NEW SESSION IN A NEW DIVISION

30'S LURCH TO OPENING LOSS

It was probably inevitable. The Soccer St. Louis O-30 mens team has had a lengthy string of successes. Since reentering the O-30 Thursday night competition in March of 2011, the 30's have done well. Very well. They've made it to the finals in six of seven sessions, winning three of those. Not bad. Not bad at all. So, it seemed inevitable that one of these days, the Vetta powers that be, would move the SSL side up into the upper division from the second of three total divisions. They played their first upper division match last Thursday versus perennial championship contender & last sessions runner up, SoCo Utd., and it didn't go well.

I don't know how many times I've written about this nagging, frustrating, repetitive problem, but here I go again. Early goals by an opponent. Very early. In fact, last Tuesday, in the Open division championship, the 40's fell behind 2-0 in the first two minutes. Thursday was a mirror image. A quick as you can say, "come from behind", the white shirts were trailing a very, very good side, 2-0. It's tough to play from behind & even more difficult to win like that.

Down 4-1 at the half & being convincingly outplayed, the white shirts picked up the pace offensively, tightened up their defensive shape & pressured SoCo from end to end in the second half. But the best they could do was get the score to 5-3 when SoCo banged home the final coffin nail with their sixth goal, collecting a 6-3 win over the white shirts. So even though Chris Gianino banged home two dead ball rockets & Casey Walsh buried a one timer from the door step of the goal, the white shirts just could not muster any more offense against the swarming SoCo defense.

But, a lesson has been learned. This is the top division in the Vetta O-30 league. All the opponents are SoCo-like. There won't be any walk-overs like there are in the middle division. If you're going to compete, you have to bring your game every week, & it needs to start at the opening whistle, not at the interval. Whether it's SoCo, Smugala's or Sinclair & Rush, you need to come ready to play. The white shirts aren't in Kansas anymore, Toto. And it only gets more difficult. Next Tuesday the white shirts will face off versus defending champion & always dangerous, Smugala's at 7:10 on field #2. Hope to see you there. Thanks for reading.

Match Scoring:  Chris Gianino, 2 goals & Casey Walsh, 1 goal.

	SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS O-30
	AS OF 5/10/2012
	NAME		GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS	GOALS AGAINST	DIFFERENCE
	CHRIS GIANINO		1	2	0	4
	CASEY WALSH		1	1	0	2
	JEREMY MAUE		1	0	0	0
	RYAN CURRY		1	0	0	0
	JOE SHARAMITARO		1	0	0	0
	JAMIE PERRYMAN		1	0	0	0
	TONY MEADOWS		1	0	0	0
	WALLY STOKES		1	0	0	0
	PETE GIANINO		1	0	0	0
	MIKE HOGAN		1	0	0	0
	DAVID HIPPERSON		0	0	0	0
	GREG GILSINN		0	0	0	0
	TONY SHARAMITARO		0	0	0	0
	RONNIE ROWDEN		0	0	0	0
	TOTALS		10	3	0	6	6	-3

Thu May 10th 9:40pm 50m	6 - Soco Utd @ 3 - Soccer St Louis 30+ @ Concord on Concord Field 2	6 - 3
Thu May 17th 7:10pm 50m	Soccer St Louis 30+ @ Smugala's @ Concord on Concord Field 2	RSVP
Thu May 24th 6:55pm 50m	Soccer St Louis 30+ @ Minnegerode @ Concord on Concord Field 3	RSVP
Thu May 31st 10:00pm 50m	Arsenal Alternatives Insurance @ Soccer St Louis 30+ @ Concord on Concord Field 1	RSVP
Thu Jun 7th 10:00pm 50m	Sinclair & Rush 8:30+ @ Soccer St Louis 30+ @ Concord on Concord Field 1	RSVP
Thu Jun 14th 10:50pm 50m	Soccer St Louis 30+ @ Soco Utd @ Concord on Concord Field 1	RSVP
Thu Jun 21st 6:55pm 50m	Smugala's @ Soccer St Louis 30+ @ Concord on Concord Field 3	RSVP
Thu Jun 28th 7:10pm 50m	Soccer St Louis 30+ @ Arsenal Alternatives Insurance @ Concord on Concord Field 2	RSVP
Thu Jul 5th 9:25pm 50m	Minnegerode @ Soccer St Louis 30+ @ Concord on Concord Field 3	RSVP

EARLY GOALS DOOM 40'S

SPECTACULAR FINISH CAN'T AVERT CHAMPIONSHIP LOSS

Entering play in this championship match, SSL had a record of 1-1 versus the Red Star side. However, that record was a bit misleading. The single win was early this session, 4-2, & the result had few consequences other than standings & an opportunity to advance to the final, which they did. However, the loss was significant. It was in the finals of last session. That was a 7-3 blowout loss that wasn't even as close as the score might indicate. The white shirts wanted to build on this sessions 4-2 win, & forget about & not allow to repeat, that nasty 7-3 loss. Well, they did & they didn't. And in spectacular fashion.

As has been the white shirts nasty habit, they continue to be slow starters & allow their opponent to score first. In fact, in last session championship versus Red Star, that in fact happened, when they allowed the Stars two goals in the first few minutes of the match, & for all intents & purposes, that match was over as they endured that ugly loss. In this, the championship match, they wanted to break that habit & get off to a quick start, getting an early tally themselves, & use that to propel them to a win. Their prayers were not answered. In fact, it was a mirror image repeat of last sessions championship.

