BLACK SHIRTS SCORE 3 IN EACH HALF

HOLD OFF FURIOUS FINISH BY THE REDS

The first half of the match was frustratingly nip 'n tuck. SSL scored, Red scored. SSL scored, Red scored. SSL scored & that's when things changed.....for the better.

There was a lot of back 'n forth in the opening minutes of the match. Opportunities for both sides. But the black shirts struck first and, as it turned out, never looked back. Well, not exactly. The black shirts found themselves looking back occaisionally because the Red's were gaining on them.

On a counter into the Red's penalty area, Bobby Janko, in heavy traffic, collected the ball & layed it back to an on-rushing Todd Loretta, whereupon he hit a low shot, back into the crowd in the area. Janko screened the keeper & a defender & the ball caromed into the back of the net for an early 1-0 lead. Only 3 minutes had elapsed off the ole Timex.

However, Red came back with one of thier own on a counter. The black shirts were down in front of the Red goal, but missed on a golden opportunity. A Red defender pounced on the loose ball, flighted it to a forward on the break. He settled & one-timed the ball into the back of the SSL goal. That quickly, a 1-0 lead & the possession that went with it, evaporated into a 1-1 tie. It didn't last long.

Only minutes later, with SSL exerting its influence on the ball, aggressive in the offensive zone & maintaining possession, Joe Baer, connecting on the first of his two helpers to Kenny Brigden for the match, spied Brigden on a break from the corner, and slotted it perfectly so that Brigden had only to tap it into an open goal. With that goal, SSL regained the lead, & the momentum, at 2-1. That lead, & the momentum soon changed.

The Red's had possession in the SSL half. They knocked the ball around. The black shirts were marking tightly. However, one of the Red forwards collected the ball & although marked, turned & let go with a left-footed shot that found the bottom left corner of the goal, just out of the reach of keeper John Kozuszek. He had no chance. And once again, the Reds had knotted the score, this time at 2 all. That tie would not last long.

Bob Janko, again in the middle of the play, & Todd Loretta, would hook up on a beauty of a goal. Janko was down deep in the box, which is where he spent a lot of time this match, in heavy traffic. Again he collected the ball, & in what looked like a mirror image of the first goal of the match, laid the ball back to Loretta, who had just run inside the half line. Loretta one-timed the ball & hit a looping liner into the upper left corner of the goal for a 3-2 lead on a ball that the keeper never saw because Janko was screening him. A few minutes later it was the interval, & the black shirts took a 3-2 lead into the second half. There was more where that came from.

The black shirts made it 4-2 on a dazzling play. This match was definitely a team game. The Janko-Loretta connection accounted for 2 goals & now Baer & Bridgen would combine on thier second of the match. Baer carried the ball from the SSL defensive end up the middle when it completely opened up for him. He continued his rush upfield & spied Bridgen, sliding from left to right into the box. Baer perfectly slotted the ball to him on his foot where he turned toward the goal, & all in one motion, let go with a left-footed lazer that flew past the keeper that he had no chance on. Perhaps the goal of the match. The black shirts were rolling, the momentum increasing & the passwork & possession dominating. It didn't slow down.

Janko was in the middle of the play all evening. This time he got on the other end of the scoring. Instead of being the helper, he was the finisher on each of the final two goals of the match. Ed Dwyer, who pushed forward with the ball out of the back, saw Janko, again down deep in the box (he spent so much time there for the match, the Red keeper was going to start charging him rent). Dwyer wasted no time & fed Janko the ball. Janko controlled the pass, moved between two defenders & deposited the ball into the goal netting, upping the SSL to 5-2. He wasn't done.

On a beautiful play, just like it's drawn up on the chalk board, Mike Airaghi, unmarked at the center circle, spied Janko deep in the right corner of the Red defense. Airaghi slotted the ball so that Janko could run onto it, just in front of the keeper. The keeper came out, but Janko pulled the ball back, stepped around the prone keeper, & rolled it gently, so as not to ruffle the starched white netting, into the back of the goal, for a 6-2 lead. With only about 5 minutes left on the ole Bulova, one would have thought that to be an insurmountable lead. The Reds didn't think so.

The black shirts got caught up in the 4 goal cushion & let off the gas, loosened up the defense & that allowed the Reds to shoot. The Reds took advantage. They had possession in the black shirts half. A Red forward had the ball. The black shirts doubled him but as luck, or bad luck, would have it, the Red forward spun out of it & hit a quick right-footed shot just inside the right hand post for a goal & tightened the game by narrowing the score to 6-3. Not to worry, however. Time was running out, and the black shirts had a 3 goal cushion. Nothing bad could happen, right? Wrong.

With a little more than 3 minutes left, the Reds scored yet again, closing the gap to 6-4 & again making a game of it. But that was all the inspiration the black shirts needed. They ramped up their possession, passing, energy & decision making. They spread the field, making runs, tiring out the Red bench & created yet more opportunities, keeping the Reds on their heels. As it turned out, that 4th goal was the Reds last gasp. The black shirts ran out the clock & improved their record to 3-1.

But this win was far from easy. Even though the black shirts outshot the Reds 35-25, keeper Kozuszek was called on to make 3 or 4 of his usual acrobatic saves early, just to keep SSL in the match. But alls well that ends well as they say. The black shirts appeared to all be on the same page most of the evening, limiting the Reds offensive opportunities & generally played a cohesive match sporting a fairly dominating defense. It would appear they're trending up, not down. A far cry from some of their other sessions.

Next week, as most are, will be a big match. They'll face Lampert, whom they played only once last session, losing an uninspiring match 6-3. They will certainly need to improve on that performance. But what looms largest of all is the fact it is a 6:55 match. Boys 'n girls, you know what that means! Bar B Q!!! So, following the match against Lampert, the SSL side will be grilling on the parking lot. Hope you'll be able to join us. Thanks for reading.

SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS O-40
	NAME		GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS
	JASON HILL		4	3	6	12
	KEN BRIGDEN		3	4	0	8
	MIKE HOGAN		2	3	1	7
	GIANNI PENS		3	3	0	6
	MIKE AIRAGHI		3	2	2	6
	TODD LORETTA		3	2	2	6
	BOB JANKO		3	2	2	6
	JOE BAER		4	0	3	3
	ED DWYER		2	0	1	1
	WALLY STOKES		4	0	0	0
	JOHN KOZUSZEK		4	0	0	0
	MIKE BESS		0	0	0	0
	TIM KELLEY		0	0	0	0
	STEVE RANKIN		0	0	0	0
	TOTALS		35	19	17	55

Date		VS
Tue 6/29 9:25 PM	L 3-4	at Maddox 40+(WHITE)
@ Concord, Field 3
Tue 7/6 7:45 PM	W 5-4	at Vintage Utd 40+
@ Concord, Field 3
Tue 7/13 7:45 PM	W 5-2	Vetta 40+ BLUE
@ Concord, Field 3
Tue 7/27 8:35 PM	W 6-4	at Vetta 40+ RED TEAM
@ Concord, Field 3
Tue 8/3 6:55 PM	50 minutes	Lampert 40+
@ Concord, Field 3
Tue 8/10 7:45 PM	50 minutes	Vintage Utd 40+
@ Concord, Field 3
Tue 8/17 10:15 PM	50 minutes	at Vetta 40+ BLUE
@ Concord, Field 3

SOCCER ST. LOUIS PRESENTS:

"CELEBRATE AMERICA"

3V3 TOURNEY, SATURDAY, 9/11/2010

Come help us celebrate the greatest country in the world by participating in this fund raising tourney. You have the freedom to choose & that's a beautiful thing. Hopefully the weather will co-operate & you'll be able to play outdoor, help raise money for the St. Dominics kids, new shirts for the SSL teams & have a great time. It is indeed, a beautiful thing & we live in the greatest nation in the world. What a country.

