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|  Sault Youth Soccer Club and League
News 2012
 December 27, 2012. Kennedy a big hit on the pitch
December 20, 2012. Donated soccer gear helps children in Kenya enjoy their favourite sport
October 27, 2012. Logan Kennedy award winner at ACAA soccer conference banquet
October 12, 2012. Long-cherished dream becomes real
September 17, 2012. Calibani leads Civics to Championship in Traverse City
September 10, 2012. U12 Girls Spirit make it to semi-finals in London
September 3, 2012. Canadian Girls bring home the gold
September 3, 2012. RBC Dominion Securities U11 Boys strike gold in London
August 28, 2012. Civics U12 Girls Red shock Midland and take gold
August 27, 2012. Tenaris/SIS U-16 Vipers finish 4th in WOYSL standings
August 21, 2012. Tenaris/SIS U-16 Vipers picture perfect in WOYSL weekend play
August 19, 2012. U-15 Girls Civics gain valuable experience at Summer Games
August 16, 2012. Rimmer, Murray love playing Games
August 15, 2012. Civics Shock U12 Girls advance to semi-finals in Newmarket soccer tournament
August 15, 2012. Tenaris/SIS U-16 Vipers tied and lost in WOYSL weekend play
August 14, 2012. U15 Boys Defeated in Penalty Kicks
August 14, 2012. U15 Civics Girls Off to Ontario Summer Games
August 13, 2012. Ryan leads way as Civics offence erupts
August 11, 2012. Civics to get Summer Games tuneup
August 10, 2012. Sault girls say Canadian victory serves as inspiration
August 9, 2012. Civics U15 Girls off to Summer Games
August 1, 2012. U11 girls make it to finals in the Sudbury Impact Tournament
July 31, 2012. U15 Boys win silver in Sudbury
July 30, 2012. U13 Green Circle Boys Civics capture gold in Sudbury
July 30, 2012. Sault Civics Spirit score silver in Sudbury
July 30, 2012. RBCDS Sault Civics Scorpions victorious in Sudbury
July 30, 2012. Tenaris/SIS U-16 Vipers win one of three games in WOYSL weekend play
July 29, 2012. U14 Civics Girls tie London in Western League play
July 24, 2012. U17 girls enjoy challenge at USA Cup
July 23, 2012. U15 Civics girls WOYSL action in London
July 23, 2012. Civics Surge finish weekend in sixth place
July 16, 2012. Offence dries up for U16 Civics
July 14, 2012. Busy weekend at home for Civics
July 11, 2012. Civics Shock U12 Girls Red face tough competition in Cambridge, Ontario
July 2, 2012. U14 Civics girls drop two in Guelph
June 26, 2012. Civics Shock U12 Girls Red just miss out in St. Thomas tournament
June 26, 2012. Under-15 Civics split
June 20, 2012. U15 Boys Civics now two for two
June 19, 2012. U13 Green Circle Boys Civics win silver in Petoskey
June 19, 2012. Tenaris/SIS U-16 Vipers pointless in WOYSL weekend play
June 18, 2012. Surge beats Galaxy in final minute
June 18, 2012. Civics U12 Girls Red kick off the 2012 season
June 17, 2011. Civics Surge take revenge on Sunday
June 11, 2012. U14 Civics split weekend series in Waterloo
June 11, 2012. U13 Civics' offence dries up
June 11, 2012. U13 Civics' offence dries up
June 5, 2012. Tenaris/SIS U16 Civic Vipers start WOYSL on right foot
June 4, 20102. Civics offence dries up in close encounters
May 25, 2012. Northside VW Fury progressive in tournament play
May 22, 2012. Civics victimized by posts
February 2, 2012. Schryer on Cloud 9 after inking Div II scholarship
December 27, 2012. Kennedy a big hit on the pitch (by Mike Verdone, The Sault Star)
Sault Ste. Marie’s Logan Kennedy is home relaxing after posting outstanding numbers on the soccer pitch this season.
Logan Kennedy was on the ball this fall in Atlantic Canada.
So much so that the Saultite won more than a few accolades for her efforts on the soccer pitch during her first year at St. Thomas University (STU) in Fredericton, N.B.
Kennedy buried nine goals in 10 regular-season games with the Tommies, making her the second leading scorer in the six-team Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association, and seventh goal scorer in the country.
In late September she was named STU’s female athlete of the week, and the ACAA athlete of the week. The university also selected her athlete of the month for September.
And as if that wasn’t enough, the ACAA voted her rookie of the year and designated her a first-team, all-conference all-star.
“It was really exciting,” Kennedy said.
In addition to individual awards, she helped STU to a fourth-place finish in the regular season with a 4-6 win-loss record.
The Tommies earned a berth in the playoffs for the first time in about 10 years, but lost in the semifinals.
“We had seven recruits (first-year players) come in. And to be one of the recruits that was part of that team to make the playoffs, was a big deal. It was just really nice to get noticed for the work I put in,” Kennedy said.
Her accomplishments are especially satisfying because she's a young woman who has had her heart set for years on playing at the post-secondary level.
Kennedy began playing soccer with the Sault Civics in the Under-11 age group, then worked her way up through program to become part of the Ontario regional program, where she played and trained at a higher level. The program was based in Sudbury.
“We were back and forth to Sudbury for almost two years,” said the 18-year-old St. Mary’s College graduate. “I always wanted to play university soccer. So coming here and getting named rookie of the year and a first-team all star, that was a big deal.”
She said STU was a good fit for her. It offered the course she wanted and had a soccer program that “seemed really good too.”
She was working toward a Bachelor of Arts degree at STU, with a plan to major in journalism. At least that was her desire when classes began in the summer.
But she changed her mind about journalism studies and remains undecided which stream she will pursue, perhaps business, she said.
“I don’t think I fully knew what journalism was until I actually got in the program.”
Kennedy will be home for most of a month over the holidays. It will be the first time she has returned to the Sault since leaving for the East Coast on Aug. 11.
She didn’t expect to become homesick after being away for four months, but there is something she didn’t count on.
“I miss food, a lot. At the cafeteria, it’s all so quick. The Sault has just the best Italian food.”
