IMO'S SNAPS 5 GAME WIN STREAK

SSL RETAINS HOLD ON 1ST

If you are a SSL fan, it was ugly. If you are an Imo's fan, it was a beautiful thing. Imo's came to play. The game started very fast for the SSL side, taking a quick 2-0 lead in the 1st few minjutes. Looking sharp & attacking aggressively, the SSL side scored quickly, however, Imo's, always a difficult & smart opponent, scored 2 of their own, to knot the score @ 2 all. But, SSL came back, scored another to make the score 3-2, & it looked as if SSL was on their way to another win.

Not so fast! No one told that to Imo's. Knotting the score @ 3-3, that was the way the half ended, & momentum abruptly changed to the Imo's side. Five un-answered goals by the Imo's side later, the final score read: Imo's 7, SSL 3. A real wake-up call.

Imo's came to play. They were aggressive, physical, attacked & defended well, & certainly took the SSL side out of their game. Imo's was consistently getting men open & finding that open man. SSL did little to offset this strategy. As it got later in the game, the SSL side pushed forward only to have it cost them goals. This was a game that started all SSL & ended all Imo's.

Fortunately for SSL, their 5 wins going into this match, was still enough to maintain their 3 point lead & hold onto 1st in the division. This week SSL will face the Buckshots, again, an always tough opponent in a difficult time slot, 5:55. These early games are almost as difficult for the players to attend as the late ones. If the SSL side can win this final game, they'll find themselves in the Championship match next week for the 7th time in the last 9 sessions. A pretty remarkable run. Hope to see you all at the game.

BAR B Q

As most of you are aware by now, following any early games SSL plays, we'll have the obligatory parking lot BAR B Q. This Thursday is no exception. Following the 5:55 game, the SSL side will repair to the parking lot to grill up some good eats. Bring something to throw on the grill & join us. It's always a good time. See you there.

DONT FORGET THE SSL REUNION SEPT 27TH

SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS
NAME			GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS
DAVID HIPPERSON			8	8	24
GUILLERMO CORTEZ			7	5	19
EDIN CORALIC			7	2	16
JASON ADELSBERGER			5	1	11
BERNARD ANIC			4	2	10
TONY MEADOWS			3	4	10
CASEY WALSH			1	8	10
RONNIE ROWDEN			4	1	9
JOHNNY PENS			1	5	7
NOEL PACHECO			1	1	3
DAVE SHELTON			0	3	3

 

League Standings: Thurs Men 30+ C North 7/10
Team	W	T	L	Pts	GF	GA	GD	PCT	GP
Soccer St. Louis	5	0	1	15	40	19	21	0.833	6
Imos Men	4	0	2	12	29	24	5	0.667	6
PLS Zoom Motors	3	1	2	10	32	28	4	0.583	6
Buckshots	3	0	3	9	29	32	-3	0.500	6
Fossils	2	2	2	8	24	26	-2	0.500	6
Freaky Shakra	2	1	3	7	23	25	-2	0.417	6
Vee Jay	0	0	6	0	14	37	-23	0.000	6

Schedule			Location
Thu 7/17 7:05 PM	W 5-2	Freaky Shakra	Concord, Field 3
Thu 7/24 7:45 PM	W 7-2	Buckshots	Concord, Field 1
Thu 7/31 6:20 PM	W 11-1	Vee Jay	Concord, Field 2
Thu 8/7 8:55 PM	W 5-4	at PLS Zoom Motors	Concord, Field 3
Thu 8/14 10:30 PM	W 9-3	at Fossils	Concord, Field 1
Thu 8/21 10:00 PM	L 3-7	at Imos Men	Concord, Field 2
Thu 8/28 5:55 PM	55 minutes	at Buckshots	Concord, Field 1

WINNING STREAK CONTINUES

REACHES 5 STRAIGHT

In another strong performance by the SSL side, they dominated a depleted & undermaned Fossils team & maintained their hold on 1st place. The Fossils, previously the 2nd place team, were missing their strongest player, their goal-scoring midfielder, & that made all the difference. Additionally, they were late arriving, but by that point, SSL already had a comfortable 3 or 4 goal lead, & they carried that momentum along for the entire game.