The Stars centered off, marched down the field & in under ten seconds had a 1-0 lead. The bench players hadn't even gotten their boots tied & they were down a goal. Not the way they had it written up on the pre match chalk board. And, to add insult to injury, the white shirts centered off, the Stars stole the ball & then tallied their second goal of the match. Less then two minutes had expired since the start of the match & the white shirts found themselves down 2-0. And it got worse. Much worse.

Moments later it was 3-0. Shoulders sagged. It looked every bit as though they were going to repeat the ugly championship loss from last session in embarrassing fashion. Something positive needed to happen for the white shirts. Quickly.

Ryan Curry provided a bit of a jump start with a tally, a bullet from just outside the Star penalty area, narrowing the score to 3-1. A bit more livable for the white shirts, but surely, a tall hill to climb. Not only did they need to score goals, they needed to stop the Stars. And they hadn't been successful at that thus far. Not even close. Again, they needed something good to happen.

Instead, the Stars banged home two more tallys to stretch & increase their lead to a daunting 5-1 and minutes were bleeding quickly off the clock, & they were closing in on the interval. They needed a miracle. They got one. Well, not quite. But, pretty close.

In short order, the white shirts converted three straight attempts, the last with just 15 seconds left in the half to close the score to 5-4. Beautiful! That immediately got them back in the match & gave each player an instant shot of adrenalin. A tally by Kevin Vonarx, his first of three on the evening, closed it to 5-2 when he beat several defenders in the left corner & deposited a rocket in the back of the Star goal. Then a tally by Patrick Curry made it 5-3, another bomb, this one from outside the penalty area as well. But the remarkable tally was the final of the half. Vonarx stole the ball from a single defender, caught trying to clear the ball, stepped around him & headed toward the Star goal with just the keeper to beat. With just ten seconds left in the half, he beat the keeper, tallied his second & closed the score to 5-4. With that finish, several things happened.

It infused the white shirts with confidence. It made the Stars uneasy. They watched their four goal cushion evaporate & require them to once again reengage their offensive engine & try to win the second half as well as hold off the suddenly potent SSL offense. But most importantly, it motivated the white shirts. They could forget about that forgettable first half & its quirky Red Star goals & concentrate on ramping up their game, tying the match & then, hopefully, forging ahead for the win. A tough challenge to be sure, but they were up for it. Unfortunately for the white shirts, the Stars came out for the second half, equally amped up to protect their lead & collect some add on tallys.

No sooner had the second half started then the Stars found the back of the SSL goal once again, grabbing a two goal lead at 6-4. Frustrating. All that hard work late in the first half goes up in smoke in just a matter of a few seconds. However, down 6-4 is a lot better than being down 6-1. The white shirts kept their confidence & their shape. The patience paid off.

Defender Mike Hogan went on a rampage. Well, it was a mini rampage, but it kept the white shirts in the match. Unmarked to the left of the goal, Hogan banged home a toe ball to pull the white shirts to within one at 6-5. But what was really frustrating for the white shirts was their inability to stop the Red Star offensive machine & their uncanny ability to respond to a white shirt tally with one of their own. Almost immediately, after a hard earned SSL tally, the Stars would bang home one of their own, increasing the frustration on the white shirt bench. So, after Hogan pulled the white shirts within one at 6-5, the Stars came right back just a minute later with one of their own, boosting their lead again to two at 7-5.

Hogan answered for the white shirts again. This time on the right side of the penalty area, again unmarked, he coaxed the Star keeper off his line who was trying to cut down the angle. But again, with yet another toe poke, he pushed a knuckler past the keeper, again narrowing the Star lead to one at 7-6. And time was becoming the SSL enemy. It was bleeding off the clock even more quickly now. It was down to four minutes left in this championship. Something had to happen, & quickly. It did, but for the wrong side. Yet again, for the umpteenth time, the Stars answered the SSL goal with one of their own, stretching the lead back to two at 8-6. The white shirts just could not hold off the Star offense. It was to be their undoing. But, the finish would not be without some fireworks.

Vonarx, for the third time in the match, tallied for the white shirts, getting them back to within one at 8-7. There were still three minutes left. Could they do it? The white shirts made a couple late substitutions, & were swarming all over the Stars. They pushed the ball up into the Stars defensive third & peppered the goal with shots. But the Stars were bending, not breaking. Shot after shot rang out. Block after block turned aside those shots. The white shirts passed the ball quickly around the perimeter, looking for the open man. But the Stars were up to the challenge, cutting down the angles, staying marked & giving few shooting lanes for the white shirts. And whatever shots were able to get through, were caught or turned aside by the keeper. As time ran out, a final long shot clanged off the Star crossbar & thudded harmlessly onto the turf as the Stars dodged a bullet, hung on & were rewarded with their second straight championship win, & the white shirts were handed their second straight championship loss. But it was a hell of a match,

So, although the white shirts came up short, they avoided the kind of collapse they suffered in last sessions final & instead, turned in a gutsy, thrilling & entertaining performance. It was "edge of your seat" entertainment. They acquitted themselves well. As for Red Star, they played a marvelous match, sagging on defense, possessing the ball with crisp passing & were professionally opportunistic on offense. When they had the chance, they didn't miss.

As for the white shirts? You just have to wonder what may have happened if they hadn't given up those first two goals in the first two minutes. Would the outcome have been different? You just never know. See you next session. Thanks for reading.

Match Scoring:  Kevin Vonarx, 3 goals; Mike Hogan, 2 goals; Ryan & Patrick Curry, 1 goal each; Tony Meadows & Casey Walsh, 1 helper each.

SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS O-40
	AS OF MAY 8TH		2ND PLACE
	NAME		GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS	GOALS AGAINST	DIFFERENCE
	KEVIN VONARX		8	16	10	42
	DAVID HIPPERSON		6	8	7	23
	JOEL KNOLL		6	8	4	20
	RYAN CURRY		6	4	7	15
	PATRICK CURRY		7	6	2	14
	EDIN CORALIC		3	4	4	12
	TODD LORETTA		8	2	6	10
	GIANNI PENS		8	4	2	10
	MIKE HOGAN		7	3	2	8
	STEVE RANKIN		5	2	1	5
	TONY MEADOWS		8	0	4	4
	CASEY WALSH		6	0	1	1
	GUILLERMO CORTEZ		1	0	1	1
	WALLY STOKES		7	0	0	0
	JASON THOMURE		2	0	0	0
	JIMMY BARTON		1	0	0	0
	BERNARD ANIC		0	0	0	0
	MIKE BESS		0	0	0	0
	BOB JANKO		0	0	0	0
	JOHN KOZUSZEK		0	0	0	0
	TOTALS		113	59	51	146	43	16+

Tue Mar 13th 8:00pm 50m	Soccer St Louis O-40 vs Wassabi @ Concord on Concord Field 2	10 - 7
Tue Mar 20th 8:20pm 50m	Soccer St Louis O-40 vs Jerry's Kids @ Concord on Concord Field 1	8 - 6
Tue Mar 27th 8:50pm 50m	Red Star vs Soccer St Louis O-40 @ Concord on Concord Field 2	2 - 4
Tue Apr 3rd 9:40pm 50m	Soccer St Louis O-40 vs The Whites @ Concord on Concord Field 2	9 - 2
Tue Apr 17th 7:30pm 50m	Wassabi vs Soccer St Louis O-40 @ Concord on Concord Field 1	5 - 6
Tue Apr 24th 9:25pm 50m	Ambush vs Soccer St Louis O-40 @ Concord on Concord Field 3	7 - 6
Tue May 1st 10:50pm 50m	The Whites vs Soccer St Louis O-40 @ Concord on Concord Field 1	6 - 9
Tue May 8th 8:50pm 50m	Soccer St Louis O-40 vs Red Star @ Concord on Concord Field 2	7 - 8

SHORTHANDED 30'S PREVAIL

SNAG 2ND PLACE FROM LACKLUSTER SESSION

It was not the way a defending champ likes to start a session. The first match versus the new team in the division, Red Bulls, the eventual session champion, was lackluster, to say the least. The white shirts were not ready for this match. Missing several key players & coupled with a less than prolific performance versus the highly motivated Bulls, who were playing their very first match, resulted in a 7-3 drubbing. Certainly a depressing way to start the new session. But, not to worry. Just win the rest & they'd have another crack at the Bulls, & hopefully with a full squad. It was not to be.

On the heels of the Bulls loss, the white shirts coughed up yet another guber, losing 3-1 to lowly Zoom, the eventual 6th place finisher, on the white shirts nemesis field, #3. That field for some reason adversely affects the SSL performance. And to only score a single goal on that shooting gallery of a field, well, it's just hard to figure. The white shirts just play much better on the bigs.

So, with two straight losses to start the session, the chance for another, 6th straight trip to the championship, seemed pretty slim. Not impossible, but, pretty grim. SSL would have to take care of their own business & hope for some help. They could start by helping themselves the following week with a match versus the team, other than the Bulls, that everyone thought to be a championship contender, Hoosier FC. If they could beat Hoosier & then they went on to win the rest of their matches & the Bulls beat all of their opponents, the white shirts could conceivably see a path to the finals.

Well, as it turns out, the white shirts put a spanking on Hoosier, with a 7-2 beat down, rewarding SSL with their first win of the session, & a record of 1-2. Now all they had to do was keep winning & hope that the Bulls & Hoosier did as well.

The Bulls & Hoosier took care of business, winning the matches that SSL needed them to win. But the back breaker to the session was the white shirts next match. It was against old adversaries, Freaky Shakra, on that field, #3. Good things don't happen to SSL on that field. And this match was no different. It was unbelievable!

The white shirts jumped out to a 5-2 half time lead. Everyone thought that SSL had this match versus the last place team in the bag. No one told Freaky. They ripped off 9 straight second half tallys, winning the match 11-7 and for all intents & purposes, ending any chance the white shirts would return to the finals. It was gut wrenching.

What is even more ironic is, Hoosier FC lost to the Red Bulls 7-5 in the finals. Hoosier ended up with a 4-1-3 record to SSL 5-3, so the white shirts actually ended up in 2nd place, without ever playing in the finals. Let us all just forget about this session. Instead, we should be asking, what the heck just happened?! Well folks, that's why they play the games.

As if to put a capper on the entire session & to perfectly portray how imperfect the session played out, in the playoff for 3rd place, the white shirts faced off against Arsenal. It did not start well for the white shirts at all. At the opening whistle, they had only 4 field players, adding one a moment later. So, at least they had 5. About 10 minutes into the match, 2 more players showed up, so at least they had some subs. In a match that they certainly should have lost, they played like wild men, & the champions they are.

They played a beautiful defensive match, limiting the numerically superior Arsenal side offensively & scored the first 2 tallys of the match. Keeper Tony Meadows, the one constant for the SSL side for the session, never missing a match, was the great neutralizer, turning aside or stopping outright, the few chances Arsenal had in the SSL end. The white shirts pumped in 6 while allowing 4, registering their 5th win of the session to go along with 3 losses. But of those 3 losses, the most telling was the loss to Freaky. It broke their back & took them out of the race. So, this win versus Arsenal was a hollow reward, much like the 2nd place finish.