The event will take place at St. George's Parish Fields, Heege Rd., & Gravois. You can enter as a team or an individual. If you enter as an individual, your name will be unceremoniously tossed into the proverbial hat & will then be drawn to a team. There is ample parking on the lot across from the church & a playground for the kids. We're still working out some details regarding food, beverages & adult beverages. As soon as we do, it'll be posted here.

We're planning on having a minimum of 2 fields, & possibly 3, depending on expected attendance. Four player rosters will be open to both male & female with generally no age limit. I don't think we'll be in a position to make age brackets, but, we'll just see how it goes. Cost will be $20 per player. We'll have medals for the 1st & 2nd place teams as well as T-Shirts for the 1st & 2nd place teams. Additionaly, we'll also have chances for door prizes. Rumor has it that the 1st place door prize is a private box for a Blues game including food & beverages with a value of about $3,000. However, that has to be confirmed. Additionally, if anyone can donate a door prize it would be greatly appreciated. So, come one, come all.

Look for flyers next week at Concord. As things continue to develop, I'll keep you posted. Thanks.,

 THE RETURN OF

TERI JOHNSON

Hey, yall, our friend Teri will be returning to the STL for a visit in August. As usual, Harry & Toni Strothkamp will be hosting a Bar B Q at their beautiful home in Wildwood, complete with pool, volleyball & of course, soccer. The date is August 7th, from noon til ........ So mark your calendars & bring a dish. I'll pass directions along as soon as I get them. See you there.

BLACK SHIRTS PLAY GIVEAWAY, TAKEAWAY

LATE GOAL SECURES WIN

Their dominant play was almost wasted. The black shirts came out flying, controlling play, stringing together pass after pass, & getting shot after shot. However, the Freaky Shakra keeper was up to the task. In the first half alone, the Shakra keeper turned away at least 3 shots that looked as if they were gimmies. Three times, the black shirts were on the doorstep with point blank shots & from nowhere, the keeper was there to turn aside the effort. It was a frustrating half. It got worse.

Even more frustrating, were the responses to the SSL goals. The black shirts, after being turned away time after time by the Shakra keeper, finally notched their first goal. However, just a minute later, on a Freaky counter, they knotted the score at one. Not a big deal, right. The goals will come. And come they did.

Then SSL notched their second goal of the match. Now they'll turn it on & pull away and pad the lead. Not so fast! Freaky again, on a counter, scored their second of the match, tieing the score at two. Ok. Not a problem. They'll just get the next one & the next one & the next one, & put this match away. So, sure enough, the black shirts continued their domination of play & that resulted in yet another tally, retaking the lead at 3-2. Now they'd by on their way. Continue to add the tallys & put the match away. But a funny thing happened on their way to this one-sided blow-out. Freaky Shakra didn't get the memo.

After SSL scored the go-ahead goal just moments before the half, taking a 3-2 lead, surely the rush would be on. Add a goal here, pad another there & the next thing you know, you're up 5-2 & on crusie control. Then Freaky scored again! They tied the score at 3 & this was becoming maddening. It seemed like the harder the black shirts worked, the more Freaky Shakra stayed in the match. But SSL would not be denied.

Again the black shirts went to the well. Again another go-ahead goal. And again, frustratingly, Shakra came back yet again, scoring the tieing goal, knotting the match at 4. What in the world must they do to stretch the lead & put this match in their pocket! But the Shakra side, no matter that the possession, play & opportunities largely belonged to the black shirts, continued to play hard & take advantage of their few opportunities. And when they had an opportunity, they made no mistake. In fact, had it not been for keeper John Kozuszek, & some of his acrobatic saves, they could well have scored 3 more goals. And this was with the black shirts dominating the majority of play!

But it was newcomer Joe Sharamitaro to the rescue. With just under 3 minutes left on the old Timex, on a beautiful crossing ball from Chris Gianino, deep in the right corner, Sharamitaro, slashing thru the box, had only to re-direct it into the goal & past the keeper, where it settled into the back of the net. And for the fifth time on the evening, the black shirts regained the lead at 5-4, & were rewarded for thier solid, if not dominate play, for the match.

So, in spite of the 4 goals allowed, the black shirts played well on both offense & defense. The offense was creative, moving off the ball, sending thru balls, playing possession & keep-away, all of which resulted in many opportunities. The team defense, not just the defenders, played an attacking style, effectively limiting the Freaky chances, blocking shots, intercepting passes, & turning those into counters. They provided Freaky with few opportunities.

Two new additions really sparked the SSL side. Joe Sharamitaro, brother of Tony, & Chris Gianino, provided the black shirts with some new-found energy. In fact, in addition to the game-winner, Sharamitaro had another tally & Gianino chipped in with a tally & a helper of his own as well. So, they both made huge contributions in their first SSL match.

So, on the heels of this win, the SSL record sits at 2-1 & they're back in the hunt. Next week they'll have the week off with a bye, but the following week will start a two week stretch in which they'll face some stiff competition in SoCo Utd., & a week later Smugala's. So, they'll have their work cut out for them. Let's see if this new-found energy will translate into wins in those two tough matches. Stay tuned. Thanks for reading.

	SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS O-30
	NAME		GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS
	DAVID HIPPERSON		3	5	2	12
	JAYSON ADELSBERGER		2	3	0	6
	DZENAN		3	2	1	5
	JOE SHARAMITARO		1	2	0	4
	BERNARD ANIC		2	1	0	2
	GIANNI PENS		1	0	2	2
	CHRIS GIANINO		1	1	0	2
	TONY MEADOWS		3	0	1	1
	EDIN CORALIC		1	0	1	1
	RONNIE ROWDEN		2	0	1	1
	SLADAN KURTOVIC		3	0	0	0
	GUILLERMO CORTEZ		0	0	0	0
	TONY SHARAMITARO		2	0	0	0
	CASEY WALSH		3	0	0	0
	MIKE HOGAN		0	0	0	0
	TOTALS		27	14	8	36

Date		VS
Thu 7/8 10:00 PM	W 6-4	Hoosier FC(ORANGE)
@ Concord, Field 1
Thu 7/15 8:50 PM	L 3-7	at Sinclair & Rush (WHITE) 8:30+
@ Concord, Field 2
Thu 7/22 10:30 PM	W 5-4	at Freaky Shakra(WHITE/BLUE)
@ Concord, Field 2
Thu 8/5 8:35 PM	50 minutes	at Soco Utd (BLUE)
@ Concord, Field 3
Thu 8/12 7:30 PM	50 minutes	Smugala's (Black / White)
@ Concord, Field 1
Thu 8/19 8:50 PM	50 minutes	Zoom Motors(GREEN)
@ Concord, Field 2
Thu 8/26 9:25 PM	50 minutes	at Hoosier FC(ORANGE)
@ Concord, Field 3

BLACK SHIRT OPPONENT SCORES FIRST.....AGAIN

THEY RECOVER & POST SOLID WIN

Once again, in what seems like the umteenth time in  a row, the SSL sides opponent scored first! This is a bad habit that seems to keep repeating itself, much to the chagrin of the black shirts. However, this time they were able to overcome that early deficit, score some of their own, limit Vetta Blue to only one additional tally for the match, & cruise to a somewhat comfortable win. However, there were some sticky spots along the way.