As much as she was looking forward to satisfying her taste buds when she returned home, most of all she was looking forward to regrouping with family and friends.
It’ll likely be a busy time in the Kennedy household over the holidays with 22 people in her extended family, she said.
“My mom has three sisters and then there’re all my first-cousins. We’re really close to each other. It’ll be nice to see them all again.”
Many of her friends attend post-secondary studies in Ontario, which means they were back to the Sault in early October for Thanksgiving.
“I really want to catch up (with them) … Skype is good, but only to a certain extent. It’s not like really being there with them. I’m really excited to see everyone,” she said.
December 20, 2012. Donated soccer gear helps children in Kenya enjoy their favourite sport (story by Marilyn Farand)
 
Check Photo gallery for more photos
In the spring of 2012, a group of 14 women from Algoma district visited Kenya on a humanitarian mission. Providing support to local schools was one of their many projects. The group visited a number of schools, worked on improving classroom environment (e.g., cleaned them up and painted the walls), and distributed numerous items such clothing, school supplies, toothbrushes, etc.. Among many other items were soccer uniforms and balls donated by the Sault Youth Soccer Club. Smiling faces on the above photos are those of the kids from a school in Karen, a small town on the outskirts of Nairobi; please visit our Photo gallery for more photos.
What a fantastic way of helping kids enjoy their favoutire sport! Many thanks to this group of humanitarians for their dedication to improving lives of Kenyan children, to Marilyn Farand who was with the group and provided this story and photos, and to local soccer enthusiast Sean Halliday for arranging donation and pick-up of soccer equipment.
October 27, 2012. Logan Kennedy award winner at ACAA soccer conference banquet (from St. Thomas University website)
Eight men’s and women’s soccer Tommies hauled in ACAA conference awards at the ACAA award soccer awards banquet held recently in Halifax.
The women’s team, who arrived in Halifax for the championships for the first time in 10 seasons, had four members take home honours.
Logan Kennedy ACAA Rookie of the Year.
Rookie striker Ashley Swinton was named to the first team all-conference, while sophomore midfielder Tory Khun and team captain Rachel Green made the second team all-conference.
The major honour of the night went to Logan Kennedy. She was named ACAA conference Rookie of the Year.
Kennedy, a native of Sault St. Marie, Ontario, buried nine goals in 10 games this season, making her seventh in the country in scoring. She was also named first team all-conference.
October 12, 2012. Long-cherished dream becomes real (by Darren Taylor, www.SooToday.com)
   
What began as a long-cherished dream is now a reality.
Sault Ste. Marie’s West End Community Centre (WECC) on Goulais Avenue, comprising two indoor soccer turfs and the new Korah Branch of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library officially opened Thursday, following an official ribbon cutting ceremony.
Presiding over the 60-minute opening ceremony was Sault Ste. Marie Chief Administrative Officer Joe Fratesi.
Mayor Debbie Amaroso, who officially cut the ribbon, addressed the audience, which included pumped-up young male and female soccer players.
"With the bad weather we’ve had in the past 24 hours, you must be happy we have this indoor facility!” said Mayor Amaroso. “This venue will give us the edge to hold sporting events here in Sault Ste. Marie.”
Other luminaries in attendance for the official opening were Sault MPP David Orazietti,.SSM Public Library Board Chair Chris Rous, City Councillor and WECC Steering.Committee Chair Joe Krmpotich and Sault Amateur Soccer Association President Nelson Soares.
The manufacturer of the WECC playing surface—Fieldturf—is an indoor turf industry leader and has used the same material at WECC as in other venues, such as the home playing field of England’s famous Manchester United Football Club and 21 NFL stadiums.
SSM Public Library Board Chair Chris Rous was clearly delighted with Thursday’s official opening ceremony.
“I invite you all to our new library branch. This branch is like a Chapters bookstore,” Rous gushed.
In a nod to the private sector, Rous stated “the Essar Community Room at this centre can hold up to 75 people and we look forward to hosting many events here.”
“This is a unique facility in our community, nothing like it in Northern Ontario,” Fratesi said.
“The back wall is designed to be punched out in the future for additional soccer turf space,” Fratesi continued.
Sault Amateur Soccer Association President Nelson Soares said “this facility will service so many people for so many years.”
“It’s been a lot of work and a long journey.”
“This will allow youth soccer to be played 12 months of the year, not just eight as in the past,” Soares enthused.
“This will allow our soccer kids to progress at the same rate as soccer kids in Southern Ontario.”
“Clubs for men’s and women’s indoor soccer, and now other leagues, can now run all because of this new facility,” Soares said.
After Fratesi had mentioned the vision of ‘punching out’ the back wall of the facility in the future for a third soccer pitch, Soares said, in Reagan-esque fashion, “Mr. Fratesi, move that wall!”
Fratesi said cost of the WECC is approximately $11.5 million.
“The province, through the NOHFC, gave the Sault $1 million, and another $500,000 in a loan, another $5 million came from other money the province had given us," said Fratesi. "The other $5 million will be the City’s share.”
Phase 3 of the WECC is the new arena that will be built with a two-storey lobby, a 900-seat viewing area for the arena, a 300-seat viewing area for the soccer area we have now, along with possibly a restaurant and a meeting space, and that phase will allow for a second ice pad.
"All of this has been designed with that flexibility,” Fratesi said.
“We hope to have Phase 3 in the next two to five years, the ice pad and the second floor viewing areas…that’s for future councils to deal with,” he said. "This has also helped the library…it’s a ‘win-win’ for everbody."
September 17, 2012. Calibani leads Civics to Championship in Traverse City (by Adam Caughill, team manager)
Emily Calibani's two first half goals in Sunday's Championship game were enough to lead the Sault U14 Civics Surge girls to a 2-1 victory over Traverse City's Northern Storm 98's at the Autumn Classic soccer tournament.
"Two incredible goals from Emily and solid play from our players all over the field. Really nice to watch." commented Surge coach Jeff Conley. "A great way to end our season."
The Civics Surge earned a berth in the championship game with a 2-1-0 win-tie-loss record in round-robin play in the 10-team division.