Now they must focus on next session, putting behind them this nightmare of a session. But, if the white shirts want another trip to the championship, one might suggest they come ready to play so they don't lose the first two matches of next session. Thanks for reading.

 Match Scoring:  Jamie Perryman, 2 goals & a helper; Greg Gilsinn & Chris Gianino, 1 & 1 & Jeremy Maue, 1 goal.

	SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS O-30
	AS OF 5/2 2ND PLACE
	NAME		GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS	GOALS AGAINST	DIFFERENCE	RETURNING
	GREG GILSINN		4	9	5	23
	CHRIS GIANINO		6	5	6	16
	JEREMY MAUE		7	5	5	15
	RYAN CURRY		5	7	1	15
	JOE SHARAMITARO		7	4	5	13
	JAMIE PERRYMAN		4	5	1	11
	DAVID HIPPERSON		2	2	4	8
	JOHN RYAN		4	2	2	6
	CASEY WALSH		6	1	1	3
	JASON THOMURE		3	1	0	2
	TONY MEADOWS		8	0	1	1
	WALLY STOKES		8	0	1	1
	MIKE HOGAN		3	0	0	0
	TONY SHARAMITARO		2	0	0	0
	JAYSON ADELSBERGER		0	0	0	0
	RONNIE ROWDEN		0	0	0	0
	TOTALS		69	42	32	31	33	9+

League Standings: Thurs Men 30+ C
Team	W	T	L	Pts	GF	GA	GD	PCT	GP
Red Bulls (RED)	7	1	0	22	53	32	21	0.938	8
Soccer St Louis 30+	5	0	3	15	42	33	9	0.625	8
Hoosier FC(ORANGE)	4	1	3	13	39	40	-1	0.562	8
Arsenal Alternatives Insurance (Royal Blue)	4	0	4	12	31	25	6	0.500	8
Minnigerode	4	0	4	12	47	50	-3	0.500	8
Zoom Motors(GREEN)	3	0	5	9	29	36	-7	0.375	8
Fenix	3	0	5	9	27	36	-9	0.375	8
Freaky Shakra(WHITE/BLUE)	1	0	7	3	37	53	-16	0.125	8

Your facility may not adhere to the standing rules above.

WHITE SHIRTS FALL BEHIND EARLY

COMEBACK RESULTS IN CHAMPIONSHIP BERTH

For the 3rd time in their four straight sessions in the Men's Open Division, the Soccer St. Louis side has secured a berth in the Championship match. But it wasn't without some heart wrenching moments & more than a little trepidation.

Two weeks ago on 4/24, the white shirts entered their match with 2nd place Ambush sporting an undefeated 5-0 record. Unfortunately, that match took place on field #3, not the most kind of pitches to the SSL side over the years. Certainly they've won many matches there, but it is a difficult field for them to play. It seems they're always playing uphill & against the wind. And this is indoors!!!

Anyway, in that match they fell behind quickly & the avalanche continued to the extent that they found themselves behind at the half, 6-1! It looked over, but it wasn't. Unfortunately, their miracle comeback came up one tally short in a 7-6 loss, resulting in a 1st place tie between them & the Ambush. However, since 3rd place Red Star was still 2 points behind, all SSL had to do was win their final match versus last place, 0-6, The Whites. Easy, right? Not so much.

The Whites were going to have something to say about the outcome of this contest. Even though they were in last, this was their league championship, & they played like it. Meanwhile, the SSL side looked as if they entered this match on cruise control, played lethargically & found themselves behind 1-0 in the early minutes of the match. Well, not to worry. They'll get it back. And they did. But someone forgot to text The White side that they were playing the 1st place team. Those young boys came out running and gunning & didn't quit. Much to the distress of the SSL side.

The teams traded tallys until SSL took a two goal lead at 6-4. But The Whites came right back to make it 6-5. Then it was 7-5 SSL. Then it was 7-6. The Whites wouldn't stop, quit or go away. They were running & running & running, almost making the SSL side look befuddled at times. But, good things come to those who wait. The offensive & defensive patience shown by the SSL side paid off in the end, pulling away for a 9-6 win. But a win in this match, about midway through, looked shaky. But nevertheless, the SSL side pulled it out, dodging that irritating bullet known as The Whites, & again secured a spot in the finals, their 3rd in the last 4 sessions.

Interestingly, 3rd place Red Star played 2nd place Ambush that same night for the other spot in the finals, & slapped a 7-3 spanking on them. That means, for the 2nd session in a row, Red Star & SSL will meet in the championship, next Tuesday on field #2 at 8:50. SSL hopes the outcome is different this time around. Last session the Red Star side totally dominated the white shirts in a 7-3 drubbing. SSL hopes to turn the tables on Red Star this time around & notch a championship win. Adding to the confidence of SSL is an early season 4-2 win over Red Star. But that was then & this is now. We shall see. Hope you can join us. Thanks for reading.

Match Scoring:  David Hipperson, 3 goals & 2 helpers; Kevin Vonarx, 2 & 2; Patrick Curry, 2 & 1; Joel Knoll & Ryan Curry, 1 & 2 & Gianni Pens, 1 helper.

