BACK TO BACK!!!

WIN OVER BUCKSHOTS THURSDAY,

FABULOUS REUNION SATURDAY

 The SSL game against the Buckshots on small field #3, started slowly but escalated to some end to end action. However, end to end action on that field is "business as usual". Lots of shots, lots of traffic. But the SSL defense & keeper were up to the task.

Consistently stepping up & cutting off thru balls by the Buckshots, the defenders & mid-fielders were constantly feeding the ball to the on-rushing forwards. The forwards, early on, were spending too much time trying to make the perfect pass resulting in the perfect goal. The only thing that resulted in was another missed opportunity.

Finally, starting to become selfish & take the game into their own hands, or feet, if you will, the constant pressure on the Buckshots defense started paying off. In a big way.

With the SSL defenders still providing many opportunities for the forwards, they started cashing in. The goals then started coming fast & furious. The next thing you know, you look up & it's half-time, with SSL sporting a 4-0 lead. More of the same was to come in the 2nd half.

Picking up where they left off, in fact, actually picking it up a notch, they continued to press the attack from all angles. This included big contributions by the defenders, lead by Sladan Kurtovic with 2 goals, Casey Walsh, Tony Meadows & goalie Dave Shelton, chipped in, each with an assist. When the dust settled, the SSL side notched another win, this one by a 9-3 score, just one point out of first, & with a game in hand. (for those of you that don't know what that is, that means the team in 1st has played one more game & SSL one less.....if you still don't understand it, well, ask someone to explain it to you)

It's early in the session, just two games played, but once again, SSL has a sizable lead in goal differential. The difference between goals scored & goals against. Thought I'd go ahead & explain that one to you. Last session, which SSL pocketed another league title, they once again lead the league in goal differential, with a whopping 29. The closest pursuer was way, way back, with 6. Thus far this session, the differential is 11 with the closest pursuer at 3. Defense wins championships. Off to another good start.

Next week is another big game. Seems like every week is a big game since they re-aligned the division. We play our old friends, Imo's, @ 10pm on field #2. Last time we faced them was in the Finals on 9/4, where SSL secured a tight, hotly contested, 4-1 win. So, this will be an interesting match, to say the least. Hope to see you all there!

Scoring for the game: Edin Coralic, 2 goals; Sladan Kurtovic, 2 goals; Guillermo Cortez, 1 goal & 2 helpers; Johnny Pens, 1 & 1; David Hipperson, 1 & 1; Ronnie Rowden, 1 goal; Michael Poropat, 3, count 'em, 3 helpers; Tony Meadows, Casey Walsh & Dave Shelton, 1 helper each.

Standings, stats & reunion pic & story follow:

	SOCCER ST. LOUIS STATS
	NAME			GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS
	GUILLERMO CORTEZ			3	4	10
	OTTO ETZEL			3	2	8
	DAVID HIPPERSON			2	2	6
	MICHAEL POROPAT			1	3	5
	JOHNNY PENS			2	1	5
	SLADAN KURTOVIC			2	0	4
	EDIN CORALIC			2	0	4
	JOE TARTICCHIO			1	1	3
	TONY MEADOWS			0	2	2
	RONNIE ROWDEN			1	0	2
	MIKE HOGAN			0	1	1
	DAVE SHELTON			0	1	1
	CASEY WALSH			0	1	1

League Standings: Thurs Men 30+ C North 9/11
Team	W	T	L	Pts	GF	GA	GD	PCT	GP
Imos Men(RED)	2	1	0	7	18	15	3	0.833	3
Soccer St. Louis(BLACK)	2	0	0	6	16	5	11	1.000	2
PLS Zoom Motors	1	1	1	4	13	15	-2	0.500	3
Freaky Shakra	1	0	1	3	5	6	-1	0.500	2
CD Cobras(BLUE)	0	0	2	0	6	9	-3	0.000	2
Buckshots(ORANGE)	0	0	2	0	7	15	-8	0.000	2

Schedule			Location
Thu 9/11 10:55 PM	W 7-2	PLS Zoom Motors	Concord, Field 2
Thu 9/25 8:55 PM	W 9-3	Buckshots(ORANGE)	Concord, Field 3
Thu 10/2 10:00 PM	55 minutes	at Imos Men(RED)	Concord, Field 2
Thu 10/9 9:05 PM	55 minutes	Freaky Shakra	Concord, Field 2
Thu 10/16 8:00 PM	55 minutes	at PLS Zoom Motors	Concord, Field 3
Thu 10/23 8:10 PM	55 minutes	CD Cobras(BLUE)	Concord, Field 2
Thu 10/30 6:50 PM	55 minutes	at CD Cobras(BLUE)	Concord, Field 1

HOLY COW!