On Saturday morning, the Surge battled to a 0-0 draw with SCOR 98 Black out of Rockford, Michigan. In the afternoon, three goals from Calibani and singles from Meagan DeMeo and Ryea Caughill fueled a 5-1 victory over Troy Michigan Force 98's. In a 'must win' affair Sunday morning, Calibani and Angela Caicco led a 2-0 victory over Grand Rapids Crew.
Megan Girardi was spectacular in goal the entire weekend.
"We battled all weekend and made big plays when we had to" added Conley, "It was a total team effort and we walked away with a nice trophy. I couldn't be happier for our girls."
September 10, 2012. U12 Girls Spirit make it to semi-finals in London (by Aileen Marsh, team manager)
The U12 Girls Spirit finished their season with a strong performance at the John Henderson Memorial Tournament in London Ontario.
The team started off the tournament with a 2-1 win over Nitros White. Goal scorers were Heather Marsh and Mia Giuliano.
The second game was another victory, this time a 1-0 win over the Byron Blast. The Spirit goal was scored by Mia Giuliano. Hailee Young achieved the shutout.
The third game resulted in a hard fought 2-1 loss to Kitchener Spirit. The lone Spirit goal was scored by Mia Giuliano.
The hard work and determination by the girls qualified them for the semi-finals to once again play the Kitchener spirit. The girls played a very hard game, but just couldn't defeat the Kitchener team.
The coaching staff of Luis Lima, Jared Klooster, and Aileen Marsh are very proud of the hard work these girls have demonstrated all season long.
The Spirit would like to take this opportunity to thank the parents, all of their sponsors, and especially Fresco European Grill, YMCA, and Lemay's Decorating Centre for their support all season long.
September 3, 2012. Canadian Girls bring home the gold (by Tami Melisek, team manager)
 
Sault Civics U16 Fusion brought home the gold in the Michigan Soccer Classic, Labour Day Tournament in Rochester Hills, Michigan.
In Saturday's contests, the Fusion beat the Sterling Heights Gators SC and the host team Gladiators FC by 2-1 scores.
Maddie Melisek opened the scoring in the first game and Riley Turbide got the winner while Stephanie Cain and Stephanie Mannarino scored in a hard fought afternoon win.
On Sunday, the Fusion lost to the Fraser Mi. Flash 1-0 and met the same team in the final winning 1-0.
In the final, Turbide got the championship goal in the first half and the Fusion hung on for the victory in the second half, backed by a strong defensive effort and the shutout goaltending of Samantha Giuliani.
Fusion head coach Derek Seaton said “The girls have played hard all year and finally got the results they deserve. The coaching staff and parents are very proud of these young ladies.”
The team is grateful to sponsors K-Kay’s Girls &The Athlete’s Foot for supporting them throughout the year.
September 3, 2012. RBC Dominion Securities U11 Boys strike gold in London (by Maud Hodson, team manager)
Congratulations to the U11 Boys RBC Dominion Securities Sault Civic Scorpions for winning gold at the London Henderson silver Division.
The Scorpions outscored their opponents 19-6 throughout the weekend to winning the gold in the silver Division. The Scorpions worked so hard all year that earned them two gold medals this year.
The RBC DS Sault Civic Scorpions also won gold at the Sudbury Impact Tournament earlier this summer.
The coaching staff wants to thank players for bringing so much EFFORT to each practice and game.
The Scorpions also want to thank RBC Dominion Securities and many individual sponsors for their financial support throughout the year.
Scorpions, Parents and Coaching Staff are very proud of you!!!
August 28, 2012. Civics U12 Girls Red shock Midland and take gold (by Paul Nanne, team parent)
Sault Civics Shock U12 Girls Red team went undefeated and won the Championship title in the 2012 Midland Fusion Invitational Tournament this past weekend.
The girls fortified the top place in a gruelling final game against Saginaw Storm Red where the team secured the winning goal with only minutes left in the overtime stretch to end the game 2-1.
Competing in a higher age division and in extreme heat and humidity, the Sault Shock crushed their first opponents, Bay Area Spirit in a shutout game 8-0. Shock players, Taryn Gazankas cleared 3 goals and Jaydn Deschene captured 2 goals, while Jenna Nanne, Nicole Pulente and Makenzi Chartrand each locked in individual goals.
The team faced stronger competition in the second game against the hometown Midland Fusion team. The girls came out aggressively with a 3-1 game win. Nicole Pulente took the lead with the first goal and teammate Taryn Gazankas followed respectively with 2 goals.
In their third game of the tournament, the team landed the win against the Saginaw Storm 1-0 to ensure their place in the final tournament game against the same opponent. Sole goal was made by Makenzi Chartrand.
Goaltender Emma Hendrie achieved the 2 game shutouts in the tournament.
“The team played exceptional well in this tournament. They came with the intent to win in their final tournament of the season,” says Coach Alison Bodnar.
“We expected them to do well, but the team put it all on the line against the older competition players. To win this tournament is a feather in their caps and a tribute to the hard work the girls have put into this soccer season.”
“We look forward to the 2013 season and want to thank all our parents, sponsors and supporters,” says Coach Alison Bodnar. “Expect to see more tournament successes in the year ahead.”
August 27, 2012. Tenaris/SIS U-16 Vipers finish 4th in WOYSL standings (by John Febbraro, team parent)
The Tenaris/SIS U-16 Vipers recorded a tie, loss and a win in the final weakend of WOYSL U-16 play.
In Friday nights game the Vipers had to settle to a 1-1 tie.
Having just travelled seven hours earlier in the day, the Vipers started off slowly against Southend Fusion and were down 1-0 early in the match. In the second half the Vipers got their legs going and had numerous chances after controlling most of the play. Adriane Bruni scored with under 5 minutes remaining resulting in the tie.
In Saturday's game against Byron Athletica, the Vipers started off slow once again and spotted Byron a 2-0 lead. In the 2nd half, the Vipers picked up their play. A foul in the 18 yard box led to a penalty shot. Daniella Febbraro made no mistake and cut the lead in half. The Vipers had numerous chances but couldn't get the tying goal resulting in a 2-1 loss.
In Sunday's final game of the season against Southend Fusion, the Vipers needed a win to clinch 4th place, The Vipers did just that. Two goals by Taylor Bellini and Riley Millar and a marker by Mikaela McBurney resulted in a 5-1 win.
