WINNING STREAK ENDS

DROP OUT OF FIRST

The first match-up between these two sides (this is Triad Painting's first session) went much like it was expected to. SSL was coming off three straight wins including last sessions playoff & Triad was coming off a win & a tie with the tie being a 7-7 shootout. It was thought that this would be a good match, & it proved that it was indeed.

As the match unfolded, the players were tightly marked, & one could see that it would be low scoring & played close to the vest. Each team was getting a feel for an opponent they'd never faced. After 12 minutes of the first half the score was still zero zero. That says all you need to know. Once again, as has been the recent theme of the Black Shirts, they started short on players with only 2 subs. That would be a factor late.

As it was, the Black Shirts suffered from a missed opportunity early on, when, with the score still zero, zero, Joe Baer collected a ball at the top of the box, turned & headed the short distance to the goal. He was immediately met by two defenders & the keeper. At that moment, Baer, the defenders & the keeper all hit the turf with the ball careening into the back of the net. However, it was a "no goal", with a foul called on Baer.

Shortly after, the Painters scored the first goal of the match to take a 1-0 lead on a nice shot from just outside the top right of the box. Then, once again, it was Baer with another opportunity. He collected the ball just outside the top right hand corner of the box, turned to his left, & let go a toe-ball that eluded the Painters keeper to his right, & knotted the score at 1 all. But that lead was short-lived as the Painters came right back to take a 2-1 lead on a nice shot by Craig Feltz from just outside the center of the box that just slipped over the outstretched arms of the Black Shirt keeper, John Kozuscek. That's the way the score remained all the way to the interval.

For the first 10 minutes of the 2nd half, there was no scoring, just thrust & parry from both sides. Unfortunately for the Black Shirts, they had 3 shots carom off the post & back out into play, as well as withstanding a 2 minute penalty. The Painters keeper, meanwhile, played well, stopping everything close to him & giving no rebounds. Then things started happening for the Painters late.

As fatigue started settling in to the Black Shirt side, the Painters were getting more wide open looks, mostly on counters. They finished on two of those, hitting perfectly placed balls into the exact same place, the bottom right hand corner of the goal, where the SSL keeper had no chance. That upped the Painters lead to 4-1, & it looked at that point that the match was over. But it wasn't.

The Black Shirts found another gear. They continued to press the attack, out-chancing the Painters in the 2nd half, & peppering the goal with shots. In spite of how well the Painters keeper was playing, he couldn't stop everything the Black Shirts thru at him. Eventually Michael Hartsook found the back of the net out of a scrambe in front, narrowing the Painters lead to 4-2. There was still about four minutes left on the clock & the Black Shirts kept coming.

Literally just a minute later, as the Black Shirts continued the pressure, Stewart Intagliata, on 2nd effort, placed one nicely behind the painters keeper, closing the gap to 4-3 with a little more than two minutes left in the match. Plenty of time.

Still the Black Shirts applied the pressure. But, it was too little, too late & the tieing goal would elude them. As time ran off the clock & it ticked down to all zeros, they just could not find the back of the net, with the Painters keeper still playing large.  Fatigue late in the match is what turned the tide for the Painters, who ran well the entire match, scoring their last two, big goals, on counters, when they had a lot of space. Even so, the Black Shirts had their chances, but just couldn't convert. The winning streak was over!

As a result of this match, Triad Painting leap-frogged SSL to take over first place, relegating SSL to second place after three matches. Now it's up to SSL to take care of their own destiny if they want a chance to face the Painters again. They are not on the remaining schedule & the only chance to face them would be if both made it to the finals. So, stay tuned. A lot can happen in the next four weeks.

Next week, SSL will face Lampert @ 9:25. In spite of their 0-2 record, they are always a dangerous side. You may recall, they were in the finals last session. So, SSL has their work cut out for them if they are to have any chance for a return to the finals. We hope to see you then. Thanks for reading. 

SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS O-40
	NAME		GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS
	STEVE RANKIN		3	5	1	11
	GIANNI PENS		3	3	3	9
	JOE BAER		3	2	4	8
	KEN BRIGDEN		3	2	1	5
	WALLY STOKES		3	0	1	3
	STUART INTAGLIATA		2	1	0	2
	MICHAEL HARTSOOK		2	1	0	2
	JOHN KOZUSCEK		3	0	1	1

Date			Location
Tue 10/13 8:35 PM	W 5-2	Vetta 40+ RED TEAM	Concord, Field 3
Tue 10/20 9:25 PM	W 6-5	Vetta 40+ BLUE	Concord, Field 3
Tue 10/27 10:15 PM	L 3-4	at Triad Painting 40+ (White)	Concord, Field 3
Tue 11/3 9:25 PM	50 minutes	at Lampert 40+	Concord, Field 3
Tue 11/17 7:45 PM	50 minutes	Vintage Utd 40+	Concord, Field 3
Tue 11/24 8:35 PM	50 minutes	at Vetta 40+ RED TEAM	Concord, Field 3
Tue 12/1 7:45 PM	50 minutes	at Lampert 40+	Concord, Field 3

BLACK SHIRTS RECOVER FROM YET ANOTHER 2-0 DEFICIT

POST 2ND STRAIGHT 5-4 WIN OVER S&R

It was Deja Vu all over again. Same opponent, same result, same score. For the 2nd week in a row, & third time in four weeks, SSL O-30 played Sinclair & Rush, their opponent in last sessions championship match which they won 8-3, & posted another 5-4 win. It was identical to last weeks outcome. However, once again, the Black Shirts fell asleep late in the match & it almost cost them.

For the fifth time in their last 11 matches, SSL fell behind 2-0. I think you'd have to conclude they are slow starters, eh? They started out slowly but their opponent, S&R, did not. They came out running & gunning, keeping SSL on their collective heels, maintaining possession, creating chances & that pressure netted them two early goals, both of which keeper John Kozuscek had no chance on. Field #3 has never been a favorite of the Black Shirts & this night, on 3, down 2-0, to say the least, it would be an uphill battle. But battle they did, & slowly the tide would turn.