WHAT A GREAT REUNION!!!

FIRST ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: JIMMY BARTON, LEAD GUITARIST &  JAYSON ADELSBERGER, LEAD DRUMMER, OF THE BAND, "SINGULARITY", THE EVENINGS ENTERTAINMENT; JOHNNY PENS; PRESIDENT OF THE "BOCCE CLUB", DAVE ZONA; PAULIE HEATH; JIM AHEARN; TODD LORETTA; DAVE SHELTON & TIM KELLEY.

NEXT ROW: STEVE RAUHUT; WALLY STOKES; BOB JANKO; JOHNNY BOLLWERK; WES LOPEZ; TOM AHEARN; BRIAN POLKA; JOE MC CARTHY;

NEXT ROW: TOM SWEENEY ("ALL TIME CAPTAIN"); ERIC BEASLEY; STEVE BAKER; TONY MEADOWS; MICHAEL POROPAT; CASEY WALSH; STEVE "THE CHIEF" RANKIN; LEE RAUHUT; JOHN KOZUSZEK.

LAST ROW: MIKE MC MONIGLE; JAMES MALONEY; JOHN "BIG HIP" HIPPERSON; MIKE HOGAN; DAVID "LITTLE HIP" HIPPERSON & PHIL MALONEY. THE PHOTOGRAPHER TELLS ME HE'LL HAVE THE DVD OF THE PARTY LATER THIS WEEK. I'LL EITHER POST THEM ON LINE FOR YOU, OR E MAIL YOU DIRECTLY.

What a lot of fun. Lot's of guys we hadn't seen in years. Shoulda done this years ago. But, better late than never. Now I gotta send out some thankyou's.

President Zona! Without his help, making all the arrangements, financially & otherwise, we would not have been able to utilize the beautiful banquet room of the Bocce Club. Zone, thank's brother. I think I can speak for everyone when I say everyone didn't just have a good time, they had a great time.

Steve Rankin! Folks, the food was like no wedding reception or banquet event I've ever seen. I'm not exactly sure what all was there, but there was lot's of it. Let me see if I can find his menu. You need to know what you ate. Found it! Pork loin smothered in demi glaze; chicken flamingo & picate sauce; crushed potato casserole; cornbread stuffing; pan seared vegetable medley; tossed salad w/ranch or italian, & the perfect complement for cold beer, sweet berry muffins. Pretty typical for what we bar b q in the parking lot after games. Right!!! Brother, that was way over the top. Thanks.

The music! "Singularity", composed of Jimmy Barton & Jayson Adelsberger, worked hard to put together the evenings entertainment. They had been practicing for months to entertain you & entertain you they did. Played for better than 3 hours. But what put them over the top was the fog machine. I thought Michael Jackson was going to jump out on stage thru the fog at any moment. Thanks, boys.

The girls behind the bar! Did anybody have to wait for drinks? Don't think so. Got to the point, all I had to do was enter the room & another beverage was waiting for me on the bar. Thanks girls. We all appreciated your hard work.

I've gotta send a shout out to Monica & Susan Zona. Those girls were hawkin' everybody, chasing them around the banquet room to get them to put their names & e mail addresses on the sign in sheet. Everyone kept walkin' in the wrong door! Without them retrieving your e mail address, you won't get the e mail for this blog or the party photos next week. Great job, girls. Thanks!

Lastly, I've gotta thank the folks that actually attended the party. Obviously, without you, it's just me & Zone having beverages at the bar. It was great to see so many faces that I haven't seen in such a long time. I was telling anyone who would listen, & that wasn't many, that what spawned the idea for the party is that, back in the day, when we all played together, we saw each other at least once a week, & sometimes more, & many times, travelled out of town on a variety of road trips. Then, for one reason or another, they stopped playing & we stopped seeing them. Guys that had become brothers, just dropped off the face of the earth. It was time to stop that broken record. Time for a reunion!

So, again, thanks to all that contributed, showed up & had a good time. We'll just have to do it again!