 

SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS O-40
	AS OF 5/1/2012
	NAME		GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS	GOALS AGAINST	DIFFERENCE
	KEVIN VONARX		7	13	10	36
	DAVID HIPPERSON		5	8	6	22
	JOEL KNOLL		5	8	3	19
	RYAN CURRY		5	3	7	13
	PATRICK CURRY		6	5	2	12
	EDIN CORALIC		3	4	4	12
	TODD LORETTA		7	2	6	10
	GIANNI PENS		7	4	2	10
	STEVE RANKIN		5	2	1	5
	MIKE HOGAN		6	1	2	4
	TONY MEADOWS		7	0	3	3
	GUILLERMO CORTEZ		1	0	1	1
	CASEY WALSH		5	0	0	0
	WALLY STOKES		7	0	0	0
	JASON THOMURE		2	0	0	0
	JIMMY BARTON		1	0	0	0
	BERNARD ANIC		0	0	0	0
	MIKE BESS		0	0	0	0
	BOB JANKO		0	0	0	0
	JOHN KOZUSZEK		0	0	0	0
	TOTALS		79	52	47	128	35	17+

Date		VS
Tue 3/13 8:00 PM	W 10-7	Wassabi (BLUE)
@ Concord, Concord Field 2
Tue 3/20 8:20 PM	W 8-6	Jerry's Kids(WHITE)
@ Concord, Concord Field 1
Tue 3/27 8:50 PM	W 4-2	at Red Star (WHITE)
@ Concord, Concord Field 2
Tue 4/3 9:40 PM	W 9-2	The Whites
@ Concord, Concord Field 2
Tue 4/17 7:30 PM	W 6-5	at Wassabi (BLUE)
@ Concord, Concord Field 1
Tue 4/24 9:25 PM	L 6-7	at Ambush(TEAL)
@ Concord, Concord Field 3
Tue 5/1 10:50 PM	W 9-6	at The Whites
@ Concord, Concord Field 1
Tue 5/8 8:50 PM		Red Star (WHITE) RSVP
@ Concord, Concord Field 2

VONARX LAST SECOND TALLY TRIPS WASSABI

40'S STRETCH RECORD TO 5-0

Fresh off a convincing 9-2 win the week before Easter versus The Whites, & with the entire week off to rest up for a rematch versus Wassabi, a match won by SSL 10-7 in week #1, one would have thought the white shirts, at 5-0 on the session, would come out brimming with confidence & dispatch the Wassabi side handily. Wrong! This was a trap game.

Wassabi entered the match featuring only a single win against three losses. Again one would have thought, put your money on the first place team. Well folks, that's why they play the games. Actually, it all started well for the white shirts. Then the wheels came off the wagon.

Kevin Vonarx got things started early for SSL, tallying for a 1-0 lead. But some back and forth ate up time on the clock as the white shirts tried vainly to extend their lead. Their inability for add on tallys cost them, as the Wassabi side struck pay dirt & tied the score at 1. But, not to worry. The white shirts were playing well, just missing on some chances. Those chances started to pay off.

Gianni Pens broke the tie with a tally & then Steve Rankin added that all important add on goal, making it a comfortable 3-1 lead for the white shirts. I'm certain that most players would have said at the time, they thought this match was in the bag. As it turned out, it was far from it. When Rankin scored his goal, there was but 3 minutes & change left in the half. In that period of time & following a tremendous loss of focus & a large helping of lolly gagging, the Wassabi's cranked in 3 tallys of their own for a shocking 4-3 lead at the interval. What the heck just happened?! It was game on.

Wassabi was energized & were bringing it. The white shirts meanwhile, were having difficulty getting back on that horse. They were slow out of the gate at the start of the 2nd half & seemed to be running up hill. That would continue for the duration of the match. But then Vonarx leveled the score at 4-4 with his 2nd tally of the match. There was an audible sigh of relief on the white shirt bench. A moment ago they were struggling, down one. They were now tied. They were back in the match. But once again, the Wassabi crew took the wind out of their sails with yet another tally. This Wassabi bunch would not quit, go away or buckle under the increasing white shirt pressure. They were playing like the division champs they were last session. Very quickly SSL realized they had their hands full. Their undefeated session was in serious jeopardy.

The bad news continued. Wassabi tallied once again, regaining the lead at 5-4. The white shirts were having all kinds of problems keeping up with the relentless attack of Wassabi, marking their men & blocking their shots. With a 5-4 lead, Wassabi was looking for the knockout punch. They wanted to put the white shirts away, once & for all. Then Todd Loretta, coming out of his defensive position, evened the score yet again with a nice tally from just inside the white line, restoring some sanity to this out of control match. Again, for the 4th time on the evening, the match was tied. And there was a lot of time left. Almost 10 minutes. A lot could happen.

Each team was dodging bullets for those 10 minutes. Wassabi was a handful.They were marking, running 'n gunning & generally creating havoc for both the SSL offense & defense. Goalie Tony Meadows acrobatics kept the white shirts in the match. Neither team could find the back of the net in those last 10 minutes. As the old Bulova wound down to about 20 seconds remaining, it looked very much like the white shirts would have to settle for a tie. They would have been happy to take that at this point.

But Vonarx found himself in the left corner of the Wassabi defense, up against the wall, marked by multiple defenders, with the ball. A white shirt or two would make a run towards him & past him, to open up some space. He took advantage. He dribbled out of the corner, past a couple defenders & across the top of the penalty area. The keeper committed. That was all he needed. He hit a bomb with his right that rocketed into the bottom left corner of the Wassabi goal, just out of reach of the diving keeper, giving the white shirts the lead at 6-5 for the first time since 3 minutes remained in the first half. There were but 5 seconds left on the clock. Amazing.