Jason Adelsberger got things started for SSL. After taking 3 or 4 shots to that point in the match, unfortunately with no results, on yet another mad dash down the right side of the pitch, he easily side-stepped a defender & hit a right-footed bomb from a few yards outside the box. He buried it into the back of the S&R net to close the gap to 2-1. At least they were on the board & momentum was gradually moving toward the Black Shirts.

It was very much a see-saw match to that point,  with SSL getting more of the play. However,  the score remained 2-1 S&R at the interval. Then things started happening for the Black Shirts. Quickly.

Guillermo Cortez, leading scorer for the Black Shirts, knotted things up at 2 all, with one of his patented left footed rockets early in the 2nd half. Shortly after that, a nice finish by David Hipperson, who was robbed late in the first half on a rocket that came back out off the corner post just as quickly as it went in, bent one just inside the upper left corner, giving the Black Shirts their first lead of the match. I also think it's interesting to note at this point, that at the interval, the SSL side chose to change directions on the pitch. It was a small manuver, however, it appeared to be a benefit to them late in the match when the S&R side was slow with their substitutions. But, I digress.

After the Hipperson goal, the Black Shirts struck again on a thing of beauty. On a quick counter, which in and of it self is surprising on that small field, Mike Hogan headmanned the puck down deep into the right hand corner of the field. The S&R side was slow getting back & Hogan turned & slotted a ball directly across the middle of the box where an onrushing Edin Coralic pounced on it & tapped home for an easy lay-up. It was a beautiful thing.

Then, about five minutes later, with about 10 minutes left in the match, Cortez again found himself with some space after racing down the field, & let go with yet another left-footed lazer that  found the back of the net, upping the lead to 3 at 5-2. Little did they realize at the time, that it would be the game-winner.

With only a few minutes left on the clock, it seemed as if SSL could go ahead & lock this victory away. That couldn't be further from the truth. S&R still had game & time was on their side. SSL put it in nuetral at that time, meanwhile, S&R shifted into overdrive. It would be a frantic finish.

S&R kept chipping away, eventually notching their 3rd goal of the match, closing the score to 5-3. Not to worry, right? Only a few minutes left in the match, right? Wrong! It got worse.

S&R kept the pressure on while SSL stayed in neutral. The Black Shirts basically shut it down, playing possession, playing the ball back & burning time off the clock. But that clock was running s l o w l y. What they didn't do was play their game. They stopped pressing the attack & creating offense, instead choosing to play conservative, possession & knock the ball around. All that did was keep S&R in the match.

Then S&R scored their 4th goal. Now it was 5-4. Time to start that offensive engine again. However, with only a minute remaining on the clock, the Black Shirts were able to hang on a post a well-deserved, come-from-behind win, & retain thieir first place hold in the division at 3 & 0. But, it was not without some late trepidation.

The Black Shirts actually played well when they played. Excellent defense, not only by the defenders, but the keeper as well who had to come up with 3 or 4 critical saves as well as ball-handling in the corners, to keep S&R at bay & keep SSL in the match. The defense also passed the ball well out of the defensive end, creating space for the forwards to collect the ball & create chances. They also played the ball back well, changing sides as well as defending. Now, if they could just do that for 45 minutes instead of 40, they might find it a little easier to close out an opponent. We shall see.

Well, they'll have some time to ponder that thought. Next week, no game. A bye on the schedule sometimes can be a good thing or a bad thing. The Black Shirts have been on a bit of a roll, winning four consecutive matches. However, in those matches, late, the same thing occurs. They get the lead, hold it, add to it, then as time expires, go into a defensive shell. They've been fortunate that it hasn't cost them a match.....yet. So, with the week off, although they've been playing well, perhaps they'll give some thought to a unique idea. Play the whole 45 minutes! See you in two weeks. Thanks for reading.

	SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS O-30
	NAME		GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS
	GUILLERMO CORTEZ		3	6	2	14
	DAVID HIPPERSON		3	3	5	11
	JAYSON ADELSBERGER		3	5	0	10
	EDIN CORALIC		3	3	3	9
	MIKE HOGAN		3	2	1	5
	WILL SUK		2	1	2	4
	GIANNI PENS		3	1	0	2
	RONNIE ROWDEN		2	0	2	2
	BERNARD ANIC		2	0	2	2
	TONY MEADOWS		3	0	2	2
	CASEY WALSH		3	0	2	2
	JOHN KOZUSCEK		3	0	1	1
	SLADAN KURTOVIC		0	0	0	0

Date			Location
Thu 10/8 10:30 PM	W 11-4	at Freaky Shakra(WHITE/BLUE)	Concord, Field 2
Thu 10/15 9:30 PM	W 5-4	at Sinclair & Rush	Concord, Field 1
Thu 10/22 9:35 PM	W 5-4	Sinclair & Rush	Concord, Field 3
Thu 11/5 9:30 PM	50 minutes	Zoom Motors	Concord, Field 1
Thu 11/12 7:05 PM	50 minutes	at Zoom Motors	Concord, Field 3
Thu 11/19 9:30 PM	50 minutes	CD Cobras(BLUE)	Concord, Field 1
Thu 12/3 10:20 PM	50 minutes	Soco Utd (BLUE)	Concord, Field 1

O-40 TAKE EARLY LEAD

HOLD OFF HARD-CHARGING VETTA BLUE

The SSL O-40 side increased their league record to 2 & 0, narrowly dodging a bullet from the Vetta Blue side. Once again short on manpower, the Black Shirts started, & finished, the match with only one sub. Fortunately for SSL, they jumped out to a quick lead, wilted a bit in the 2nd half, & then withstood a late rally, to notch their 2nd consecutive win.

Riding the coattails of the teams leading scorer, Steve Rankin, who lead the Black Shirts with 3 goals on the evening, SSL managed to jump on top with two quick goals. The first, from Gianni Pens, on a blast from just outside the top left corner of the box, rocketed past the startled Blue keeper. He had no chance. Rankin then chipped in with his first of the evening, putting the Black Shirts up 2-0. With only a single sub versus the Blue side that featured 5 subs, the lead was significant.