The Vipers finished the season with a 6-4-8 win-tie-loss record with 22 points.
The Vipers would like to take the opportunity to thank the media, parents and all the sponsors especially their two major sponsors Tenaris and SIS Group for their generous support.
August 21, 2012. Tenaris/SIS U-16 Vipers picture perfect in WOYSL weekend play (by John Febbraro, team parent)
The Tenaris/SIS U-16 Vipers recorded two important victories this past weekend at home vs. Windsor Eastside Kickers.
In Saturdays game, the Viper defense was solid and the offense found the back of the net twice resulting in a 2-0 victory. Adriane Bruni and Vanessa Rota scored for the Vipers.
In Sundays game, the Vipers started where they left off the previous game by controlling the play throughout the game. Danielle Ciotti and Adriane Bruni scored in the 1st half opening up a 2-0 lead.
The Vipers continued their attack in the second half. Bruni scored her second of the game and Hilary Prouse rounded out the scoring resulting in a 4-0 victory.
Jayme Ricard recorded both shutouts for the Vipers.
These important back to back victories moved the Vipers into 4th place in the WOYSL standings.
The Vipers leave for London on Friday for their final three games of the season. The Vipers must win 2 of their remaining 3 games to solidify 4th place.
August 19, 2012. U-15 Girls Civics gain valuable experience at Summer Games (by Marty Rimmer, team parent)
The Sault's U-15 Civics girls came home winless but represented the Northern Region quite well at this past weekend's Ontario Summer Games.
The Sault squad opened Friday's round-robin action with a tough 2-1 loss to the Nepean Hotspurs Octane. Sarah VanBoerdonk's second half goal knotted the game at one apiece but a late Nepean marker off a well placed corner kick earned them the victory.
Fridays second game saw the Civics suffer a 6-0 loss to the Burlington Bayhawks who led by four at the half.
Saturday's action saw the Sault give up two early goals five minutes into the contest as they were unable to rebound and were defeated 3-1 by the Vaughan Azzurri. Mercedes Ryan had the lone second half goal in the loss.
Despite the losses Coach Jaime Amaral was pleased with the team's effort and noted that the experience of playing against the top teams in the province will enable the girls to take the next step and understand what's required for competing at the top provincial level. Being led out to the games opening ceremonies at Toronto's Varsity Stadium by recent Olympic Bronze medalist Diana Matheson and being amongst 2,500 other athletes was an unforgettable memory for the girls.
Next action for the U-15 Civics will be this weekend when the WOYSL's Guelph Royals visit Tom Tipton Field for games Saturday and Sunday. Game times are 5:00pm and 9:00am respectively.
August 16, 2012. Rimmer, Murray love playing Games (by Jerret Semczyszyn, The Sault Star)
Lauren Rimmer (left) and Lydia Murray (right) will be competing in their second Ontario Games event in the last year. The two also competed for the Wildcats in the Ontario Winter Games
As the Sault Girls ‘97 Civics embark on their journey to Toronto today, they will be bringing some experience and chemistry on board to face the best soccer clubs in the province.
That experience and chemistry, provided by a pair of close friends on the roster in Lydia Murray and Lauren Rimmer, will add to the already tight-knit group representing the Sault this weekend.
Both Murray and Rimmer laced up their skates in the 2012 Ontario Winter Games in Collingwood, Ont. earlier on this year in March, and now they have their sights set on gold at the 2012 Ontario Summer Games in Toronto.
The only difference: they will be competing on the pitch instead of playing hockey. And as they prepare to take on the premier under-15 girls teams in Ontario, Murray said they will also be battling a bit of nervousness.
“It’s really nerve wracking because we know there’s going to be some really good teams there from outside of the WOYSL, there’s going to be OYSL teams there which is like the next step up,” Murray said. “It’s probably going to be a pretty good eye opener to see what kind of teams are out there.”
Murray is heading into her Grade 10 year at St. Mary’s College, and at 15 years of age she says her and Rimmer have been playing sports and going to school together since they were six years old.
“We’ve been friends since elementary school, so being able to do this again with her is special,” she said. We’re really good friends, and we’ve been through a lot together in both sports and school.”
When it comes to experience, Murray says she and Rimmer got a taste of what these upcoming Summer Games will be like. She said she believes her team can compete for a gold medal.
“We’ll know the atmosphere there and how important it is to be focused. You have to be. (Lauren and I) have already had these experiences so we kind of have an idea of what to expect. Our team is really close and we come out and play some good games and put our minds together. I definitely think we can be successful.”
Rimmer, also heading into Grade 10 next year at St. Mary’s, says the chemistry between her and Murray is key in their development on the field and on the ice.
“It’s good to be able to go to both of these games together. We work very well together both in hockey and in soccer, so it really helps us both get better.”
To have the opportunity to represent the Sault in both the summer and winter games, Rimmer says she considers herself lucky and is looking forward to the competition in Toronto.
“I’m really lucky to have the chance to go to both of these games because there’s great competition in both the Summer and Winter Games,” she said.
Both Rimmer and Murray said obtaining am athletic scholarship in post-secondary are goals they are already working on achieving, and they believe these games are a perfect place to showcase their talent. The two athletes are among the very few locals to represent the Sault in both the Ontario Summer and Winter Games.
But the top priority for the Rimmer-Murray tandem this weekend is to show that the Sault produces talented athletes on the provincial stage.
“We’re excited just to be able to show that Sault Ste. Marie isn’t just some small town,” Rimmer said. “We have good athletes here and I’m looking forward to playing the best teams in the province, but I think it will be a great experience.”
August 15, 2012. Civics Shock U12 Girls advance to semi-finals in Newmarket soccer tournament (by Paul Nanne, team parent)
(SAULT STE. MARIE, ON – Aug. 14, 2012): Sault Civics Shock U12 Girls Red faced strong competition in the 2012 Heart of York Tournament in Newmarket, Ontario this past weekend. The Sault Shock finished the round robin portion of the tournament with two wins and one loss to secure a spot in the semi-finals only to suffer a tough loss against eventual tournament champions, Newmarket United A.