The white shirts dodged a huge bullet. They had visions of a vanished undefeated record & perhaps a fall from 1st place dancing before their eyes. It was that close. But 3 first half goals added to 3 second half goals, not the least of which was the spectacular final tally by Vonarx with but 5 ticks left on the clock, versus 5 for the stubborn Wassabi side, saved the day. The SSL record was still unblemished.

Now the white shirts have even more work cut out for them in the form of the 2nd place Ambush side. They'll meet them on everyone's favorite field, #3, at 9:25, in a battle for 1st place & a berth in the championship. Let's just hope the Wassabi crew doesn't give the Ambush any tactical tips. The white shirts have had their fill of the Wassabi's, so they certainly don't want to play them for a second time in the form of the Ambush. Hope you can join us. Thanks for reading.

SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS O-40
	AS OF 4/17/2012
	NAME		GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS	GOALS AGAINST	DIFFERENCE
	KEVIN VONARX		5	8	6	22
	DAVID HIPPERSON		3	5	4	14
	JOEL KNOLL		3	6	1	13
	EDIN CORALIC		3	4	4	12
	TODD LORETTA		5	2	6	10
	GIANNI PENS		5	4	1	9
	RYAN CURRY		3	2	5	9
	PATRICK CURRY		4	2	0	4
	MIKE HOGAN		4	1	2	4
	TONY MEADOWS		5	0	3	3
	STEVE RANKIN		4	1	1	3
	GUILLERMO CORTEZ		1	0	1	1
	CASEY WALSH		5	0	0	0
	WALLY STOKES		5	0	0	0
	JASON THOMURE		2	0	0	0
	JIMMY BARTON		1	0	0	0
	BERNARD ANIC		0	0	0	0
	MIKE BESS		0	0	0	0
	BOB JANKO		0	0	0	0
	JOHN KOZUSZEK		0	0	0	0
	TOTALS		58	37	34	104	22	15+

Date		VS
Tue 3/13 8:00 PM	W 10-7	Wassabi (BLUE)
@ Concord, Concord Field 2
Tue 3/20 8:20 PM	W 8-6	Jerry's Kids(WHITE)
@ Concord, Concord Field 1
Tue 3/27 8:50 PM	W 4-2	at Red Star (WHITE)
@ Concord, Concord Field 2
Tue 4/3 9:40 PM	W 9-2	The Whites
@ Concord, Concord Field 2
Tue 4/17 7:30 PM	W 6-5	at Wassabi (BLUE)
@ Concord, Concord Field 1
Tue 4/24 9:25 PM		at Ambush(TEAL) RSVP
@ Concord, Concord Field 3
Tue 5/1 10:50 PM		at The Whites RSVP
@ Concord, Concord Field 1

CLASH OF THE HEAVYWEIGHTS

WHITE SHIRTS PREVAIL, REMAIN IN 1ST

These two sides have faced each other many times, whether their team name was Maddox or their most recent incarnation, Red Star. The last time they met was in last sessions championship, where Red Star won, going away, 7-3. Earlier in that session, the two met in what could be called a championship warm-up, with Red Star winning that one as well, in electrifying fashion, 9-8, in the last 30 seconds. These two sides are very familiar with one another & the expectations for this rematch, if you will, were high. Everyone thought this match would see both sides trading hay makers & pushing each other to the brink. They did not disappoint.

Both teams entered the match, tied for 1st with 2-0 records. However, SSL technically was in 2nd, based on point differential. Red Star had scored 16 to SSL 18, but had the advantage on the goals against at 7 to SSL 13, for a differential lead of 9 to 5. Red Star had defeated Jerrys Kids 10-5 & the Ambush, 6-2. Meanwhile, the white shirts had defeated Wassabi 10-7 & the common denominator, Jerry's Kids, 8-6. This match had all the makings of a low scoring, tightly played match with the emphasis on defense. It was.

A bad habit the white shirts have fallen into recently, is giving up early goals, in each half. I'm not going to go back reconcile all the matches this has happened in for you. Just suffice to say, it has. Many times. In agonizing fashion. In fact, the last two contests with Red Star, the white shirts spotted them 2-0 leads in the first two minutes of the match. You're not going to win many matches like that. The white shirts didn't.

However, on this night, the white shirts didn't give up a goal in the first couple minutes of the match. How about that! Unfortunately, they waited til the 17th minute to give it up. Well, that's an improvement in & of itself. So, the white shirts found themselves down 1-0 early in the contest, again. But tonight was different. Not only did they not give up a second goal for a 2-0 Red Star lead, but, surprise, surprise, the white shirts tallied one of their own, just one minute later in spectacular fashion.

David Hipperson got the white shirt engine running smoothly, instead of the coughing & sputtering they had done to open the match. Edin Coralic had collected the ball around midfield & pushed up into the Red Star defensive third. Tightly marked, Coralic delivered the ball to Hipperson, slipping quietly from his midfield position deep into the right corner of the Red Star zone. He deftly stepped around a defender & blasted a low hard shot that zipped into the bottom right corner of the goal for the white shirt first tally of the match, tying it at 1-1.

That tally, coming just one minute after the Red Star tally, gave the SSL side a jolt of confidence. To that point in the match, they had been on the defensive. The Red Star bunch are a seasoned, veteran side, dangerous in all facets of the game & possess a lethal offense. They know how to take advantage & press the attack when favorable situations occur. Whenever there was a SSL turnover, they'd launch into attack mode, usually with at least four players. They were adept at finishing, & if you made a mistake, they'd make you pay. To that point, the white shirt defense was bending, but not breaking. And the Hipperson tally, leveling the score, saw the white shirts ramp up their own attack.