Barely was the match under way when SSL keeper John Kozuszek was picking the ball out of his own net. Again, another frustrating start. But the black shirts kicked it up a notch, started marking Blue heavily & the offense bagan to produce. Kenny Brigden got it all started.

Brigden found himself in the mixer just in front of the goal when he cashed in on a rebound of a black shirt shot. He pounced on the loose ball, redirecting it into the bottom left corner of the goal. Score, 1-1. Then, on a beautiful play, the "man o' the match" Mike Hogan, one-touched a beautiful long diagonal ball from Mike Airaghi, into the back of the net & past the startled keeper who had no chance. Score, 2-1. The black shirt third goal was a blast. Literally.

Again, with black shirts in the mixer in the box on the offensive end, the ball came rolling out, directly to Jason Hill. With cat-like quickness, he jumped on the ball, & blasted a lazer past everyone, & into the back of the Blue goal. Score, 3-1. Things were moving smartly the right direction. Then a hiccup.

On a quick counter, Vetta Blue pushed toward the left side of the SSL goal. Although the Blue forwards were marked tightly, an alert Blue defender made a run down the right side. With a black shirt in hot pursuit, the Blue defender had a step on hi, & received a slotted ball across the face of the goal & one-touched it into the back of the SSL net. Kozuszek had no chance. Score, 3-2. And this with only 20 ticks left on the old Timex.

As we all know, goals in the first of last minutes of a half can be back-breakers. This was not! The black shirts re-organized their shape, ramped up their offense and their defense & controlled the second half. But for a few Blue opportunities & again great goal-keeping from Kozuszek, closing the door on those scoring opportunities, it was all about the SSL control & possession.

Playing close to the vest, the black shirts were looking for more goals but moreso, looking to prevent goals. And prevent goals they did, shutting out Blue for the half while at the same time, netting two of their own, getting those coveted add-on goals.

Hogan got his second goal of the match, to go along with a helper, in much the same way as Hill before him. He found himself at the top of the box, but in this case he not only had the ball, but he had a defender on him as well. On a slick, one step move, he slipped around the defender to his right & in an eye-blink, let go with a lazer that whizzed into the bottom right hand corner of the goal, upping the black shirt lead to 4-2. However, Kozuszek was still not comfortable with that two goal lead. That's too close to a tie game. Your opponent scores & then it's a one goal margin & your opponent all of a sudden finds another gear & the next thing you know, it's a tie game. No, Kozuszek was still not comfortable. He wanted that 3 goal margin. Mike Airaghi was about to give him what he wanted.

Hogan, who all night long seemed to be in the middle of everything, found Airaghi in the box & slotted the ball to him. Airaghi collected Hogans pass, turned, & slipped the ball thru the keepers 5 hole. It's one of the prettiest plays in football. Just like that, Kozuszek had his 3 goal margin & the black shirts had a 5-2 lead & never looked back.

So, after some early match difficulties, the black shirts withstood the pressure, tightened up the defense, cranked up the offense & peppered the Blue goal with shots all night. Even though the SSL evening got off to a less than auspicious start, they circled the wagons, geared up & played a solid if not spectacular match. An early goal, followed by a second with only 20 tics left in the half, & that was it. Nothing in the second half. Not a bad report card for the evening. Now, to show this solid performance was not a fluke they'll have to go do it all over again. Boy, what an unfair world. Thanks for reading.

 

SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS O-40
	NAME		GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS
	JASON HILL		3	3	4	10
	MIKE HOGAN		2	3	1	7
	GIANNI PENS		3	3	0	6
	MIKE AIRAGHI		2	2	1	5
	KEN BRIGDEN		2	2	0	4
	TODD LORETTA		2	0	2	2
	BOB JANKO		2	0	2	2
	JOE BAER		3	0	1	1
	WALLY STOKES		3	0	0	0
	JOHN KOZUSZEK		3	0	0	0
	ED DWYER		1	0	0	0
	MIKE BESS		0	0	0	0
	TIM KELLEY		0	0	0	0
	STEVE RANKIN		0	0	0	0
	TOTALS		26	13	11	36

Date		VS
Tue 6/29 9:25 PM	L 3-4	at Maddox 40+(WHITE)
@ Concord, Field 3
Tue 7/6 7:45 PM	W 5-4	at Vintage Utd 40+
@ Concord, Field 3
Tue 7/13 7:45 PM	W 5-2	Vetta 40+ BLUE
@ Concord, Field 3
Tue 7/27 8:35 PM	50 minutes	at Vetta 40+ RED TEAM
@ Concord, Field 3
Tue 8/3 6:55 PM	50 minutes	Lampert 40+
@ Concord, Field 3
Tue 8/10 7:45 PM	50 minutes	Vintage Utd 40+
@ Concord, Field 3
Tue 8/17 10:15 PM	50 minutes	at Vetta 40+ BLUE
@ Concord, Field 3

INDY TOURNEY SCHEDULE IS IN

STARTS NEXT WEEKEND

Following are two links for the Indy Tourney schedule as well as the teams in the mens O-30. Unfortunately, I don't have schedules for all the brackets, however, if you click on the links, they'll take you to the Indy website, & you can navigate from their to find your own schedule. But once again, the SSL side has some primo times: 12:15; 2:30; 4:45.

http://www.indianapolissoccerclub.org/tournament.html

 http://www.indianapolissoccerclub.org/tourneySchedule.html

Again, hotel accomodations are: Country Inn Suites, Southport Rd., phone 3178596666. They have 20 Double Bed Queen Rooms for $79, & 5 King Suites with Jaccuzzi for $89. Not bad at all.  Ask for rooms registered under Soccer St. Louis.  They will hold them until June 30th. We want to say thanks to Jeannie Curry for making all the phone calls & reserving the rooms for us. Thanks, Jeannie.

I had also heard from one of the players wives that they don't have Jaccuzzi Suites available. Not sure about that, but, you'll have to check when you call. Following are the rosters thus far:

 INDY SATURDAY, JULY 17^TH & SUNDAY, JULY 18^TH

 O-30 Final Roster

1.    Tony Meadows

2.    Casey Walsh

3.    Matt Ruhl

4.    Guillermo Cortez

5.    Mondo Fernandez

6.    David Hipperson

7.    Sladan Kurtovic

8.    Dzenan Taslaman

9.    Mike Hogan

10. John Kozuszek

11. Ronnie Rowden

12. Gianni Pens

SOCCER ST. LOUIS PRESENTS:

"CELEBRATE AMERICA"

3V3 TOURNEY, SATURDAY, 9/11/2010

Come help us celebrate the greatest country in the world by participating in this fund raising tourney. You have the freedom to choose & that's a beautiful thing. Hopefully the weather will co-operate & you'll be able to play outdoors, help raise money for the St. Dominics kids & some new shirts for the SSL players, eat some great Bar B Q, & have a great time, all at the same time. It is indeed, a beautiful thing & we live in the best nation in the world.