SSL played extremely well defensively, as they always do, allowing only 3 goals, giving them a measley 2.4 goals per game average over 5 games, clearly far ahead of their nearest competitor, who has allowed 21 goals over the same 5 games. Additionaly, the offense came out on fire.

They pushed up effectively, distributing the ball unselfishly, creating many scoring opportunities. They could easily have scored another 3, 4 or 5 goals, had they been a little more accurate or a little luckier. As it was, they took a 5-1 score to the half & never looked back.

Contributing to the scoring effort was: David Hipperson with 3 goals & one helper; Guillermo Cortez & Edin Coralic with 2 & 1 respectively; Jayson Adelsberger with 2; Johnny Pens with 3 helpers & Casey Walsh, Tony Meadows & Bernard Anic each with 1 helper.

This Thursday, 8/21, we play one of the two 2nd place teams, the always tough & resourceful, Imo's on field #2. Imo's, always a difficult opponent, just beat PLS Zoom last week, to tighten up the race for the Championship. They are never to be underestimated. They are a veteran club, been there, done that, & if you take them lightly, you'll end up in the bar wondering how you lost that game. Now they have the momentum, coming off that big win, & it'll be up to the SSL side to bring their best game, or it could be an ugly evening of soccer. Hope to see you all there. It'll be exciting.

The stats & standings follow:

SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS
NAME			GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS
DAVID HIPPERSON			7	8	22
GUILLERMO CORTEZ			6	4	16
EDIN CORALIC			6	1	13
JASON ADELSBERGER			5	1	11
BERNARD ANIC			4	2	10
TONY MEADOWS			3	4	10
RONNIE ROWDEN			4	1	9
CASEY WALSH			1	7	9
JOHNNY PENS			1	5	7
NOEL PACHECO			1	1	3
DAVE SHELTON			0	3	3

League Standings: Thurs Men 30+ C North 7/10
Team	W	T	L	Pts	GF	GA	GD	PCT	GP
Soccer St. Louis	5	0	0	15	37	12	25	1.000	5
Buckshots	3	0	2	9	23	23	0	0.600	5
Imos Men	3	0	2	9	22	21	1	0.600	5
PLS Zoom Motors	2	1	2	7	23	22	1	0.500	5
Fossils	2	1	2	7	22	24	-2	0.500	5
Freaky Shakra	2	0	3	6	21	23	-2	0.400	5
Vee Jay	0	0	6	0	14	37	-23	0.000	6

Schedule			Location
Thu 7/17 7:05 PM	W 5-2	Freaky Shakra	Concord, Field 3
Thu 7/24 7:45 PM	W 7-2	Buckshots	Concord, Field 1
Thu 7/31 6:20 PM	W 11-1	Vee Jay	Concord, Field 2
Thu 8/7 8:55 PM	W 5-4	at PLS Zoom Motors	Concord, Field 3
Thu 8/14 10:30 PM	W 9-3	at Fossils	Concord, Field 1
Thu 8/21 10:00 PM	55 minutes	at Imos Men	Concord, Field 2
Thu 8/28 5:55 PM	55 minutes	at Buckshots	Concord, Field 1

SSL STRETCH WINNING STREAK TO 4 GAMES

HOLD ONTO 1ST PLACE

Wow! What a game. Just as advertised. Our match against our formidable opponents, PLS Zoom, lived up to its billing. It was anticipated that, after the Zoomers had beaten Soccer St. Louis in two straight, back to back wins, the last being a 6-3 loss in last sessions Championship, that this game would be hotly contested. It was!

You could just tell, you could feel it, the anticipation on both teams part was running high. It would be a fast-paced, high energy game, with both teams wanting to beat the other. This was not going to be one of those 10-2, sleep-walking blowouts. Plus, this was on field #3, which put all these players right next to one another on this very small playing surface & that would only help to fuel the fire. No, this would be right down to the wire. Again, it was.

The Zoomers jumped out to a very, very quick 2-0 lead, with some excellent play on their part & some lapses on SSL. Then Eden Coralic almost single handedly got SSL back in the match. After receiving the ball from Casey Walsh at just around mid-field. he turned toward the goal, took a couple steps & unleashed a bomb that the keeper could only wave at. SSL, now down only 2-1, was back in the game.