SSL continued to pad that lead on goals by Ken Brigden & two more by Rankin, giving him a Hat Trick in the first half, while at the same time allowing two Blue goals. The Black Shirts eventually closed out the first half with a 3 goal cushion, at 5-2. However, the 2nd half would be a nail-biter & a cliff-hanger. (insert your own adjective here).

The 2nd started as the 1st one ended. SSL was still pressing the attack, maintaining possession, creating great ball-movement, resulting in multiple chances. However, there was a noticible trend taking place. Lots of chances & no goals. Not a good situation for the Black Shirts.

The Blue goalie was playing tough. Coming off his line, cutting down the angle, & in spite of all the shots faced, nary a one was getting by. This is not the scenario a team wants. Lots of possession, lots of chances & no goals is a recipe for failure. You can only go to the well so often. Keep doing that, you'll keep your opponent in the game, & that's not a good thing. That's exactly what happened.

As the Black Shirts tired, the Blue side got stronger & kept pressing the attack, mostly on counters, when SSL would only be defending with one, two or possibly three. Blue finally notched their 3rd goal of the eveing, narrowing the score to 5-3. They continued to press the attack. Soon, they were rewarded for their efforts with their 4th goal, virtually erasing the cushion that the Black shirts had worked so hard to get. Now SSL held a narrow 5-4 lead with about 10 minutes left in the match. A lifetime in indoor soccer.

Kenny Brigden to the rescue. After SSL had burned off about 5 minutes of those remaining 10, on a quick counter out of the back, Brigden, stationed just outside the top left corner of the blue box, received a ball from Rankin at midfield. With no hesitation whatsoever, he turned, unmarked, & let go with a bomb that flew into the upper left corner for a goal & a much-needed 6-4 lead, just as time running out. They would need it.

Shortly thereafter, Blue scored yet another goal, closing the score to 6-5 as the final seconds ticked off the clock. As it turns out, the Brigden goal was huge, since it ultimately became the game-winner.

So, for the third time in the last three games, SSL entered the game either a man down, even or one sub, & managed to pull out the win. Obviously, they can't continue to do that. The odds are stacked against them. They'll definitely need some more depth this coming Tuesday when they face a new team in the league, Triad Painting. Triad will be entering the match following a solid 5-2 win over always tough Vetta Red, & a 7-7 tie versus Vintage Utd., in a high-scoring affair the previous week. That'll be a late one at 10:15. Hopefully there'll be a few more Black Shirts on the sideline for that one. They'll need them. We hope to see you there. Thanks for reading.

SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS O-40
	NAME		GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS
	STEVE RANKIN		2	5	1	11
	GIANNI PENS		2	3	3	9
	KEN BRIGDEN		2	2	1	5
	JOE BAER		2	1	2	4
	WALLY STOKES		2	0	2	2
	JOHN KOZUSCEK		2	0	1	1
	MICHAEL HARTSOOK		1	0	0	0

Schedule

Date			Location
Tue 10/13 8:35 PM	W 5-2	Vetta 40+ RED TEAM	Concord, Field 3
Tue 10/20 9:25 PM	W 6-5	Vetta 40+ BLUE	Concord, Field 3
Tue 10/27 10:15 PM	50 minutes	at Triad Painting 40+ (White)	Concord, Field 3
Tue 11/3 9:25 PM	50 minutes	at Lampert 40+	Concord, Field 3
Tue 11/17 7:45 PM	50 minutes	Vintage Utd 40+	Concord, Field 3
Tue 11/24 8:35 PM	50 minutes	at Vetta 40+ RED TEAM	Concord, Field 3
Tue 12/1 7:45 PM	50 minutes	at Lampert 40+	Concord, Field 3

CHAMPIONSHIP RE-MATCH HAS SAME RESULT

A SOLID, IF NOT PERFECT, WIN

The final score of 5-4 was actually not as close as it appeard. SSL had pulled away to what appeared a comfortable 5-2 lead & apparently had turned on the cruise control for the remainder of the match. Had the Black Shirts not lollygagged the last 5 minutes of the game, they may well have posted that 5-2 win.

As it was, as time literally ran out the clock, Sinclair & Rush, who worked hard the whole game, short-handed as they were, continued to apply pressure, while the SSL side was ready to retire to the refreshment area. Had there been a bit more time on the clock, this story may have had a much different ending. Let this be a lesson to you youngun's. Don't stop playing no matter what the score or how much time is on the clock. Remember Jauquin Andujar? Youneverknow!!!

The goals scored by the Black Shirts were really things of beauty, a result of hustle & hard work. Too bad the final five minutes did not reflect their work ethic during the rest of the match. David Hipperson & Jason Adelsberger, who had two tallys for the match, were the result of just plain hustle & second effort, following up on misses, being in the right place at the right time & working hard to get there. They got the results they deserved.

Edin Coralic, a horse up top for SSL, always a threat, tough, if not impossible, to mark, always charging the goal, taking on the defenders, again got the prize as a result of his hard work up top. Guillermo Cortez, probably possessing the hardest shot on the SSL side, turned on one, far outside the top of the box & buried a canon in the back of the net that the keeper had no chance on. That also came as a result of hard work in the corner, making space for his shot.

The passwork, goaltending, possession, ball distribution & hardwork by the Black Shirts, was a thing of beauty for 40 of the 45 minutes of the match. S&R scratched out a couple goals in the first half, but really hadn't been a real threat, as SSL dominated play on both the offensive & defensive sides of the ball resulting in multiple scoring chances. In fact, SSL received a two minute penalty, & hardly missed a beat.

SSL took advantage of the single sub for S&R & spread the field, making S&R work hard for any results. It was paying huge dividends as SSL reeled off shot after shot. It got to the point where SSL started becoming concerned with all the missed chances, hoping that S&R wouldn't take advantage of their misses, score a few goals of their own, & jump right back into the match. Not to worryl That is, not til about five minutes remained.