The event will take place at St. George's Parish Fields, Heege Rd., & Gravois. You can enter as a team or an individual. If you enter as an individual, your name will be unceremoniously tossed into the proverbial hat & will then be drawn to a team. We'll have burgers, hotdogs & chicken sandwiches, as well as adult beverages. There is ample parking on the lot across from the church & a playground for the kids.

We're planning on having a minimum of 2 fields, & possibly 3, depending on expected attendance. Four player rosters will be open to both male & female with generally no age limit. I don't think we'll be in a position to make age brackets, but, we'll just see how it goes. So, come one, come all.

As things continue to develop, I'll keep you posted. Thanks.

O-30 START SLOW, FINISH FAST

WIN A THRILLER

Some things never change. As has been their habit lately, the black shirts fell behind quickly. But, just as quickly, they drew level. David Hipperson, whose 8 point offensive output in this match was more then many players accumulate in an entire session, started the play.

Starting from his own end, he carried the ball across the half line, into the offensive end where he spotted Dzenan, streaking down the right side line toward the Hoosier goal. Hipperson slotted the ball perfectly to Dzenan who, in stride had only to one-touch it past the keeper, into the back of the net, & that knotted the score at 1 all. And this score carried great importance. Last session, SSL lost to the Hoosiers 5-4, & in that match, could never level the score, always finding themselves behind. But this was a different session. And match.

As play continued, the black shirts found a rhythm. They were marking tightly the fast Hoosier forwards. They were possessing the ball. They were making smart decisions on their passwork. The defenders were blocking the Hoosiers shots. As a result of this, the black shirts were creating multiple scoring chances. Hipperson cashed in for the black shirts second goal.

Again pushing the attack, Hipperson collected the ball &, stepping just inside the white line, let go with a bomb that a startled keeper had no chance on. 2-1 SSL. And the hits just kept on coming. Dzenan, again making his prescence felt, collected yet another thru ball from Hipperson on the dead run & let go with a quick shot that bent from right to left & nestled into the bottom left corner of the goal just inside the post. Again, the keeper had no chance. Score, 3-1 SSL.

But the Hoosiers are a relentless, hard-charging bunch. As was their first goal of the match, the 2nd was on a rebound. On a counter, the Hoosier forwards pushed quickly toward the SSL goal. The ensueing shot was blocked by keeper Tony Meadows, but the ball took a crazy hop past a SSL defender & the Hooser forward found himself with the ball, unmarked, on the doorstep, & finished with a tap-in. Score, 3-2 SSL.

And again, it was Hipperson to the rescue. It seems that all night long, when one of the Hoosiers would tally, it would be Hipperson that answered, getting that goal back & making all things right with the world. Gianni Pens, who chipped in with two helpers on the evening & some excellent defensive back-checking, got his first assist on the Hipperson goal. With his back to the goal, in heavy traffic, he laid the ball off for Hipperson, who made no mistake & buried the opportunity into the back of the net, pushing the SSL lead to two goals at 4-2. The score remained that way to the interval.

The Hoosiers weren't done yet. Far from it. They continued the same pressure they brought in the first half into the second half. Had it not been for outstanding goalkeeping by Meadows & stellar performances by the defenders Casey Walsh, Bernard Anic, Ronnie Rowden & Tony Sharamitaro, the score could have been much closer, tied or the black shirts could have found themselves behind, much like the last match versus the Hoosiers. But the blocked shots, tight marking & suffocating defense thruout, coupled with the sometimes acrobatic saves by Meadows, turned the tide & allowed the offense the space for some creativity.

Once again, for the third time in the match, the Hoosiers scored on a rebound after countering a SSL offensive sortie. It was a quick hitter. The Hoosier forward took a shot from just inside the white line. A second forward was crashing the boards when the ball caromed off the boards directly onto his foot & he merely allowed it to ricochet into the back of the net.  It was a bang-bang play & neither the keeper nor the defenders could prevent the ball from finding the back of the net. Score, 4-3 SSL.

It was than that Jason Adelsberger restored order. Adelsberger, as is his norm, had been working extremely hard against the very fast Hoosier side. Starting at midfield, sharing time with Hipperson, he had been up & back, up & back, all match long. He had a target on his back. The Hoosiers would run him, double him & even on a few occaisions, triple him. If he had chosen to use the restroom, I suspect there would have been an orange shirt marking him. But his hard work paid off.

Gianni Pens, hardworking thruout this match as well, found Adelsberger with a thru ball that, much like Dzenan's before him, right-footed a ball from just outside the white line, and bent his shot from right to left, & it too found the bottom left corner of the goal. It clanged off the inside of the post & into the back of the net. It was almost a mirror image of Dzenan's goal earlier in the match. Score, 5-3 SSL. However, the Hoosiers weren't done. Not just yet. They still had some bullets left.

Unlike their previous 3 goals, all scored on counters, this finish was as a result of a half-court offense. Possessing the ball on the SSL end, they knocked the ball around briskly & the black shirts were always a step behind & just couldn't corral it. This is usually the kiss of death. And it was. From an acute angle to the right of the SSL goal, the Hoosier forward blistered a shot & roofed it into the top of the net & Meadows had no chance to react. Once again, the Hoosiers were down by only a goal & there were still 5 minutes left on the old Timex. Nerves were stretched. It was time for the furious finish.

It was a beautiful thing. Just the way you draw it up on the old chalkboard. The Hoosiers had possession, but were dispossessed of the ball & keeper Meadows coralled it. He looked up & spied Hipperson on a break. Meadows thru the ball past the halfline, where it ended up on Hippersons foot. He one-touched the ball & pushed it forward toward the Hoosier goal. He stepped around one Hoosier defender & as space opened up in front of him, from just outside the white line, instead of taking a couple more dribbles to close the gap between him & the goal, he instead let go with a quick shot. It was a rocket. The ball flew past the keeper to his left & into the right side of the goal. The keeper barely moved as it whistled past. There were but 2 minutes left in the match. It was Hipperson to the rescue again. And remarkably, all 3 of Hippersons goals came just after the Hoosiers had scored. He was truly a thorn in their side this night.

As time bled off the clock & it reached all zeros, the black shirts both breathed a sigh of relief & also took pleasure in a very rewarding & satisfying win. It was one of their better recent efforts. So, instead of giving up those quick early goals that result in painful losses, they were able to overcome that early deficit, turn it into a win & get this new session off to a good start. It was about time. Thanks for reading.

	SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS O-30
	NAME		GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS
	DAVID HIPPERSON		1	3	2	8
	DZENAN		1	2	0	4
	JAYSON ADELSBERGER		1	1	0	2
	GIANNI PENS		1	0	2	2
	TONY MEADOWS		1	0	1	1
	EDIN CORALIC		1	0	1	1
	SLADAN KURTOVIC		1	0	0	0
	GUILLERMO CORTEZ		0	0	0	0
	BERNARD ANIC		1	0	0	0
	TONY SHARAMITARO		1	0	0	0
	RONNIE ROWDEN		1	0	0	0
	CASEY WALSH		1	0	0	0
	MIKE HOGAN		0	0	0	0
	TOTALS		11	6	6	18

 Schedule

Date		VS
Thu 7/8 10:00 PM	W 6-4	Hoosier FC(ORANGE)
@ Concord, Field 1

INDY TOURNEY SCHEDULE IS IN

STARTS NEXT WEEKEND

Following are two links for the Indy Tourney schedule as well as the teams in the mens O-30. Unfortunately, I don't have schedules for all the brackets, however, if you click on the links, they'll take you to the Indy website, & you can navigate from their to find your own schedule. But once again, the SSL side has some primo times: 12:15; 2:30; 4:45.

http://www.indianapolissoccerclub.org/tournament.html

 http://www.indianapolissoccerclub.org/tourneySchedule.html

Again, hotel accomodations are: Country Inn Suites, Southport Rd., phone 3178596666. They have 20 Double Bed Queen Rooms for $79, & 5 King Suites with Jaccuzzi for $89. Not bad at all.  Ask for rooms registered under Soccer St. Louis.  They will hold them until June 30th. We want to say thanks to Jeannie Curry for making all the phone calls & reserving the rooms for us. Thanks, Jeannie.

I had also heard from one of the players wives that they don't have Jaccuzzi Suites available. Not sure about that, but, you'll have to check when you call. Following are the rosters thus far:

 INDY SATURDAY, JULY 17^TH & SUNDAY, JULY 18^TH

 O-30 Final Roster

1.    Tony Meadows

2.    Casey Walsh

3.    Matt Ruhl

4.    Guillermo Cortez

5.    Mondo Fernandez

6.    David Hipperson

7.    Sladan Kurtovic

8.    Dzenan Taslaman

9.    Mike Hogan

10. John Kozuszek

11. Ronnie Rowden

12. Gianni Pens

 WORLD CUP PARTY

SUNDAY AT DIABLO MAGEES

John Kozuszek, keeper for the SSL O-40 side, has made arrangements with the ownership for discounts on food & beverages for the World Cup Final, this Sunday at Diablo Magees.

For those of you that don't know its location, it is roughly at the intersection of Lindbergh & Lemay Ferry, in the large plaza across from Dave Sinclair Ford & across the parking lot from Hooters.

If you're so inclined to join us, please RSVP. It'll help with reserving the appropriate number of tables. Hope you can join us. It'll be fun. See you there!

 LAST SESSIONS FINAL STANDINGS

 Schedule

Date		VS
Thu 5/6 7:10 PM	W 9-3	Freaky Shakra(WHITE/BLUE)
@ Concord, Field 2
Thu 5/20 8:50 PM	W 5-4	at Sinclair & Rush (WHITE) 8:30+
@ Concord, Field 2
Thu 5/27 9:25 PM	L 3-6	at Smugala's (Black / White)
@ Concord, Field 3
Thu 6/3 7:30 PM	L 2-3	at CD Cobras(BLUE)
@ Concord, Field 1
Thu 6/10 9:40 PM	L 1-5	at Soco Utd (BLUE)
@ Concord, Field 2
Thu 6/17 6:55 PM	W 8-3	Zoom Motors(GREEN)
@ Concord, Field 3
Thu 6/24 10:50 PM	L 4-5	Hoosier FC(ORANGE)
@ Concord, Field 1
Thu 7/1 10:30 PM	L 3-6	Sinclair & Rush (WHITE) 8:30+
@ Concord, Field 2

SSL COMES FROM BEHIND TWICE

EKES OUT WIN IN SEE-SAW BATTLE

Following a difficult 4-3 loss in last weeks first match of the session, it was obviously imperative that SSL get off on the right foot in this weeks match, secure a win & even their record. A loss would be devastating, dropping their record to 0-2. That would make securing a championship berth at sessions end practically impossible. However, the way this match started you'd have thought that would be the outcome.

In the space of the matches first 5 minutes, the black shirts found themselves down 2-0 & looking down the barrel of a shotgun. Their defense was lax, the offense missing & the only thing keeping the game as close as it was, was the goal-keeping of John Kozuszek. Had it not been for John K's acrobatic kick-saves & diving stops, the score could well have been 4 or 5 zip. His heroics played large later in the match. Vintage smelled blood.

But the black shirts circled the wagons. They started playing more solidly on defense. They possessed the ball. Connected on multiple passes. Created opportunities. Their hard work started to provide dividends.

Gianni Pens got SSL started with the first tally on a bullet from the top of the box. Mike Hogan added to the offense with his patented toe poke that leveled the match at 2. It was a new game & the momentum had slowly turn around & was now in the black shirts corner. Newcomer Mike Araghi immediately made his presence felt. Out of a scramble in the box, Araghi pounced on the bouncing ball, & slid it into the back of the net for the black shirts first lead of the match at 3-2.

But the Vintage bunch don't give up easily. Continuing their attack, & moving the ball smartly, they netted their 3rd goal of the match, tieing the game & then, snatched back the lead at 4-3 on yet another tally. So, what the black shirts had worked so hard for, coming from down 0-2, then getting the lead, all vanished in a matter of minutes. But SSL wasn't done yet.

Jason Hill, on a huge individual effort, tied the match & put the black shirts back in the hunt. Hill collected the ball on the left side of the pitch, stepped around two Vintage defenders & from just outside the box rifled a a right-footed bomb into the bottom left corner of the net, knotting the score at 4 all.

Then, as time continued to melt off the old Bulova, with only minutes to go, Pens netted his 2nd of the match & game winner on a ball provided by Hill, when he toe-poked a ball just off the inside of the right post & into the net for a 5-4.

However, Vintage continued to press the attack. But the SSL defense stiffened, Kozuszek continued his brilliance in the nets & the black shirts hung of for a satisfying, come from behind win. With the win, they evened their record at 1-1, keeping them in the hunt for the title.

Even though the team defense at times was porous, giving up 3 goals on Vintage counters, it rose to the challenge when required & held off the Vintage attacks, preserving the highly coveted win.

Now their work continues in the form of Vetta Blue, their opponent for next weeks match. Blue sits atop the division, tied with Maddox, each with 2-0 records. They'll meet them next Tuesday at 7:45. It should be entertaining. That is, if the black shirts can keep from digging themselves into an early hole. Hope you can join us. Thanks for reading. 

SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS O-40
	NAME		GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS
	JASON HILL		2	2	2	6
	GIANNI PENS		2	3	0	6
	KEN BRIGDEN		1	1	0	2
	MIKE ARAGHI		1	1	0	2
	MIKE HOGAN		1	1	0	2
	JOE BAER		2	0	1	1
	TODD LORETTA		1	0	1	1
	BOB JANKO		1	0	1	1
	WALLY STOKES		2	0	0	0
	JOHN KOZUSZEK		2	0	0	0
	ED DWYER		1	0	0	0
	MIKE BESS		0	0	0	0
	STEVE CRISCIONE		0	0	0	0
	JAMES AHEARN		0	0	0	0
	TIM KELLEY		0	0	0	0
	STEVE RANKIN		0	0	0	0
	TOTALS		16	8	5	21

Schedule

Date		VS
Tue 6/29 9:25 PM	L 3-4	at Maddox 40+(WHITE)
@ Concord, Field 3
Tue 7/6 7:45 PM	W 5-4	at Vintage Utd 40+
@ Concord, Field 3
Tue 7/13 7:45 PM	50 minutes	Vetta 40+ BLUE
@ Concord, Field 3
Tue 7/27 8:35 PM	50 minutes	at Vetta 40+ RED TEAM
@ Concord, Field 3
Tue 8/3 6:55 PM	50 minutes	Lampert 40+
@ Concord, Field 3
Tue 8/10 7:45 PM	50 minutes	Vintage Utd 40+
@ Concord, Field 3
Tue 8/17 10:15 PM	50 minutes	at Vetta 40+ BLUE
@ Concord, Field 3

INDY TOURNEY ROSTER SET 

It slowly came together for the Indianapolis 6v6 tourney. The dates for that tourney are Saturday, July 17th & Sunday, July 18th. However, only one team will make the trip, the O-30. Due to vacations, committments, injuries, etc., only enough players for a single side was available. However, it's going to be a great team & a great time.