With the score 1-1, both sides were taking turns attacking the others goal. The Stars would come in waves, using their keeper, many times, as a sixth attacker. A lot of pressure was put on the white shirt defense & keeper Tony Meadows, but to that point, they were up for the challenge. Back and forth, back and forth. Both teams shared the possession & shots were about even. It was any ones game at that point. Then, on a nifty play, the white shirts snatched the lead.

Hipperson, a whirling dervish all match long, pushed up with the ball from his midfield position. Angling for a shot, the Star defenders were closing it down. Instead, he found Steve Rankin in the box, & not tightly marked. He slotted him the ball & Rankin turned with the ball &, standing just a few feet away, on the goal line, was Gianni Pens. He tapped the ball to the unguarded Pens & he turned with the ball & did a nifty back heel, & the ball rolled into the Star goal. That tally gave the white shirts their first lead of the match at 2-1. However, it seemed as if they hadn't even completed their back slapping & high fives when the Stars slapped them back to reality with a tally of their own just 15 seconds later. The euphoria of their one goal lead fizzled in a couple of heartbeats. Disappointed with that unfortunate turn of events, the white shirts rode the 2-2 score to the interval. At least they could take some comfort in the tie considering they were playing one of the most powerful scoring machines in the league. They were still in it. They still had a chance.

The second half was far different than the first. The white shirts started taking more of the possession & getting more of the opportunities. They started getting more counter opportunities. They were running n gunning & the Star defenders were slow getting back. This created a lot of space for the constant attack of the white shirts & it resulted in a flurry of shots. The Star keeper was on his game, however, & nothing easy was going to get by. It was work, work, work for the white shirts.

The SSL defensive shape was starting to come together even more. It may well have been one of the best defensive matches the white shirts had played in some time. In fact, players were hard pressed to remember a better defensive effort. They constantly had three players back, & often times, four & sometimes five, severely curtailing the Star attack. However, make no mistake, the Star is an attacking machine. They kept bringing it. Many of their sorties were blocked or stripped by the defenders, & those few that got thru, were defended brilliantly by keeper Meadows. In fact, at one point, the Stars were playing keep away with the ball in the SSL defensive third. The white shirts were caught ball watching instead of marking & a Star forward, stationed in the corner, found an unmarked teammate in the middle of the box & delivered a crisp pass. The Star forward one timed it and blistered a shot. It was right at Meadows. The white shirts had just dodged a huge bullet with the score tied at 2.

On the offense, the white shirts continued to play the ball to Meadows & he did a marvelous job distributing. In fact, the white shirt third tally of the match was on just such a connection. Meadows, collecting the ball off an errant Red Star shot, came up throwing, & threw a long ball to a jetting Kevin Vonarx, who had slipped behind a defender. He collected the ball & turned to the goal with the defender in hot pursuit. Instead of carrying the ball any closer, he just let it fly. It was a dart! It zoomed into the bottom left corner of the Star goal & that gave the lead back to the white shirts at 3-2. And Meadows didn't stop there. The white shirt forwards & midfielders, were constantly running behind the Star defenders & Meadows would let it fly. The Vonarx connection was the only one of the night for him, but there were at least two others that the Star keeper had to make critical saves on. The white shirts were wanting more.

It almost became a game of keep away. The white shirts would play the ball back to Meadows who in turn would always find the open man. Once he delivered that ball, the white shirts were in attack mode. The later it got in the match, the more space the white shirts had & the more opportunities. On one such play, defender Mike Hogan, running out of the back with the ball, found Vonarx down low, near the Star penalty area, & he delivered him the ball. Vonarx did the rest. Stepping around one defender, he teed it up, & fired a ball past the diving keeper & into the bottom right corner of the goal. But, there were still eight minutes left in the match. A lot of time. And the Red Star side can score goals in bunches. It was no time to relax. They didn't.

Up 4-2, the white shirts continued to play keep away. If Red Star didn't have the ball, they couldn't score. That seemed like a good prescription. They continued it. Time dripped slowly off the old Timex, as the Red Stars applied heavy pressure. But it finally approached all zeros & the white shirts locked up another win, & held onto first place, barely. It certainly was a white knuckle finish all the way to the end. But it was a great match by two great teams, fully entertaining, & up for grabs until only a few minutes remained.

If both teams continue to win matches, which is the way it looks, it would be a given, that they'll meet once more this session......, in the championship. So, stay tuned for that. If it does come to pass & these two sides meet again in the championship, it will be more of the same. Both sides with something to prove.

Next up for the white shirts is a new team in the league, The Whites. SSL will meet them at 9:40 on field #2. Hope to see you there. Thanks for reading.

Match Scoring:  Kevin Vonarx, 2 goals; David Hipperson & Gianni Pens, 1 goal each; Edin Coralic, Mike Hogan, Tony Meadows & Steve Rankin, 1 helper each.