Holding a 5-2 lead, the Black Shirts looked as if they put in in nuetral. S&R did not. S&R kept chipping away, finally scoring their third goal with a little less than five minutes left on the clock. Still in neutral, SSL starting knocking the ball around, eating up the clock, protecting their 5-3 lead as time ran down. However, there still was time on the clock.

With 15 ticks left on the old Bulova, SSL played it back from the offensive end to the defensive end trying to burn off those pesky seconds. A scramble ensued, the ball bouncing like a ping-pong ball, eventually ending up on the foot of an S&R forward, who deposited into the back of the net with 2 ticks left. All that was left at that point was a SSL center off. Whew!!! Everyone could now exhale & were just glad that this one over & the Black Shirts slinked away with a 5-4 win. It just goes to show you, kids, you just can't quit.

By the way, it doesn't get any easier. With some creative Vetta scheduling, SSL gets yet ANOTHER re-match with S&R this Thursday at 9:35 on thier favorite field, #3. This will be their 2nd meeting in a row & 3rd  in the last 4 games. Are there any other teams in the league??? You know what they say, don't you? It's tough to beat a team three straight times. Don't lollygag. Hope to see you there. Thanks for reading.

Date			Location
Tue 10/13 8:35 PM	W 5-2	Vetta 40+ RED TEAM	Concord, Field 3
Tue 10/20 9:25 PM	50 minutes	Vetta 40+ BLUE	Concord, Field 3
Tue 10/27 10:15 PM	50 minutes	at Triad Painting 40+ (White)	Concord, Field 3
Tue 11/3 9:25 PM	50 minutes	at Lampert 40+	Concord, Field 3
Tue 11/17 7:45 PM	50 minutes	Vintage Utd 40+	Concord, Field 3
Tue 11/24 8:35 PM	50 minutes	at Vetta 40+ RED TEAM	Concord, Field 3
Tue 12/1 7:45 PM	50 minutes	at Lampert 40+	Concord, Field 3

O-40 START OFF NEW SESSION

AS THEY FINISHED LAST SESSION...

WITH A WIN!

Unfortunately, there actually was a WHOLE lot of similarity to their playoff win last week. In that contest, the Black Shirts started with four players, added one in the first half & completed that game with five field players. In this past game, they did one better, starting the game with five. That's a 20% increase! Time to celebrate.

As you would imagine, the match was a tight one.The opponent in this one was Vetta Red, the team that defeated Lampert in last sessions finals. They would be no easy match for the Black Shirts. They weren't.

But SSL got off on the right foot. Steve Rankin, taking his rightful place at the top of the box, corralled the ball, dribbled laterally past several defenders & deposited a right-footed shot in bottom left hand corner of the net. No easy task. That put SSL up 1-0 early. It would not stand up.

The Vetta Red side came right back, unfortunately, & tied it up shortly thereafter. The Black Shirts work was going to be cut out for them this night. But Rankin came to the rescue once again, putting SSL back on top 2-1, again with his patented "top of the box" postiioning. Defenders just cannot dislodge the ball from him, when at that position with his back to the goal & a place in which he is most dangerous.

SSL was able to maintain that lead for most of the rest of the half. But, as luck would have it, the Red side scored a nice goal to knot it all up at 2, just prior to the interval. That's the way it stood into the 2nd half.

The 2nd half was a thing of beauty for the Black Shirts. Keeper John Kozuscek allowed nary a single tally for the Red side turning back each of their attempts & SSL deposited three of their own in the back of the opponents netting, with Joe Baer chipping in the third goal & eventual game-winner. As usual, leading SSL scorer, Gianni Pens, contributed to the surging offense with two goals of his own to seal the win & start off the session on the right foot.

In addition to the goals, both Pens & Baer continued to chip in on the offensive side of the ball, contributing 1 & 2 helpers respectively. Next up will be a real test for the Black Shirts. The Vetta Blue side, who opened with a solid, if not stunning, win over the Lampert side, will have the big Mo-Jo on their side. They'll be a handful. Hope you can join us for that 9:25 center-off. See you then. Thanks for reading.

 

SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS O-40
	NAME		GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS
	GIANNI PENS		1	2	1	5
	JOE BAER		1	1	2	4
	STEVE RANKIN		1	2	0	4
	WALLY STOKES		1	0	1	1
	KEN BRIGDEN		1	0	0	0
	JOHN KOZUSCEK		1	0	0	0

 LAST SESSIONS FINAL STATS

SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS O-40
	NAME		GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS
	JOHNNY PENS		8	15	7	37
	JOE BAER		4	5	1	11
	STEVE RANKIN		6	4	2	10
	CHRIS CARPENTER		6	5	0	10
	BOB JANKO		5	2	5	9
	TIM KELLEY		4	3	0	6
	STEVE VITALE		2	3	0	6
	MIKE HARTSOOK		6	2	2	6
	WALLY STOKES		7	0	5	5
	JOHN KOZUSCEK		6	0	2	2
	JAMES AHEARN		4	1	0	2
	DOMINIC ANIC		2	0	1	1
	KEN BRIGDEN		2	0	1	1
	MARTY ISSA		1	0	1	1

Date			Location
Tue 10/13 8:35 PM	W 5-2	Vetta 40+ RED TEAM	Concord, Field 3
Tue 10/20 9:25 PM	50 minutes	Vetta 40+ BLUE	Concord, Field 3
Tue 10/27 10:15 PM	50 minutes	at Triad Painting 40+ (White)	Concord, Field 3
Tue 11/3 9:25 PM	50 minutes	at Lampert 40+	Concord, Field 3
Tue 11/17 7:45 PM	50 minutes	Vintage Utd 40+	Concord, Field 3
Tue 11/24 8:35 PM	50 minutes	at Vetta 40+ RED TEAM	Concord, Field 3
Tue 12/1 7:45 PM	50 minutes	at Lampert 40+	Concord, Field 3

GAME ONE MUCH LIKE GAME EIGHT

A DOMINATING PERFORMANCE

After winning last sessions game number eight championship match 8-3, in a dominating performance versus Sinclair & Rush, SSL followed that up with yet another dominating performance in their 11-4 win over a short-handed Freaky Shakra side in the first game of the current session.