Again, hotel accomodations are: Country Inn Suites, Southport Rd., phone 3178596666. They have 20 Double Bed Queen Rooms for $79, & 5 King Suites with Jaccuzzi for $89. Not bad at all.  Ask for rooms registered under Soccer St. Louis.  They will hold them until June 30th. We want to say thanks to Jeannie Curry for making all the phone calls & reserving the rooms for us. Thanks, Jeannie.

I had also heard from one of the players wives that they don't have Jaccuzzi Suites available. Not sure about that, but, you'll have to check when you call. Following are the rosters thus far:

 INDY SATURDAY, JULY 17^TH & SUNDAY, JULY 18^TH

 O-30 Roster

1.    Tony Meadows

2.    Casey Walsh

3.    Matt Ruhl

4.    Guillermo Cortez

5.    Mondo Fernandez

6.    David Hipperson

7.    Sladan Kurtovic

8.    Dzenan Taslaman

9.    Mike Hogan

10. John Kozuszek

11. Ronnie Rowden

12. Gianni Pens

 WORLD CUP PARTY

SUNDAY AT DIABLO MAGEES

John Kozuszek, keeper for the SSL O-40 side, has made arrangements with the ownership for discounts on food & beverages for the World Cup Final, this Sunday at Diablo Magees.

For those of you that don't know its location, it is roughly at the intersection of Lindbergh & Lemay Ferry, in the large plaza across from Dave Sinclair Ford & across the parking lot from Hooters.

If you're so inclined to join us, please RSVP. It'll help with reserving the appropriate number of tables. Hope you can join us. It'll be fun. See you there!

EARLY 3 GOAL LEAD EVAPORATES

LOSE LATE ON PK

First game of the session. Versus the defending champs. A tough challenge. Short 6 players. Uphill battle. Outlook is grim. It could be a long & arduous match. Then, it happened.

One after the other, the black shirts tallied on what surely has to be some of the hardest working efforts seen in weeks. Jason Hill, hustling all the way, harrassing the defender, get's the cough up & Kenny Brigden finishes. 1-0 SSL. Next, same thing, different players. Bobby Janko, hustling all the way, gets the keeper to cough it up & Gianni Pens with the tap in. 2-0 SSL. Yet again, Joe Baer, hustling all the way, pressuring the defender, gets another cough up & Jason Hill is the recipient this time, providing the black shirts with a solid 3-0 lead. Then, disaster.

After all the hard work, & short-handed to boot, the comfortable lead that they had worked so hard to achieve, in the space of two minutes, was gone.

Maddox, continuing the pressure on the out-manned SSL side, tallied thier first goal with just a little over 2 minutes left in the first half. And just like that, 2 minutes later, at the interval, it was all tied up 3-3. What had looked so promising in the first half had just vaporized in the space of a few moments & the black shirts now found themselves back level, with little to show for the first 20+ minutes of action.

As the black shirts tired in the second, keeper John Kozuszek became the man of the match, performing a series of acrobatic saves, keeping SSL in the match & in fact, keeping it level. But, under the unrelenting pressure of the Maddox side & with tiring legs, the Maddox bunch kept delivering haymakers. On one such opportunity, it appeared that Maddox had a sure goal, when one of the SSL defenders stepped into the path of the shot. It hit him in the arm & was called an intentional hand-ball. A penalty shot would result.

Kozuszek gave it his best effort, but it nestled into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal & Maddox took thier first lead of the match at 4-3. They would make it hold up.

The black shirts didn't have the strength to muster a come-from-behind game-tying goal & instead fell to the Maddox side by the final of 4-3 in the first match of the session. So, all the gard work early, getting those 3 early tallies, was all for nought. Now, instead of starting off the session with a solid win, they instead start things off with a loss. Oh, what might have been.

But, they can't ponder what might have been, instead, they have to get ready for a re-match against always tough Vintage Utd, a team they faced in last sessions playoff for 3rd place. SSL emerged from that match with a hard-fought, 5-3 win. They'll need all their players, & a little luck, to get back on the winning track. They'll see them this Tuesday at 7:45. Hope you can join us. Thanks for reading.

SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS O-40
	NAME		GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS
	JASON HILL		1	1	1	3
	GIANNI PENS		1	1	0	2
	KEN BRIGDEN		1	1	0	2
	JOE BAER		1	0	1	1
	BOB JANKO		1	0	1	1
	WALLY STOKES		1	0	0	0
	JOHN KOZUSZEK		1	0	0	0
	MIKE HOGAN		0	0	0	0
	MIKE BESS		0	0	0	0
	TODD LORETTA		0	0	0	0
	STEVE CRISCIONE		0	0	0	0
	JAMES AHEARN		0	0	0	0
	ED DWYER		0	0	0	0
	TIM KELLEY		0	0	0	0
	STEVE RANKIN		0	0	0	0
	TOTALS		7	3	3	9

Date		VS
Tue 6/29 9:25 PM	L 3-4	at Maddox 40+(WHITE)
@ Concord, Field 3
Tue 7/6 7:45 PM	50 minutes	at Vintage Utd 40+
@ Concord, Field 3
Tue 7/13 7:45 PM	50 minutes	Vetta 40+ BLUE
@ Concord, Field 3
Tue 7/27 8:35 PM	50 minutes	at Vetta 40+ RED TEAM
@ Concord, Field 3
Tue 8/3 6:55 PM	50 minutes	Lampert 40+
@ Concord, Field 3
Tue 8/10 7:45 PM	50 minutes	Vintage Utd 40+
@ Concord, Field 3
Tue 8/17 10:15 PM	50 minutes	at Vetta 40+ BLUE
@ Concord, Field 3

 ST. DOMINICS 3V3 POSTPONED

RESCHEDULED FOR LABOR DAY WEEKEND

It was just trouble from the get-go. That pesky USA World Cup team just kept winning. Then it was the 4th of July weekend, a time for everyone to celebrate their patriotism & fly the flag. So, just bad timing. Now, we'll just do it better.

It'll be the return of the Soccer St. Louis 3v3 Tourney. We'll raise funds for team shirts & also for the St. Dominics boy's team. We'll raise money for both, at the same time. Still have to work out the details, but, here's an overview.

If things break correctly, it'll be held at the St. Georges Parish Grounds at Heege & Gravois. The date will actually not be on Labor Day, but the Saturday following, 9/11. How much more patriotic can we be then to hold a soccer tourney on a day that we'll all never forget & will always remember. There's nothing more American than to be able to have the freedom to participate in an event like this & raise funds for a good cause. It's a beautiful thing.