The intensity of the game was thrilling. Players on each team were flying. No prisoners were being taken. It was up & down action at its best. The multitude of spectators were certainly entertained.  Later in the 1st half, David Hipperson, after some excellent ball work, laid off a beautiful ball that Tony Meadows pounced on @ the top of the box & finished it quickly, knotting the score @ 2-2. It was a new game!

Then, shortly after the SSL 2nd goal, Guillermo Cortez pushed the ball quickly up the field, served it up to Ronnie Rowden, who streaked toward the goal, & one-timed it with the outside of his right foot & buried it in the back of the net, on a beautiful play, to put SSL in the lead at 3-2 for the 1st time in the game. It appeared SSL was getting into a rhythm & this was resulting in a lot of offensive chances. It looked like they were starting to feel it. That's the way the half ended, with SSL scoring 3 unanswered goals. But hold on. This was far from over.

The 2nd half started much like the first half. It was almost as if both teams were playing with a degree of desperation. It was definitely turning into a white-knuckle  affair. Early in the 2nd half, Bernard Anic collected the ball from Dave Shelton, turned up-field & found a lot of open space in front of him. On a beautiful play, he wound up, took the shot, Ronnie Rowden ran onto the ball, dummied it, & David Hipperson was there for the tap-in. Just like they wrote it up on the chalk-board at half-time. A huge goal, early in the 2nd, continued their momentum, & SSL increased their lead over the Zoomers to 4-2, with their 4th unanswered goal in succession. But don't go away. These were the Zoomers we were playing. They wouldn't be going away anytime soon.

The Zoom, shortly thereafter, finally scored their 3rd goal, closing the score to 4-3. Things once again tightened up dramatically. Back & forth, up & down, changing of possession, shooting & blocked shots. On that small field, things happen quickly, as it had been doing the whole game. Then, late in the half, on a beautiful throw from Dave Shelton, Jayson Adelsberger corralled the ball & slipped it past the on-rushing keeper for a 5-3 SSL lead, a lead  that they didn't relinquish! The Zoom scored another goal late to tighten the score to 5-4, which caused for some elevated heart rates & a wild finish. But, SSL held on & closed out a truly exciting 5-4 win for their 4th win in a row & 1st place in the division.

Folks, it was a lot of fun to watch. Two very good teams, very familiar with each other, going toe to toe, exchanging hay-makers & generally making life difficult for their opponents for 45 minutes. It was great soccer. The chances are very good that these two teams will see each other again in the finals. The Zoom is currently in 2nd place. If that is the case, hold on. You know it'll be a wild one, & fun to watch. See you then.

Following are the standings & stats:

SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS
NAME			GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS
DAVID HIPPERSON			4	7	15
GUILLERMO CORTEZ			4	3	11
BERNARD ANIC			4	1	9
TONY MEADOWS			3	3	9
RONNIE ROWDEN			4	1	9
CASEY WALSH			1	6	8
EDIN CORALIC			4	0	8
JASON ADELSBERGER			3	1	7
JOHNNY PENS			1	2	4
NOEL PACHECO			1	1	3
DAVE SHELTON			0	3	3

 

League Standings: Thurs Men 30+ C North 7/10
Team	W	T	L	Pts	GF	GA	GD	PCT	GP
Soccer St. Louis	4	0	0	12	28	9	19	1.000	4
Fossils	2	1	1	7	19	15	4	0.625	4
PLS Zoom Motors	2	1	1	7	18	16	2	0.625	4
Buckshots	2	0	2	6	16	19	-3	0.500	4
Freaky Shakra	2	0	3	6	21	23	-2	0.400	5
Imos Men	2	0	2	6	16	16	0	0.500	4
Vee Jay	0	0	5	0	10	30	-20	0.000	5

Schedule			Location
Thu 7/17 7:05 PM	W 5-2	Freaky Shakra	Concord, Field 3
Thu 7/24 7:45 PM	W 7-2	Buckshots	Concord, Field 1
Thu 7/31 6:20 PM	W 11-1	Vee Jay	Concord, Field 2
Thu 8/7 8:55 PM	W 5-4	at PLS Zoom Motors	Concord, Field 3
Thu 8/14 10:30 PM	55 minutes	at Fossils	Concord, Field 1
Thu 8/21 10:00 PM	55 minutes	at Imos Men	Concord, Field 2
Thu 8/28 5:55 PM	55 minutes	at Buckshots	Concord, Field 1

BACK IN 1ST PLACE

LEAD LEAGUE IN FEWEST GOALS ALLOWED.....AGAIN!!!