To start this late, 10:30 match, SSL, as usual, had its full complement of 10 field players. Freaky did not. Freaky could field only 6 players, & that was reduced to 5 when, later in the first half, the Freaky keeper came up lame with an injured knee, & had to be replaced by another player. Bad for Freaky, good for SSL.

However, the way it started was no indication of the the outcome. In fact, Freaky slugged it out, toe to toe, with SSL in the early going. SSL scored first early. Freaky answered. SSL scored its 2nd. Again, Freaky answered. SSL scored its 3rd & once again, Freaky answered, tying the score @ 3 all. Frustrating. SSL had most of the possession, most of the play & most of the shots, but not the lead. Then it all started to change.

In a flurry of goals from seven different players, lead by Guillermo Cortez with 3, Mike Hogan, who hammered home two improbable rockets, 2 from Jayson Adelsberger & 1 each from David Hipperson, Will Suk, Gianni Pens & Edin Coralic, SSL expanded their lead at the interval to 5-3. Then they exploded the lead to the final score of 11-4, while allowing only a single tally to a tiring Freaky Shakra side in the 2nd half.

After a couple of lackluster sessions & on the heels of some poor performances last session, the win in last sessions championship & the win versus Freaky last Thursday, were the best performances by the SSL side in quite some time. The solid defense, lead by substitute goalie John Kozuscek, playing his first game in place of injured regular, David Shelton, was stellar. Several of the Freaky goals were of the less than spectacular variety, save for one lazer a Freaky forward bombed from the right corner of the box that the keeper had no chance on. Other than those goals of good fortune, the defenders played spectacularly with particular note of the play of Ronnie Rowden, newly inserted on the defensive end from his previous home on the forward line.

Rowden, along with defenders, Casey Walsh, Tony Meadows & the aforementioned Mike Hogan (yes, hard to believe, he actually was playing defense), provided the forwards with all the opportunities they needed. They consistently sent beautiful thru balls to the streaking forwards as well as the occasional perfectly timed long ball that isolated a SSL forward or two on the Freaky defenders.

On the offensive side of the ball, the forwards played one of their better games. They were moving off the ball constantly, making it increasingly more difficult for the Freaky defenders to mark them, consequently, leaving open others to scoop up the SSL defenders passes & set up multiple scoring opportunities, many of which they converted. I wish you could bottle that effort & release it for every game!

So, all in all, it was a solid if not spectacular performance & they'll need to keep that performance on a short leash. Next week, in fact  for the next two weeks, they'll have repeat performances against last sessions championship match opponent, Sinclair & Rush. So, in spite of how well they've played the last couple of weeks, it means nothing if they come out against S&R & lay an egg. As one of the long-time former SSL players always used to say, "you're only as good as your last game, so hurry up & play another game". Hopefully that next game will be as good as the previous two. See you next week. Thanks for reading.

 

	SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS O-30
	NAME		GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS
	GUILLERMO CORTEZ		1	3	2	8
	DAVID HIPPERSON		1	1	3	5
	JAYSON ADELSBERGER		1	2	0	4
	EDIN CORALIC		1	1	2	4
	MIKE HOGAN		1	2	0	4
	WILL SUK		1	1	2	4
	RONNIE ROWDEN		1	0	2	2
	JOHNNY PENS		1	1	0	2
	JOHN KOZUSCEK		1	0	1	1
	TONY MEADOWS		1	0	0	0
	BERNARD ANIC		0	0	0	0
	CASEY WALSH		1	0	0	0
	SLADAN KURTOVIC		0	0	0	0

Date			Location
Thu 10/8 10:30 PM	W 11-4	at Freaky Shakra(WHITE/BLUE)	Concord, Field 2
Thu 10/15 9:30 PM	50 minutes	at Sinclair & Rush	Concord, Field 1
Thu 10/22 9:35 PM	50 minutes	Sinclair & Rush	Concord, Field 3
Thu 11/5 9:30 PM	50 minutes	Zoom Motors	Concord, Field 1
Thu 11/12 7:05 PM	50 minutes	at Zoom Motors	Concord, Field 3
Thu 11/19 9:30 PM	50 minutes	CD Cobras(BLUE)	Concord, Field 1
Thu 12/3 10:20 PM	50 minutes	Soco Utd (BLUE)	Concord, Field 1

O-40 POST STRANGE COME-FROM-AHEAD WIN

WITHSTAND LATE VINTAGE UTD. CHARGE

It did not start well. Then it changed. Then it got better. Then it got much better. Then it started to go badly. Then it got worse. Then, time ran out with the SSL O-40 side in the lead, & they hung on to post the win. Barely!

At game time, SSL could only field 4 players! Not the way you want to start. However, they had no choice. But things got better. A wonderful finish for a goal by Gianni Pens & a short time later, a rope from a bad angle for Steve Vitale, & SSL strangely found themselves in the lead 2-0 less than 5 minutes into the game, & still a man down. Things got better still.

A fifth SSL player showed up in the person of Chris Carpenter. Now they were even & still maintained a 2-0 lead. Two more first half goals, again by Pens & Vitale, pushed the score to 4-0, & still, SSL had no subs. The good news was, they at least had five field players.....and the lead.

Later in the half, Carpenter chipped in with his first of the evening, upping the score to 5-0. Had you not been watching the game you'd have thought that the SSL side was two deep at every position. They weren't, but still, they held the lead, the possession, the chances & the finishes.

Shortly before the half, Vintage converted on one of their rare chances to get on the scoreboard at 5-1. That turned out to be the score at the interval. The second half would turn out to be be drastically different for the SSL side. This match was far, far from over.