In a day filled with rain and less than desirable field conditions, the Sault Shock won their first game 3-0 against the Nepean Storm. Nicole Pulente scored the first 2 goals with Makenzi Chartrand adding a third. Emma Hendrie achieved the shutout with strong goalkeeping.
The team faced tougher competition in the second game against the Darlington Dynamos. Although the Sault Civics Shock played a solid game, a late goal by the Dynamos led to a 1-0 loss.
The third round robin game resulted in a hard fought 2-1 win by the Shock over the Newmarket United B team with Emily Scarpino and Makenzi Chartrand each scoring.
The Sault Shock advanced to the semi-finals on Sunday but were overcome by the hometown team and eventual winners of the tournament. “The team played well in Newmarket despite the wet conditions. The defence held up in the close games,” says Coach Alison Bodnar. “Hopefully we can build on this tournament and finish off the season in a winning fashion in Midland later this month.”The next tournament comes in 2 weeks with the team heading to Michigan for the Midland Fusion Invitational Tournament on the August 25-26 weekend.
August 15, 2012. Tenaris/SIS U-16 Vipers tied and lost in WOYSL weekend play (by John Febbraro, team parent)
The Tenaris/SIS U-16 Vipers had one tie and one loss in Southern Ontario over the weekend in WOYSL action.
After a one hour delay in game 1 vs Cambridge United the Vipers came out slow and fell behind 2-0 in the first 10 minutes of play. The Vipers regained confidence and controlled play over the rest of the game and settled for a 2-2 tie. Taylor Bellini scored both goals for the Vipers.
In the 2nd game, the Vipers travelled to Kitchener/Waterloo to play Waterloo United. After being down early once again, the Vipers couldn't mount a comeback and lost 4-0.
The Vipers have 5 games remaining in their season with two crucial games this weekend at home against Windsor Eastside Kickers. A pair of wins would move the Vipers into 4th place. Both games are at Tom Tipton with Saturdays game at 6:30 and Sundays game starting at 11:00.
August 14, 2012. U15 Boys Defeated in Penalty Kicks (by Frank Sacchetta, team coach)
For the fourth tournament in a row the U15 Boys Sault Civics Fire soccer team advanced to the Finals settling this time for a silver medal at the Ottawa Kickin’ In The Capital Tournament this past weekend.
During round robin play the Sault Boys finished with a record of two wins and two ties. The first game ended in a 2–1 win over the Ottawa Royals Hellenic. Goals were scored by Dylan Robertson and Quinten Grimm.
The second game was a 0–0 tie with the Belleville Comets. Avery Ciotti recorded the shutout.
The third game Sunday morning ended in a 3–0 victory over the Nepean Hotspurs Warriors. Goals scored by Bradley Brideaux, Dylan Robertson and Aaron Lidstone. Shutout goaltending by Michael Chilelli.
The fourth game was a heated battle against the FC Monteuil team which ended in a 0–0 tie. Avery Ciotti again had the shutout.
The Final Championship game was a rematch against the Belleville Comets with the game ending in another tie. This time 1–1 after regulation time. Unfortunately, with momentum definitely in favour of the Sault Boys, the game went straight to penalty kicks with no overtime. The boys had to settle for a silver medal. The lone goal of the game for the Sault was scored by Trent Sepkowski. The penalty kicks were scored by Quinten Grimm and Trent Sepkowski.
This ends a very successful season for the U15 Boys Sault Civics Fire with a total of Two Gold Medals and Two Silver Medals. It could not have been possible without the support of the above mentioned players and all of the following members of the team: Cody Brideaux, Can Cui, Earl Gibbs, Rocky Krancevich, Jake Jackson, Jacob Palmerio, Anthony Policicchio, Chris Sabourin, Marcus Sacchetta, Billy Szlag, Daniel Zagordo. Manager: Tomassina Sepkowski, Assistant Coach: Daniel Nicholson, Head Coach: Frank Sacchetta, Sponsor: Personal Touch Auto Limited.
August 14, 2012. U15 Civics Girls Off to Ontario Summer Games (by Marty Rimmer, team parent)
The Sault's U15 Civics Girl’s soccer team will be competing in the Ontario Summer Games this week in Toronto.
The 2012 games will bring together almost 2,500 athletes competing in 28 different sports in multiple venues across Toronto and its surrounding regions. Opening ceremonies will kick off the games on Thursday evening at University of Toronto’s Varsity Stadium, with soccer action taking place Friday to Sunday at Centennial Park.
The soccer competition will feature many of the top U15 female teams in the province, as qualification took place throughout the summer during the Ontario Cup Playdowns.
The Sault squad was the lone Northern Ontario Region team to qualify and currently sits in fourth place in the Western Ontario Youth Soccer League (WOYSL).
Round-robin action for Coach Jaime Amaral’s Civic team begins Friday morning at 9:00am against the Nepean Hotspurs Octane and continues in the afternoon with a 1:00pm contest against the Burlington Bayhawks. Final round-robin action will see the Civics play the Vaughan Azzurri at 9:00am Saturday morning. The top four teams will then advance to the medal rounds.
Other teams in the soccer competition include the Brampton Brams United Bandits, Thunder Bay Chill, Windsor Eastside Kickers and North Mississauga GU15.
August 13, 2012. Ryan leads way as Civics offence erupts (by Jerret Semczyszyn, The Sault Star)
Mercedes Ryan had a hot boot in WOYSL action over the weekend, as she contributed 5 goals in two games.
The Sault ‘97 Civics Girls had no trouble producing offence over the weekend.
In a pair of lop-sided victories against the Owen Sound SWAT, the Sault found the back of the net 11 times in a 6-0 victory on Saturday and a 5-0 win on Sunday.
In game action on Sunday, Mercedes Ryan completed the hat-trick as she contributed three goals in the win at Tom Tipton field. Logan Naccarato and Lydia Murray each chipped in with a goal.
Ryan also picked up a pair of goals in Saturday’s 6-0 rout, giving her a total of five goals in two games. Murray contributed two goals as well, and both Hali Studens and Sarah VanBoerdonk each scored one in the victory.
And though she was impressed with her personal performance over the weekend, Ryan credited her team’s ability to compete right up until the final whistle. She said consistency will be the key to the team’s success if they want to remain competitive at a high level moving forward.