 

SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS O-40
	AS OF 3/27/2012
	NAME		GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS	GOALS AGAINST	DIFFERENCE
	EDIN CORALIC		3	4	4	12
	KEVIN VONARX		3	5	2	12
	DAVID HIPPERSON		2	3	3	9
	JOEL KNOLL		1	4	0	8
	TODD LORETTA		3	1	4	6
	GIANNI PENS		3	2	1	5
	PATRICK CURRY		3	2	0	4
	TONY MEADOWS		3	0	3	3
	RYAN CURRY		1	1	0	2
	MIKE HOGAN		3	0	2	2
	STEVE RANKIN		2	0	1	1
	CASEY WALSH		3	0	0	0
	WALLY STOKES		3	0	0	0
	JASON THOMURE		2	0	0	0
	JIMMY BARTON		1	0	0	0
	GUILLERMO CORTEZ		0	0	0	0
	BERNARD ANIC		0	0	0	0
	MIKE BESS		0	0	0	0
	BOB JANKO		0	0	0	0
	JOHN KOZUSZEK		0	0	0	0
	TOTALS		36	22	20	63	15	7+

Date		VS
Tue 3/13 8:00 PM	W 10-7	Wassabi (BLUE)
@ Concord, Concord Field 2
Tue 3/20 8:20 PM	W 8-6	Jerry's Kids(WHITE)
@ Concord, Concord Field 1
Tue 3/27 8:50 PM	W 4-2	at Red Star (WHITE)
@ Concord, Concord Field 2
Tue 4/3 9:40 PM		The Whites RSVP
@ Concord, Concord Field 2
Tue 4/17 7:30 PM		at Wassabi (BLUE) RSVP
@ Concord, Concord Field 1
Tue 4/24 9:25 PM		at Ambush(TEAL) RSVP
@ Concord, Concord Field 3
Tue 5/1 10:50 PM		at The Whites RSVP
@ Concord, Concord Field 1

GILSINN'S RETURN SPARKS 30'S

WHITE SHIRTS POST 1ST WIN OF SESSION

After something of a lackluster start, to put it mildly, the SSL side finally notched their first win after posting two opening session losses in a row. The white shirt ship has finally been righted!

The win was due, in a large part, to two players. The return of Greg Gilsinn after a two session hiatus & the dominant performance by keeper Tony Meadows. Gilsinn lead the charge with three tallys & two helpers, while Meadows, although facing a minimal number of shots, kept the white shirts in the match & kept it close with two high profile stops early when the outcome was still in question. With these two leading the way, the rest of the white shirts stepped up their game & turned in a dominating display for the match.

However, things actually didn't start that well. Jamie Perryman got SSL off to a quick start with a finish into the bottom right corner of the Hoosier goal off a pass from Gilsinn. But some lackluster defending & forwards slow to get back, gave that tally right back, as the Hoosier side tied it up. That tally must have awakened the troops because they went on a three unanswered goal tear that gave them a 4-1 advantage at the interval, on tallys by Chris Gianino, Gilsin & a second from Perryman. The white shirts were on their game.

SSL started controlling the ball & therefore the play, with crisp passing to the appropriate color shirt, smothering defense as the midfielders & forwards came back to help the defenders & this play resulted in shots. Lots of them. They kept the Hoosier side at bay most of the contest, denying them the ball & frustrating their pass work, picking off pass after pass. This style of play continued into the second half.

Gianino tallied his second of the evening & Gilsinn finished off the scoring with two more of his own while the Hoosier side tallied a meaningless window dressing tally late in the match, resulting in the final score of 7-2. So, on the heels of two lackluster performances in their first two contests of the session, the white shirts turned in a solid, confidence building effort against a powerful and dangerous opponent in the Hoosiers, the championship match opponent for the white shirts just two sessions ago. This same effort was sadly lacking in their two previous matches, both losses.

So now they're back in the hunt. However, it is a tall task that awaits them. They can have no more "mulligans". Another loss & the thought of a sixth consecutive trip to the finals would disappear. Additionally, they have to depend on other teams to defeat other contenders so that, should the white shirts go on a winning streak, they'd have an opportunity to gain a 1st or 2nd place finish. The deck is stacked against them. We shall see.

But, regarding their performance in this match, there was no question, they were hitting on all cylinders. Their defensive shape was consistent & smothering. The offense was constant & at times unstoppable. And the goal keeping? As usual, spectacular. All in all, a complete & dominant performance. It was a pleasure to watch. It's just a shame it wasn't around for the first two contests.

Next up will an interesting contest. The white shirts kick off versus Freaky Shakra next Thursday in a late one at 10:15 on their old favorite, field #3. The reason it'll be interesting is that Freaky typically is in the lower half of the standings, which is interesting in & of itself because they always field a dangerous side, but for whatever reason, they lack consistency. As it turns out, the only blemish on last sessions record, on their way to yet another championship, was a 7-5 loss to this same Freaky Shakra bunch. You just never know. Let's just hope the white shirts show up with the side that played match #3 & not the side that played in matches #1 & 2. Hope to see you then. Thanks for reading.

 Match Scoring: Greg Gilsinn, 3 goals & 2 helpers; Chris Gianino, 2 goals & 1 helper; Jamie Perryman, 2 goals; Jeremy Maue, 2 helpers & Joe Sharamitaro & Casey Walsh, 1 helper each.

	SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS O-30
	AS OF 3/22/2012
	NAME		GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS	GOALS AGAINST	DIFFERENCE	RETURNING
	GREG GILSINN		1	3	2	8
	CHRIS GIANINO		2	2	2	6
	RYAN CURRY		2	2	0	4
	JAMIE PERRYMAN		2	2	0	4
	JOHN RYAN		2	1	1	3
	JEREMY MAUE		2	0	2	2
	JASON THOMURE		2	1	0	2
	JOE SHARAMITARO		3	0	1	1
	CASEY WALSH		3	0	1	1
	TONY MEADOWS		3	0	0	0
	WALLY STOKES		3	0	0	0
	TONY SHARAMITARO		2	0	0	0
	DAVID HIPPERSON		1	0	0	0
	MIKE HOGAN		1	0	0	0
	JAYSON ADELSBERGER		0	0	0	0
	RONNIE ROWDEN		0	0	0	0
	TOTALS		29	11	9	31	12	1-