Vintage continued to increase the pressure as the SSL side tired due to a lack of subs. Soon Vintage converted on yet another chance, narrowing the score to 5-2. Not to worry. Still a 3 goal lead, right? Unfortunately for SSL, there was still a whole lot of time on the clock.

Then, another goal by Pens, his 3rd on the evening, pulled back one of the Vintage goals to once again increase the SSL lead to 6-2. Much more comfortable. But not out of the woods just yet. At that point, one of the Vintage forwards, their target man, Nick D'Amato, went on a scoring spree, scoring three straight unanswered goals, closing the SSL lead to 6-5. Just that quickly, D'Amato had single-handedly gotten Vintage back in the game. SSL had a game on their hands once again. But, they still had the lead.

At that point, SSL scored a huge goal, one that turned out to be the game winner, in the person of Steve Vitale. Vitale, who had been open most of the evening, was open once again, He collected an outlet pass from goalie John Kosuscek, raced down the right sideline, let go with a right-footed bomb from an extremely bad angle, & buried it in the back of the net. Shazam!!!, just like that, that goal upped the SSL lead to two goals at 7-5. That was his 3rd tally of the evening as well, & they would need that goal. Badly.

Again, D'Amato was in on the next Vintage play. Chasing a ball into the corner, he turned quickly & passed the ball on a line into the box where an onrushing teammate slashed into the box & one-timed the ball into the back of the SSL net for their sixth goal of the game, closing the score to 7-6. However, time was running out for the Vintage side. SSL continued to maintain the lead, press the attack, control the play, & deny Vintage the ball. As time expired, SSL was able to hang on & post a 7-6, white-knuckle win in what turned out to be a very strange but entertaining game.

With the win, SSL was able to even their record at 4-4 & win this 3rd place playoff game. Now, with next session looming next Tuesday, they now have to hope to see more of their regular players. Any more of these types of short-handed games, & they may find themselves not so lucky. Time may well run out on them the next time around. Thanks for reading.

 

SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS O-40
	NAME		GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS
	JOHNNY PENS		8	15	7	37
	JOE BAER		4	5	1	11
	STEVE RANKIN		6	4	2	10
	CHRIS CARPENTER		6	5	0	10
	BOB JANKO		5	2	5	9
	TIM KELLEY		4	3	0	6
	MIKE HARTSOOK		6	2	2	6
	WALLY STOKES		7	0	5	5
	JOHN KOZUSCEK		6	0	2	2
	JIM AHEARN		4	1	0	2
	DOMINIC ANIC		2	0	1	1
	KEN BRIGDEN		2	0	1	1
	MARTY ISSA		1	0	1	1
	STEVE SCHLICHTIG		0	0	0	0
	TODD LORETTA		0	0	0	0

Date			Location
Tue 8/18 8:35 PM	L 2-4	Lampert 40+	Concord, Field 3
Tue 8/25 7:45 PM	W 10-2	Vintage Utd 40+	Concord, Field 3
Tue 9/1 7:45 PM	L 2-4	at Vetta 40+ RED TEAM	Concord, Field 3
Tue 9/8 8:35 PM	W 4-2	at Vetta 40+ BLUE	Concord, Field 3
Wed 9/16 7:00 PM	L 3-5	Lampert 40+	Concord, Field 3
Tue 9/22 8:35 PM	W 7-5	at Vintage Utd 40+	Concord, Field 3
Tue 9/29 7:45 PM	L 4-7	at Lampert 40+	Concord, Field 3
Tue 10/6 8:35 PM	W 7-6	at Vintage Utd 40+	Concord, Field 3

BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN

O-30 TAKE CROWN FOR SIXTH TIME

The onslaught began with a goal by Mike Hogan. It ended with a goal by Guillermo Cortez. In between, SSL rode on the back of Jason Adelsberger, with 3 goals, & David Hipperson, with 2, & another single tally chipped in by Edin Coralic, just for good measure. In the middle of the game, the Adelsberger-Hipperson connection scored on back, to back, to back, to back, to back goals. At the half, it was 5-0. Then, Adelsberger got the motor running in the 2nd half with his 3rd, & first of the half. It was quite the offensive show.

SSL came out of the gates flying. With only minutes gone in the first, Hogan, on a 2nd effort deep in the right hand corner, corraled the ball, shot, collected the ball again &, from an acutely poor angle, buried a rocket in the back of the net for an early 1-0 lead. Then a goal by Adelsberger. Then one by Hipperson. Then one by Adelsberger. Then one from Hipperson. You get the picture. At the half it was 5-0. Looked like they'd be popping the champagne early in this one. But, not so fast.

The Sinclair & Rush side, a truly formidble opponent, didn't get to the championship game by being lucky. They're a good side with excellent players. They never quit, & they didn't quit here. They continued to apply a lot of pressure, getting lot's of shots requiring David Shelton, the SSL keeper, to be on his game. He was! Twice he was called on to make point blank saves to his left, once getting his left hand on the ball that was headed for the upper ninety & slapping it away. Another time he was required to dive to his left for yet another difficult save. But, the S&R side kept coming & the SSL defense couldn't hold them out. They notched two unawnsered goals, to narrow the SSL lead to 5-2. Just that quickly, SSL found themselves with a difficult match on their hands. The championship didn't look nearly as close as it did at the interval.

Then Adelsberger took over the match, with a run the length of the field down the left side, stepped around a defender, & deposited the ball neatly into the back of the net for a commanding 6-2 lead, & SSL  would never look back. SSL would then trade goals with S&R, with Edin Coralic contributing a hard shot from the top of the box, upping the score to 7-3. Then Guillermo Cortez would close out  the scoring for the evening with his patented left-footed bomb from the left side of the box  to the right side upper ninety, resulting in the final score of 8-3.

Not to overlook what took place with the SSL side as a whole was that their possession, ball movement & attack was probably the best its been since a 7-4 win over PLS Zoom in the first game of the session. The defenders would collect the ball, move it up to the offense, who were running off the ball with much more consistency & quickness then they had shown in the last few games. That alone resulted in multiple scoring chances for SSL. Additionally, their defensive pressure, marking S&R players, even in their own end, was almost flawless. Seldom did an S&R player receive the ball & not be marked. It was a marked improvement from several previous games.