“We did really well, we just have to continue playing until the end,” Ryan said. “We can’t let up when we’re ahead, we just have to keep going. It just goes to show that if we continue to play like we did this weekend, we can be successful at a high level.”
Just days away from the Ontario Summer Games in Toronto, Ont., Ryan said the pair of wins serve as a confidence booster heading into tournament play against the top teams in the province.
“This just means that we can play at the same level that other teams can play, because in this Western Ontario league there are teams that we will see later on,” she said. “We just want to prove that the Sault does have players that can compete with the best teams in Ontario at the Summer Games.”
Sault Civics head coach Jaime Amaral was pleased with his team’s performance over the weekend and he was impressed with their ability to play as a team.
“Quite honestly I think our biggest strength was the collective game and how we played as a team,” Amaral said. “Everybody supported each other, so if I had to highlight anything it would be the collective game and how they played as a unit.”
Despite an offensive showcase in the pair of wins, the coach was happy with the defensive effort displayed by his team as they picked up a pair of shutouts.
“(This weekend) wasn’t really a good test because this team really didn’t push us,” he said. “But at that same token it’s good to see a lot of good things happen. The girls defended well, we didn’t allow a goal so that’s the idea we had in mind coming into this weekend.”
In terms of league standings, Amaral said the wins were crucial. He also said they served as a boost in the team’s confidence and morale heading into the Summer Games this week.
“That’s six points, which will move us up in the standings,” he said. “This was the type of game that was going to push us in a more conducive position in the standings, and it was a morale booster for the team so it put us in the right frame of mind.”
The Sault ‘97 Civics Girls will head to Toronto Wednesday, where they will compete for a provincial title August 16-19.
August 11, 2012. Civics to get Summer Games tuneup (by Mike Verdone, The Sault Star)
Elisa Caputo, assistant coach of the Girls Under-15 Civics, goes over some strategy with her players.
Sault Civics U15 girls head coach Jaime Amaral is looking at this weekend as a warm up to the Ontario Summer Games, which his team will participate in next week in Toronto, from Aug. 16-19.
Amaral says the Civics are a talented squad that has gone 3-2-1 (wins, losses, ties) in Western Ontario Youth Soccer League action this season.
But the girls have yet to peak.
He is hoping two games this weekend against the Owen Sound SWAT at the Sault’s Tom Tipton Park will help put a fine edge on his team, and better prepare his girls for the Summer Games next week.
Amaral says his girls do not play many WOYSL regular season games. Today’s game against the SWAT (5 p.m.) and Sunday’s match up (11 a.m.) are opportunities for the Civics to play a higher calibre team on the eve of the Toronto tournament.
Even though Owen Sound does not have an impressive record in the WOYSL, 1-6-2 (wins, losses, ties), it is a speedy team that plays very well at times.
“They have been inconsistent, so it’s very difficult to predict which team is going to show up,” Amaral says. “They’ve got quite a bit of speed up front and they could become quite dangerous.”
The Civics faced Owen Sound just once this season, during the Kick-off Cup in Strathroy, Ont., in May, where they defeated the SWAT 5-1.
Civics keeper Mikaela Caputo says the SWAT have “some good players” the Civics must keep a close eye on.
“That means we can’t let them get through,” she says.
Caputo agrees with her coach’s assessment that the Civics have yet to hit their stride this season. However, she is optimistic that will change beginning this weekend against the SWAT.
“We haven’t played to our full potential, but I think that can all change because we’re really excited for these games and we want to show everyone what we can do,” she said.
The games this weekend will be great practice that will reveal what the Civics “must improve on for the (Summer) Games,” Caputo said.
The Sault team must be physically prepared to play in Toronto next week, but they must also “be ready mentally” for the competition they will face, she says.
“We have to have our heads in the game, and we have to be focused all the time.”
Amaral knows very little about the competition his team will face at the Summer Games.
He says putting up a strong defence and being able to change strategy on the fly during a game will be most important, and he is confident his team can meet those challenges.
“I believe defence will be the key … We’ll have to really adapt and adjust and we’ll have to be quick at that,” he said.
“The girls are good, they are very mature tactically. They’ll be able to do that,” he said.
The Summer Games will be the largest tournament in which Caputo has ever played. She is eager to get going.
“It’s a great opportunity for all of us on the team to have a chance to play, because not many teams are able to go to these games. It means a lot” to me.
Nearly 2,500 athletes will compete in 28 sports during the 2012 Ontario Summer Games at venues in Toronto and in the surround area.
Opening ceremonies are set for Thursday night, Aug. 16. The Civics begin the tournament with two games on Friday. They are guaranteed to play at least three games.
The Ontario Summer Games are held every four years.
August 10, 2012. Sault girls say Canadian victory serves as inspiration (by Mike Verdone, The Sault Star)
The Canadian Women’s Soccer Team continued to make headlines Thursday at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England.
The women’s team capped off a high profile week by doing something no previous Canadian women’s soccer team has ever done — win its first medal in Olympic history.
Canada defeated France 1-0 in an extra frame to earn a bronze medal during a game played in Coventry.
It was also Canadas’s first Summer Games medal in a traditional team sport since 1936, when the men’s basketball team won silver.
And it was sweet retribution for the women’s team that finished last in the World Cup last year, where they were handily defeated 4-0 by the same French team.
Diana Matheson, a midfielder from Oakville, Ont., was the hero of the medal game on Thursday by scoring 92 minutes into the match on a long shot that got past French goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi.
The victory Thursday is likely to raise the profile of women’s soccer in Canada, and even inspire a new generation of young female players to take to soccer pitches across the country, local enthusiasts say.
“I thought it was great for our country,” said Mikaela Caputo, 15, who is a keeper with the Sault Civics U15 team. “It shows other people my age that if they work even harder, maybe some day they could play for the team.”
France outplayed the Canadian team in the second half of the game and hit the goal post several times, but was unable to get a shot past Canada’s goalie.
“Erin McLeod made some fabulous saves,” said Caputo.
Claudia Levesque, head coach of the Sault Civics U17 squad, says the victory Thursday will likely stir young Canadian girls to become more dedicated to the sport.