It started slowly but finished quickly. Our 11-1 win over a game VJ team, that was missing several of it's players, was a great warm-up for the upcoming match this Thursday against PLS Zoom, the team that broke our consecutive Championship winning streak last session.

The game vs VJ started slowly. About 10 minutes into the game,SSL scored their 1st goal. Then the dam burst & the goals kept coming. The SSL side attacked well, knocked the ball around well but most importantly, played stellar defense. Not just the defenders, but the team as a whole.

Any time VJ would attack, we'd have 3 & 4 players back, helping on defense. That will be a must against the Zoomers, who both attack & defend with 4 & 5 players. Contributions on both offense & defense from two of our newest players, David (little hip) Hipperson & Guillermo (g) Cortez, were big parts of the victory. Little Hip chipped in 2 goals & 3 helpers & G contributed 3 goals to the offensive output.

This Thursdays game should be a lot of fun. The Zoomers have a very good, fast team, & when matched against us, it typically proves to be a lot of up & down action, physical, great defense & creative offense. Add to that, we're playing on Concords newest field, #3, which I compare to playing in St. Pius V gradeschool playground, only with turf, & that should result in some, shall we say, interesting match-ups & or, confrontations. You pick 'em.

Currently, SSL holds a 2 point advantage on the Zoomers for 1st. So, even though this is early in the session, 1st place is riding on the outcome. It doesn't get much better than that. Game time is 8:55 & SSL will be wearing their black. It'll be fun. See you there.

REUNION!!!

The SSL reunion, Saturday, Sept., 27th @ 7pm @ the Bocce Club on "The Hill", is shaping up nicely. Still looking for contact info for former players that have moved along. If you know of someone that should get the Reunion Flyer, it is attached below. Just refer them to this blog & they'll have all the info.

I'm sure this party will be of the memorable variety. Make sure you bring your cameras. I'll be getting a suite @ one of the 2 or 3 hotels @ I-44 & Hampton for the "after-party". I'll also block out several extra rooms for those of you, "too tired to drive". Just get hold of me & I'll get you the contact info.

Standings, stats & the Reunion Flyer follow:

 

SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS
NAME			GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS
DAVID HIPPERSON			3	6	12
GUILLERMO CORTEZ			4	2	10
BERNARD ANIC			4	0	8
TONY MEADOWS			2	3	7
CASEY WALSH			1	5	7
RONNIE ROWDEN			3	1	7
EDIN CORALIC			3	0	6
JASON ADELSBERGER			2	1	5
JOHNNY PENS			1	2	4
NOEL PACHECO			1	1	3
DAVE SHELTON			0	2	2

 

League Standings: Thurs Men 30+ C North 7/10
Team	W	T	L	Pts	GF	GA	GD	PCT	GP
Soccer St. Louis	3	0	0	9	23	5	18	1.000	3
PLS Zoom Motors	2	1	0	7	14	11	3	0.833	3
Buckshots	2	0	1	6	13	13	0	0.667	3
Imos Men	2	0	2	6	16	16	0	0.500	4
Fossils	1	1	1	4	13	12	1	0.500	3
Freaky Shakra	1	0	3	3	17	21	-4	0.250	4
Vee Jay	0	0	4	0	8	26	-18	0.000	4

Schedule			Location
Thu 7/17 7:05 PM	W 5-2	Freaky Shakra	Concord, Field 3
Thu 7/24 7:45 PM	W 7-2	Buckshots	Concord, Field 1
Thu 7/31 6:20 PM	W 11-1	Vee Jay	Concord, Field 2
Thu 8/7 8:55 PM	55 minutes	at PLS Zoom Motors	Concord, Field 3
Thu 8/14 10:30 PM	55 minutes	at Fossils	Concord, Field 1
Thu 8/21 10:00 PM	55 minutes	at Imos Men	Concord, Field 2
Thu 8/28 5:55 PM	55 minutes	at Buckshots	Concord, Field 1