All in all, this was certainly a team win. Yes, the scoring was spread among 4 players. But, make no mistake. Without the stellar defense of Casey Walsh, Tony Meadows, Ronnie Rowden & Bernard Anic, & timely goal-tending, distribution & shot-blocking by David Shelton, this outcome could certainly have been different.

As far back as my records go, it would appear that for the 12th time in the last 17 sessions, SSL has played in the championship match. In those 12 championship matches, they have won 6 & lost 6. Truly, a remarkable record & a credit to their consistency. Congrats to all the players on their hard-earned crown. But don't get too cozy. It starts all over again next week. Thanks for reading.

	SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS O-30
	NAME		GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS
	JAYSON ADELSBERGER		7	11	3	25
	DAVID HIPPERSON		7	6	6	18
	GUILLERMO CORTEZ		8	4	4	12
	IVAN BODUL		4	5	0	10
	EDIN CORALIC		7	3	4	10
	TONY MEADOWS		8	3	1	7
	BERNARD ANIC		8	2	1	5
	RONNIE ROWDEN		7	1	1	3
	JOHNNY PENS		8	1	1	3
	DAVID SHELTON		8	0	3	3
	MIKE HOGAN		5	1	0	2
	CASEY WALSH		8	0	2	2
	WILL SUK		5	0	1	1
	SLADAN KURTOVIC		5	0	0	0

Date			Location
Thu 8/13 8:00 PM	W 7-4	Zoom Motors	Concord, Field 2
Thu 8/20 10:00 PM	W 3-2	at Sinclair & Rush	Concord, Field 1
Thu 8/27 10:15 PM	L 2-5	at Soco Utd (BLUE)	Concord, Field 3
Thu 9/3 11:20 PM	W 6-4	Freaky Shakra(WHITE/BLUE)	Concord, Field 2
Thu 9/10 7:50 PM	W 4-3	CD Cobras(BLUE)	Concord, Field 1
Thu 9/17 8:50 PM	L 2-5	at Zoom Motors	Concord, Field 2
Thu 9/24 7:00 PM	T 5-5	at Freaky Shakra(WHITE/BLUE)	Concord, Field 3
Thu 10/1 7:10 PM	W 8-3	at Sinclair & Rush	Concord, Field 2

BACK TO THE FUTURE

O-30 RETURNS TO FINALS

In what might be called a strange & quirky game, the SSL O-30 side salvaged a berth in the finals with a late surge, while at the same time, hanging on to post a 5-5 tie versus Freaky Shakra. It was one of those nights. It started out poorly.

The first issue of the evening was the fact that game number seven of the session, the game in which SSL needed either a win or a tie to advance to the championship match next week, was to be played on field #3. Everyone certainly is aware of its quirky dimensions which allows games on that field to be played as if it were a pinball machine.

The second issue was that, Freaky Shakra, traditionally a power house team, entered this game winless on the season. That's a bad combination. Field #3 & a winless opponent. That steep hill just kept getting steeper.

The third & more pressing issue was that SSL fell behind quickly, 1-0. Shortly thereafter, they fell behind even further, 2-0. What is odd about that score is, in four of their first six games this session, SSL had fallen behind by identical 2-0 scores, but managed to salvage four victorys in that span. This nights game would prove to be another uphill battle.

To complicate things even further, later in the first half, SSL gave up yet another tally to Freaky, to fall behind 3-0, & that was the score at the interval. That championship berth kept looking further & further away. It goes without saying that the second half would be a struggle. As it was, the SSL was having difficulty under the circumstances keeping their focus. It's a tough task to come back from 3 down.

But an unlikly hero emerged in the form of defender Tony Meadows. Meadows got SSL back in the match, by carrying the ball out of the back & unleashing a rocket from just inside the half line & roofed it for the first goal of the game, narrowing Freaky's lead to 3-1. They at least were back in the hunt with a lot of time left in the match. Still, a formidible task.

SSL continued to press the attack, now with a new vigor, & was playing well defensively.  Edin Coralic got an important 2nd goal for the club, on a nice individual effort, stepping around a defender & hitting a left-footed shot from the top of the box, that found the back of the net. Now, back to Mr. Meadows. As SSL continued to press the attack & secure multiple offensive chances, Meadows collected the ball out of the back & spied Jason Adelsberger flying down the sidelines. Sending a perfect thru-ball to Adelsberger, he deftly stepped around a defender & deposited a bomb in the back of the net for the 3rd & tying goal. What a comeback by the SSL side after being 3 down. To come back & tie the game was a huge reward for all their work. However, their work was far from over.

Now tied at 3 all, & back in the game, the SSL side continued their surge, wanting to post a win, & a spot in the championship. At that point, the momentum was all SSL. Taking advantage of that was Adelsberger, who had been playing like a man possessed, or a whirling dirvish, you name it, all night long. He had been making runs, taking shots & generally was a thorn in the Freaky side all evening. His efforts would not go unrewarded.

Making another run down the left side, both around & thru Freaky defenders, he launched another bomb, finding the back of the net, giving the SSL side the first lead of the evening. It is also worth mentioning, that, not only did Adelsberger create a lot of scoring opportunities, but so did virtually the entire SSL side thruout the evening. They just could not find the back of the net. However, their perseverance ultimately paid some handsome dividends.

Then, shortly after Adelsberger's 2nd goal of the evening, Meadows again made his presence felt. Again, coming out of his defensive position, supporting the attack, Adelsberger laid a ball back to Meadows who then deposited it into the back of the net, launching another laser that found a goal at the end of it, upping the SSL lead to 5-3. Five straight unanswered goals. At that point, it appeared everything was well in hand. It wasn't!