“It’s a huge accomplishment. Women’s soccer has been big in the last few years in the U.S., and it’s now starting to grow,” she said. “It’s pretty exciting for Canada to even be in the top three of women’s soccer."
Winning the bronze medal proves Canada can compete at the elite level with any team in the world, says U15 Civics player, Mercedes Ryan.
“It will show people soccer is a sport everybody can play,” said the 15-year-old.
The Canadian women suffered a controversial 4-3 loss to the U.S. in the semifinals on Tuesday in a game that turned on a call by a referee.
Captain Christine Sinclair, and other Canadian players, said at the time they believed the game was decided by the officials.
“I still get upset thinking about it (the U.S. game),” said Kala Studens, a member of the U18 Civics team who watched the semifinal contest with her entire team.
“We were just going nuts … It’s so discouraging when something like that happens, especially on such a big scale like the Olympics,” Studens said.
She was proud Canada was able to bounce back from the U.S. game to defeat France.
“To bounce back, it took a lot of integrity for them to do that. They said they were going to promise Canada a medal, so that’s what they had to focus on for this game.”
Studens said Canada’s victory will “definitely inspire” young players across the country.
“Watching that just made me want to play more soccer. It just made me want to get better at it,” she said.
Kyleigh Binkley, 22, is the head coach of the U11 Civics girls. She agrees with Studens's observations.
“It’s going to motivate the young girls, absolutely. I know the girls I coach, all they’ve been talking about at each practice is the Canadian girl’s team and how they’ve been playing,” said Binkley.
She expects Thursday’s game to be the main topic of conversation among her girls when the meet next.
“For the girls that want to play soccer, I think it’s going to encourage them to play more.”
The Canadian women finished eighth in their Olympic debut four years ago in Beijing.
August 9, 2012. Civics U15 Girls off to Summer Games (by Mike Verdone, The Sault Star)
Eighteen Sault Ste. Marie teens with the Sault Civics Under 15 Girls soccer team are off to Toronto next week to compete at the Ontario Summer Games, from Aug. 16-19.
They will join nearly 2,500 athletes that will compete in 28 sports at venues across Toronto and in the surrounding areas.
It will not be the first time U15 head coach Jaime Amaral has brought a team to compete at the Games, which are held every four years in the province.
Eight years ago he coached another local team at the Summer Games, and it proved to be a memorable experience for those players.
“I was there eight years ago with a different team. It was quite an experience. And the girls, to this day, they still talk about that,” Amaral said Wednesday night. “It’s a great opportunity for the girls. It’s a unique experience.”
Eight teams will compete in the U15 girls division at the tournament, two groups of four.
The Sault Civics team gained entry to the Games because it was the only team from the Northern region that applied to compete.
No teams from Timmins, Sudbury or North Bay put in to play, Amaral says.
“Nobody applied, so we basically got in by acclamation.”
Opening ceremonies for the Games are set for next Thursday. The Civics will open the tournament with two games on Friday. They are guaranteed to play three games.
Amaral says his girls have not hit their stride yet this season.
“We haven’t played enough games to be in game shape,” he said. “We could do better.”
The Civics are 3-2-1 (wins-losses-ties) in the Western Ontario Youth Soccer League this season.
Amaral’s girls will get a chance to hone their skills in two games this weekend in the Sault when they host the Owen Sound SWAT at Tom Tipton Park on Saturday, at 5 p.m., and Sunday, at 11 a.m.
“They have quite a few speedsters on that team,” Amaral says.
He describes the Civics as a well-balanced team that is led offensively by Mercedes Ryan and Lydia Murray.
Amaral is also looking to keeper Mikaela Caputo to come up big next week in Toronto.
“We definitely need that. For us to compete we need to have a solid goalkeeper behind us, and our defence to support the goalkeeping, and the rest of the team to provide the effort.”
He says his team is at a disadvantage to some degree because the pool of talent the Civics can draw from in the Sault is considerably smaller than the number of players teams in larger cities - such as Toronto or London - can draw from.
That means his team must “really work hard. And play with a competitive edge,” he says.
Amaral has been coaching the core group of the team for four years.
August 1, 2012. U11 girls make it to finals in the Sudbury Impact Tournament (by Jane Mesich, team parent)
The U11 Girls Sault Civics Rage exhibited some tournament nerves early on in their first game but came on strong to win 4-0 against the Greater Sudbury Rocks. Jalen Gagnon, Alyssa Rizzo, Brie Schuurhuis, and Madison Vernelli were the goal scorers.
In the second game of the day, against Barrie Spirit, the girls settled in and won fairly easily by a score of 4-0. Jalen Gagnon, Paige Mathewson, Alyssa Rizzo, and Brie Schuurhuis were the goal scorers.
In the last game of the day on Saturday, the girls met a strong defense in the Greater Sudbury Lady Lightning, but managed to win 1-0. Jayme Meser scored the lone goal.
In the semifinals on Sunday morning, the girls played another strong game against North Bay Selects winning 2-0. Both goals scored by Jalen Gagnon. They went on to the finals and lost in a very close battle against Lake Simcoe by a score of 0-1.
Jacey Duguay was strong in net for the injured Emma Rushon and, with help from a solid defense (Hannah Boyonoski, Isabella Caruso, Amber Clement, Dorian Korab, Jayme Meser, and Catherine Mesich) and midfield (Sophia Calibani, Tiana Demeo, Hanna Jodoin, Olivia Mulholland and Christinea Velcich), only allowed one goal the entire weekend. The girls played extremely well in their second outing of the year and everyone was pleased with their silver medals.
July 31, 2012. U15 Boys win silver in Sudbury (by Frank Sacchetta, team coach)
The U15 Boys Sault Civics Fire soccer team returned home this past weekend with a silver medal from the Greater Sudbury Impact Soccer Tournament.
In their first of three Saturday games, the U15 boys defeated Barrie Spirit 2–1. Goals were scored by Jacob Palmerio and Earl Gibbs.
The second game ended in a 1–0 score against Greater Sudbury Impact U15. The lone goal was scored by Quinten Grimm. Michael Chilelli posted the shutout.
The third game was a 4–3 loss to the Greater Sudbury Impact U14 team. Goals were scored by Trent Sepkowski, Can Cui and Bradley Brideaux.
