture list is this;

Innkeepers versus East Shore United
Young Guns versus The Action
Kootenay Co-Op versus Selkirk College

It goes like this;  Win, and Young Guns take the title, meaning that no matter what result the others get, they cannot catch YG.  Innkeepers also need to win to maintain their second place standing and the playoff first round bye that comes with it.  If Young Guns lose to the Action and Innkeepers win, then Innkeepers take the title and YG finish second, as even if Co-Op win, their record against Young Guns and goal difference mean that they cannot pass them.  If YG and Innkeepers both lose, then YG take the title and Co-Op comes second, so it’s all to play for tonight, should be an exciting evening!

Yours in Soccer

FC

Once again, another week of soccer to report;

KOOTENAY CO-OP 8/9 LEAGUE

Well, the first round of playoff games was UNBELIEVEABLE!  Both matches went to shootouts and were terrifically competitive and close, and credit to all teams that played in both matches.  The first match of the night was Cameroon versus England, and it was an absolute blast.  The game finished at 9 each, and we had to go to penalties.  Amelia Cameron and Callum Cutler scored in the shootout for Cameroon, while England’s lone goal was scored by Joe Davidson, so Cameroon go through on penalties 2-1.  The second match was also that close, as Japan and Argentina met up.  The game went back and forth, and Japan managed to build themselves a 4-2 lead, but they had less players than Argentina, and it showed late in the match as Argentina scored two late goals to tie the match up at 4.  We again saw penalties, and with Mark Rimmer, Farrah Marzicola, and Oliver Arcuri tallying for Argentina, while Japan got a goal from Liam Lazier, Argentina emerged victorious and marched onto the final.  TERRIFIC  job by all players, and best of luck on both finals to all teams!  Consolation match at 430pm next week featuring Japan and England, while the final pits Argentina versus Cameroon at 545pm!

THE BRIDGE FM LADIES REC LEAGUE

Scores as follows from yet another Monday night of ladies rec soccer action;

Finleys Jiggers 6 4Play 3
Scornets 5 Dirty Dozen 3
Creamers 3 Red Dog 0

“The more things change, the more things stay the same!”  One week left in the league and it looks like the playoff seedings are already set, with all teams more or less staying exactly where they are, so congratulations are in order for Creamers, who have won the regular season title, can they now bring home the playoff title to complete the “double”?  In fact, congrats are in order for all teams, and it looks like we had a good second year in the ladies league.  It will hopefully be onwards and upwards from here!

Yours in Soccer

FC