Two SSL 2 minute penalties & 2 Freaky Shakra goals later, the game was tied 5-5 & the match ended in a draw. This match was not without its thrills & its chills. Had SSL squandered the two goal lead & allowed a 6th Freaky goal, they would have missed their chance at a return to the finals & would have had no one to blame but themselves. But, as it was, they played well defensively, with keeper David Shelton coming up with two dazziling saves late in the match & on the offensive end, created a lot of possession & ball control which resulted in many scoring chances. Perseverance definitely paid dividends.

So, the unlikely hero Tony Meadows chipped in with two goals & a helper, scoring the first & last goals of the game, & Jason Adelsberger's contribution, scoring back to back tallys, all contributed to a most valuable single point, locking them into a 2nd place finish in the division & a berth in next weeks finals. In fact, this will be SSL first trip back to the finals in two sessions & their eigth trip to the finals in the last eleven sessions. Folks, those are remarkable numbers. A true credit to their consistency & abilities.

Next weeks finals match will pit them against first place finisher, Sinclair & Rush, whom SSL defeated earlier in the session, 3-2 on a penalty kick. It appears that this will be a very entertaining game. Let's just hope SSL doesn't fall behind 2-0 again. You can only dodge so many bullets. Hope to see you there. Thanks for reading.

 

	SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS O-30
	NAME		GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS
	JAYSON ADELSBERGER		6	8	2	18
	DAVID HIPPERSON		6	4	4	12
	IVAN BODUL		4	5	0	10
	GUILLERMO CORTEZ		7	3	2	8
	TONY MEADOWS		7	3	1	7
	BERNARD ANIC		7	2	1	5
	EDIN CORALIC		6	2	1	5
	RONNIE ROWDEN		6	1	1	3
	JOHNNY PENS		7	1	1	3
	DAVID SHELTON		7	0	2	2
	CASEY WALSH		7	0	2	2
	WILL SUK		5	0	1	1
	MIKE HOGAN		4	0	0	0
	SLADAN KURTOVIC		5	0	0	0

Date			Location
Thu 8/13 8:00 PM	W 7-4	Zoom Motors	Concord, Field 2
Thu 8/20 10:00 PM	W 3-2	at Sinclair & Rush	Concord, Field 1
Thu 8/27 10:15 PM	L 2-5	at Soco Utd (BLUE)	Concord, Field 3
Thu 9/3 11:20 PM	W 6-4	Freaky Shakra(WHITE/BLUE)	Concord, Field 2
Thu 9/10 7:50 PM	W 4-3	CD Cobras(BLUE)	Concord, Field 1
Thu 9/17 8:50 PM	L 2-5	at Zoom Motors	Concord, Field 2
Thu 9/24 7:00 PM	T 5-5	at Freaky Shakra(WHITE/BLUE)	Concord, Field 3
Thu 10/1 9:30 PM	50 minutes	CD Cobras(BLUE)	Concord, Field 1

O-40 POST 7-5 WIN

PLAY LAMPERT FOR 2ND NEXT WEEK

In what has been & up & down session for the SSL O-40 side, with multiple player injuries & three 2 goal losses, a victory this past week over Vintage Utd., evened their record at 3 & 3 & provided them with a chance to salvage the session versus Lampert next week.

The match versus Vintage was not without its ups & downs, as well, as SSL jumped to a 7-3 lead, only to allow Vintage back into the match with a couple late goals. However, with strong goaltending from John Kozuscek & goal scoring from five different players, SSL hung on to post a much needed win.

Vintage came out firing on all cylinders. Pressing the attack & answering each SSL goal with a goal of their own, the teams were tied at 3 at the interval. With two more SSL goals early in the second half & a 5-3 lead, it appeared that SSL would ride this lead to the end. Not so fast.

Vintage, continuing to possess the ball, create offense & attack the goal, scored another two goals, offsetting the two scored by SSL. Even though the winning margin was two goals, this game was not settled until the final whistle. The Vintage side continued to be aggressive on both sides of the ball, continuing to create offensive chances, & had it not been for a strong offensive performace from Tim Kelley, contributing 3 goals & Gianni Pens with 4 assists,  the outcome might well have been different.

As it was, this slugfest of 12 total goals, was much like whoever was the last one standing, won the game. If nothing else, it certainly was entertaining. Next up for SSL is the 2nd place team, Lampert. Lodged in 3rd place, SSL can only hope to salvage some pride from this match. Having played Lampert twice already this session, SSL suffered two goal losses in each, at 4-2 & 5-3. So, being able to post a win in this match may not put SSL in the finals, but will certainly provide some satisfaction & some momentum going into next session. The match is scheduled for 7:45. Hope to see you there. Thanks for reading.

 

SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS O-40
	NAME		GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS
	JOHNNY PENS		6	12	7	31
	STEVE RANKIN		5	4	2	10
	BOB JANKO		5	2	5	9
	JOE BAER		3	3	1	7
	TIM KELLEY		3	3	0	6
	MIKE HARTSOOK		4	2	1	5
	CHRIS CARPENTER		4	2	0	4
	JIM AHEARN		4	1	0	2
	WALLY STOKES		5	0	2	2
	DOMINIC ANIC		2	0	1	1
	JOHN KOZUSCEK		4	0	0	0
	KEN BRIGDEN		1	0	0	0
	MARTY ISSA		0	0	0	0
	STEVE SCHLICHTIG		0	0	0	0
	TODD LORETTA		0	0	0	0

Date			Location
Tue 8/18 8:35 PM	L 2-4	Lampert 40+	Concord, Field 3
Tue 8/25 7:45 PM	W 10-2	Vintage Utd 40+	Concord, Field 3
Tue 9/1 7:45 PM	L 2-4	at Vetta 40+ RED TEAM	Concord, Field 3
Tue 9/8 8:35 PM	W 4-2	at Vetta 40+ BLUE	Concord, Field 3
Wed 9/16 7:00 PM	L 3-5	Lampert 40+	Concord, Field 3
Tue 9/22 8:35 PM	W 7-5	at Vintage Utd 40+	Concord, Field 3
Tue 9/29 7:45 PM	50 minutes	at Lampert 40+	Concord, Field 3