We'll have food & adult beverages for sale. 1st & 2nd place medals & t-shirts will be awarded as well. The format will be the same, open to all. Won't really have an age limit, but, we may have to make some decisions on the spot. If we don't have enough girls for their own tourney, they just be moved into the general drawing. Meaning, that if you are not on a team, you can enter as an individual player & your name will be drawn out of a hat & assigned to a team. You can also enter as a team. Not sure of the cost yet, but, probably about $15 per player.

As we continue to plan this, we'll keep everyone posted. There will be flyers handed out as well. Hope you'll all be able to participate. The previous 2 or 3 or 4 that we held were a blast. We'll keep you posted. Thanks.

INDY TOURNEY ROSTER SET 

It slowly came together for the Indianapolis 6v6 tourney. The dates for that tourney are Saturday, July 17th & Sunday, July 18th. However, only one team will make the trip, the O-30. Due to vacations, committments, injuries, etc., only enough players for a single side was available. However, it's going to be a great team & a great time.

Again, hotel accomodations are: Country Inn Suites, Southport Rd., phone 3178596666. They have 20 Double Bed Queen Rooms for $79, & 5 King Suites with Jaccuzzi for $89. Not bad at all.  Ask for rooms registered under Soccer St. Louis.  They will hold them until June 30th. We want to say thanks to Jeannie Curry for making all the phone calls & reserving the rooms for us. Thanks, Jeannie.

I had also heard from one of the players wives that they don't have Jaccuzzi Suites available. Not sure about that, but, you'll have to check when you call. Following are the rosters thus far:

 INDY SATURDAY, JULY 17^TH & SUNDAY, JULY 18^TH

 O-30 Roster

1.    Tony Meadows

2.    Casey Walsh

3.    Matt Ruhl

4.    Guillermo Cortez

5.    Mondo Fernandez

6.    David Hipperson

7.    Sladan Kurtovic

8.    Dzenan Taslaman

9.    Mike Hogan

10. John Kozuszek

11. Ronnie Rowden

12. Gianni Pens

EARLY GOALS DOOM BLACK SHIRTS

DROP ONE RUN DECISION

It's a difficult start for any team, to give up a goal in the first 15 seconds of a match. To compound matters further, giving up a second goal within two minutes of the start is double jeopardy. Unfortunately, that's the way the match with the Hoosiers started for SSL. Behind the eight-ball immediately. A tough task & a tall hill to climb. The outlook certainly didn't appear promising.

The Hoosiers were fast. The first half they virtually flew in & around the black shirts, hitting bombs from all over the pitch. Had it not been for keeper John Kozuszek, it could have been much worse than it was. As the half progressed, the black shirts started to catch their breath. And catch up.

The black shirts got back in the match by notching a couple of their own goals on excellent efforts from Jason Adelsberger & Dzenan. However, they still couldn't hold off the hard-charging, high-flying Hoosiers, who also notched a couple more of their own. However, you won't catch up very fast if for every goal you score your opponent scores one as well. As it was, at the interval, the score stood at 4 for the Hoosiers & 2 for the black shirts. Still behind by those two early goals, but making progress.

The second half was more of a display of how the black shirts could play as opposed to the first when for the first ten minutes, they looked like a deer in headlights. They came out flying as well, pressuring the Hoosiers, controlling the ball & possession & knocking it around nicely. This created chances. Chances that they started to finish on. Then they notched their 3rd tally, with Adelsberger adding his second finish of the match on a fast-paced hustle play, using second effort to bury the ball, closing the score to 4-3. Now it was game on.

But the Hoosiers don't quit. They continued to play hard & started to create a few more chances. SSL repelled all but one. And that one was a back-breaker. Midway thru the 2nd half, the Hoosiers tallied for a 5-3 lead. But the black shirts kept coming. Several times they had the Hoosier defenders & their keeper on their heels, but just couldn't convert. But, late in the match with about 5 minutes to go, on a great individual effort by Edin Coralic, down deep in the box, his tally closed the score to 5-4. It was a frantic finish in the final minutes of the match, but the two early goals doomed the black shirts, & they just couldn't find that tying goal. It wasn't so much that they lost as much as it was they they just ran out of time. It was, however, a highly entertaining match in which both sides performed marvelousely. It was just an unfortuante outcome for SSL.

On the heels of that loss, they'll find themselves in the playoffs versus Sinclair & Rush, a team they beat earlier in the session by a score of 5-4. So, this should prove to be yet another tightly contested match. That will take place this Thursday, July 1st at 10:30 on field #2. Hope to see you there & thanks for reading.

	SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS O-30
	NAME		GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS
	DZENAN		7	12	1	25
	DAVID HIPPERSON		5	4	4	12
	EDIN CORALIC		7	6	0	12
	GIANNI PENS		6	1	5	7
	GUILLERMO CORTEZ		6	2	1	5
	BERNARD ANIC		7	1	3	5
	SLADAN KURTOVIC		7	2	0	4
	JAYSON ADELSBERGER		1	2	0	4
	TONY SHARAMITARO		5	1	1	3
	MICHAEL POROPAT		2	1	0	2
	TONY MEADOWS		6	0	1	1
	RONNIE ROWDEN		2	0	1	1
	CASEY WALSH		7	0	0	0
	MIKE HOGAN		5	0	0	0
	TOTALS		73	32	17	81

Schedule

Date		VS
Thu 5/6 7:10 PM	W 9-3	Freaky Shakra(WHITE/BLUE)
@ Concord, Field 2
Thu 5/20 8:50 PM	W 5-4	at Sinclair & Rush (WHITE) 8:30+
@ Concord, Field 2
Thu 5/27 9:25 PM	L 3-6	at Smugala's (Black / White)
@ Concord, Field 3
Thu 6/3 7:30 PM	L 2-3	at CD Cobras(BLUE)
@ Concord, Field 1
Thu 6/10 9:40 PM	L 1-5	at Soco Utd (BLUE)
@ Concord, Field 2
Thu 6/17 6:55 PM	W 8-3	Zoom Motors(GREEN)
@ Concord, Field 3
Thu 6/24 10:50 PM	L 4-5	Hoosier FC(ORANGE)
@ Concord, Field 1
Thu 7/1 10:30 PM	50 minutes	Sinclair & Rush (WHITE) 8:30+
@ Concord, Field 2

INDY TOURNEY ROSTER SET

WILL TAKE ONLY AN O-30 SIDE

It slowly came together for the Indianapolis 6v6 tourney. The dates for that tourney are Saturday, July 17th & Sunday, July 18th. However, only one team will make the trip, the O-30. Due to vacations, committments, injuries, etc., only enough players for a single side was available. However, it's going to be a great team & a great time.

Again, hotel accomodations are: Country Inn Suites, Southport Rd., phone 3178596666. They have 20 Double Bed Queen Rooms for $79, & 5 King Suites with Jaccuzzi for $89. Not bad at all.  Ask for rooms registered under Soccer St. Louis.  They will hold them until June 30th. We want to say thanks to Jeannie Curry for making all the phone calls & reserving the rooms for us. Thanks, Jeannie.

I had also heard from one of the players wives that they don't have Jaccuzzi Suites available. Not sure about that, but, you'll have to check when you call. Following are the rosters thus far:

 INDY SATURDAY, JULY 17^TH & SUNDAY, JULY 18^TH

 O-30 Roster

1.    Tony Meadows

2.    Casey Walsh

3.    Matt Ruhl

4.    Guillermo Cortez

5.    Mondo Fernandez

6.    David Hipperson

7.    Sladan Kurtovic

8.    Dzenan Taslaman

9.    Mike Hogan

10. John Kozuszek

11. Ronnie Rowden

12. Gianni Pens

 CASEY WALSH'S

ST. DOMINIC FUND RAISER 3V3 TOURNEY

THIS SATURDAY, JULY 3RD!!!

It's baaack!!! The St. Dominics Fund Raiser, to raise money for the kids uniforms, is back on. Due to the conflict with the USA World Cup match last week, the tourney had to be postponed. With the Indy tourney coming up in a couple weeks, it was decided that, even though this weekend is a holiday weekend, it's best to have it now. So, it's on.

The format has not changed. The location is St. George's Parish grounds at the corner of Gravois & Heege Rd. Sign-ups start at 10am & play starts at 11am. Open to all, fees are $15 per player or $45 per team. You can enter as an individual & be drawn from a hat and assigned to a team or enter your own team.

You will have to provide your own food & adult beverages. However, bar b q pits will be available. Water will be for sale. There is also a playground for the kids. So, bring the whole family & help raise money for the kids & have a great start to your Independance Day weekend. Hope to see you there. Thanks.

BLACK SHIRTS JUMP TO EARLY LEAD

HANG ON FOR PLAYOFF WIN

After squandering a chance for a berth in the Championship match with a loss last week, the black shirts found themselves playing Vintage Utd., for 3rd place. A session that started with so much promise, had the wheels come off the wagon late. After only one loss in their first five matches, SSL dropped two straight difficult losses, knocking them out of the first place hunt & instead put them in a position to finish, what originally appeared to be an outstanding session, in the third place match. Not much consolation. And at one point, it looked as if they were going to give this match away as well.

SSL started strong, which has been the exception as opposed to the rule. Normally they start their matches not even fielding a full side until the tardies start arriving. In spite of the fact they only had seven field players, they actually started the match with a full complement of five & notched two quick goals to put the black shirts up early. The way SSL was knocking the ball around, controlling play, it looked as if this would be a cake walk against this very difficult side in Vintage. Not so fast my friends.

Just like that, Vintage notched two goals, tied the game & the hunt was on. But still, the black shirts controlled much of the play & had much more of the offense. The constant pressure by the black shirts continued to produce results, when SSL regained the lead at 3-2 & rode that score to the interval. But Vintage wasn't done yet.

After the break, & protecting a 3-2 lead, SSL gave up a quick goal to Vintage & found themselves all knotted up at 3-3, the second tie of the match. Vintage would just not go away. As it was, if keeper John Kozuszek had not been on his game, they could easily have found themselves on the short side of the score. And with as much as SSL had controlled the play & possession to that point, it was starting to become frustrating. But, the continued pressure produced another dividend with a go-ahead goal midway thru the 2nd half &, playing keep-away, protecting the lead, they burned valuable minutes off the clock & continued to dominate the later moments of the match. A late window dressing goal increased the lead to the final score of 5-3 & that secured their 3rd place finish, albeit with an identical record as the 2nd place finishers, Lampert.

Now, with the addition of a new player in the form of Mike Airaghi providing a bit more depth for next session, the black shirts are positioning themselves to make a run in the upcoming session. If they can just avoid the malady of losing 3 out of 4 matches in the middle of the session as they did this time, they may well yet get that opportunity. It's been a few sessions since their last Championship. They'd like to do that again. Thanks for reading.

 

SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS O-40
	NAME		GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS
	JASON HILL		8	6	3	15
	GIANNI PENS		7	3	7	13
	MIKE HOGAN		7	4	4	12
	MIKE BESS		3	3	4	10
	TODD LORETTA		5	4	1	9
	JOE BAER		6	3	2	8
	STEVE CRISCIONE		3	2	1	5
	JAMES AHEARN		4	2	0	4
	ED DWYER		5	1	2	4
	KEN BRIGDEN		4	2	0	4
	BOB JANKO		6	1	2	4
	WALLY STOKES		2	1	1	3
	ED MUEHLHAUSLER		2	1	0	2
	TIM KELLEY		1	1	0	2
	JOHN KOZUSZEK		6	0	2	2
	TONY MEADOWS		2	0	1	1
	STEVE RANKIN		0	0	0	0
	TOTALS		64	29	24	80

Schedule

Date		VS
Tue 5/4 8:35 PM	W 8-5	at Vetta 40+ RED TEAM
@ Concord, Field 3
Tue 5/11 9:25 PM	W 3-1	Maddox 40+(WHITE)
@ Concord, Field 3
Tue 5/18 8:35 PM	T 3-3	at Vintage Utd 40+
@ Concord, Field 3
Tue 5/25 7:45 PM	L 3-6	Lampert 40+
@ Concord, Field 3
Tue 6/1 7:45 PM	W 6-1	at Vetta 40+ BLUE
@ Concord, Field 3
Tue 6/8 6:55 PM	L 3-4	Vetta 40+ RED TEAM
@ Concord, Field 3
Tue 6/15 9:25 PM	L 4-10	at Maddox 40+(WHITE)
@ Concord, Field 3
Tue 6/22 7:45 PM	W 5-3	at Vintage Utd 40+
@ Concord, Field 3

INDY TOURNEY ROSTER SET

WILL TAKE ONLY AN O-30 SIDE

It slowly came together for the Indianapolis 6v6 tourney. The dates for that tourney are Saturday, July 17th & Sunday, July 18th. However, only one team will make the trip, the O-30. Due to vacations, committments, etc., only enough players for a single side was available. However, it's going to be a great team & a great time.

Again, hotel accomodations are: Country Inn Suites, Southport Rd., phone 3178596666. They have 20 Double Bed Queen Rooms for $79, & 5 King Suites with Jaccuzzi for $89. Not bad at all.  Ask for rooms registered under Soccer St. Louis.  They will hold them until June 30th. We want to say thanks to Jeannie Curry for making all the phone calls & reserving the rooms for us. Thanks, Jeannie.

I had also heard from one of the players wives that they don't have Jaccuzzi Suites available. Not sure about that, but, you'll have to check when you call. Following are the rosters thus far:

 INDY SATURDAY, JULY 17^TH & SUNDAY, JULY 18^TH

 O-30 Roster

1.    Tony Meadows

2.    Casey Walsh

3.    Matt Ruhl

4.    Guillermo Cortez

5.    Mondo Fernandez

6.    David Hipperson

7.    Sladan Kurtovic

8.    Dzenan Taslaman

9.    Mike Hogan

10. John Kozuszek

11. Ronnie Rowden

12. Gianni Pens

POSTPONED!!!

 CASEY WALSH'S

ST. DOMINIC FUND RAISER 3V3 TOURNEY,

Due to the good fortune of the US World Cup teams advancement to the first round of the final 16, & their match Saturday, 6/26, the 3v3 tourney is postponed. With next weekend the 4th of July weekend, it is yet to be determined if the tourney will take place then or the following weekend. As soon as that decision has taken place, you'll be notified. Thanks for your interest & we'll see you soon.