The Semi-Final game on Sunday morning was a rematch against the Greater Sudbury Impact U14 team but this time the outcome was a 2–1 win for the Sault Civics Fire. The goal scorers were Jabob Palmerio and Quinten Grimm.
During the Final Game on a hot Sunday afternoon, the Sault boys had nothing left and could not capitalize on their chances losing to the Whitby Iroquois 4 – 1. The Sault goal was scored by Bradley Brideaux.
The U15 Boys Sault Civics Fire have now won Two Gold Medals and One Silver Medal so far this Soccer Season.
July 30, 2012. U13 Green Circle Boys Civics capture gold in Sudbury (by Anthony Zappacosta, team coach)
The U-13 Boys Civics team once again advanced to the finals in their second tournament of the year, only this time came away as tournament champions this past weekend in Sudbury.
The boys went undefeated during preliminary play with 3 wins and a tie which enabled them to capture 1st in the group and, as a result, advanced to the finals.
They would face a strong North Bay squad, however the Sault Civics would not be denied winning the game 2-1 in a penalty shoot-out.
In summary, the Civics defeated the Greater Sudbury Blaze 2-0 in their opening game. Lucas Stefano and Kristian Shuttleworth were the scorers.
The second game resulted in a 5-0 win over Great Sudbury 98/99. Paul Zappacosta led the way with 2 goals and singles going to David Gioia, Daniel VanBoerdonk and Lucas Stefano.
The 3rd game resulted in a 2-2 tie with the North Bay Selects Vipers. Nick Smith scored one with a last minute game tying goal provided by David Gioia.
The Civics beat the Sudburnia All-Stars, in their fourth and final preliminary game 3-1. Nick Smith notched 2 goals with Lucas Stefano adding the other.
The four wins allowed the team to advance to the finals to play North Bay. This would be a hard fought battle with the score tied 1-1 after regulation and overtime. The game would have to be settled in a penalty shoot-out. The Sault would not be denied outscoring their opponent 4-3. Goal scorers in the shoot-out were Nick Smith, Kristian Shuttleworth, Christian Vecchio and David Gioia.
Strong goaltending throughout the tournament was provided by Aaron Grawbarger, with 2 shutouts and a very solid performance in the final game.
Next action for the U-13 boys will be on August 18 when they travel to play in the Green Bay Soccer Invitational.
July 30, 2012. Sault Civics Spirit score silver in Sudbury (by Luis Lima, team coach)
It was a rewarding weekend for the Sault Civics Spirit U-12 girls.
The team reached the final of the Sudbury Impact soccer tournament through team effort, determination and a great passing game.
The Spirit started the tournament with a 3-1 win against North Bay Selects Saturday morning with goals from Heather Marsh, Abby Logan, and Madelin Meyers.
Saturday afternoon the Spirit clinched a spot in the final by beating South Simcoe United 1-0 in a hard fought game under intense heat. Summer Harman provided the game winning goal while Hailee Young posted the shutout.
Sunday morning the Spirit met their competition for the final in the last of the round-robin games losing 2-0 to last year’s winners the Bradford Eagles.
In Sunday afternoon’s final the Sault Civics Spirit played a fantastic game, however Bradford proved to be the tournament favourites and defeated the Spirit 2-0 for the second time in the day.
Tournament game MVPs for the Spirit were Summer Harman, Annie Damignani, Hailee Young, and Mia Giuliano. The coaching staff thanks all the players for their sportsmanship and effort throughout this tournament.
Upcoming competition for the Sault Civics Spirit will see them travel to Brantford on August 11th-12th weekend to compete in the Brantford Classic soccer tournament. GO SPIRIT!
July 30, 2012. RBCDS Sault Civics Scorpions victorious in Sudbury (by Maud Hodson, team manager)
Congratulations to the U11 Boys RBCDS Sault Civics Scorpions for their championship at the Greater Sudbury Impact Soccer Tournament this past weekend!
It was a solid team effort for the Scorpions who outscored their opponents 18-2 in round robin play. The Scorpions beat Greater Sudbury Falcons 6-0, then Tri-town Tigers 4-0, and then North bay 8-2.
In semi final play the RBCDS Sault Civics Scorpions were victorious against North Bay to a score of 6-0.
The Scorpions then played in the finals, and were victorious with a hard fought battle over the Sudbury Impact. The final game ended 4-1 with 3 goals being scored in the first 10 minute overtime.
The boys competed very hard all weekend and were rewarded for their results! Congratulations Sault Civic RBCDS Scorpions!!
July 30, 2012. Tenaris/SIS U-16 Vipers win one of three games in WOYSL weekend play (by by John Febbraro, team parent)
The Tenaris/SIS U-16 Vipers had one win and two losses in Southern Ontario over the weekend in WOYSL action.
In a rain filled 1st game vs London Fusion the Vipers scored with 5 minutes left to play and won 3-2.
Vanessa Rota had 2 goals while Emily Soares scored the winner with time running out.
In game 2 the Vipers couldn't manage to get things going and lost to second place Byron Athletica 5-2. Rota, who was on fire all weekend, scored both Vipers' goals.
The last game of the weekend was against the undefeated North London Galaxy. After only being down 1-0 at half time to the powerful Galaxy team, the Vipers lost 3-0.
Next WOYSL action for the Vipers is Aug 11th & 12th in Waterloo.
July 29, 2012. U14 Civics Girls tie London in Western League play (by Adam Caughill, team manager)
U14 Civics defender Megan Sizer prepares to tackle London striker Josee Kelly in WOYSL action Sunday
For the second consecutive weekend the Sault Civics Surge U14 girls soccer team combined a Saturday tie with a Sunday loss to earn a single point in WOYSL league play.
On Saturday night in London, Ontario, the Civics Surge rode a first half goal from mid-fielder Meagan DeMeo to a 1-1 tie with London Portuguese AC Dragons.
In Sunday's match against the same London squad, the Surge were unable the penetrate offensively and fell 1-0 after a scoreless first half.
Surge Head Coach Jeff Conley didn't hold back his disappointment with the weekend, citing a "lacklustre performance" from his team.
"We came out flat and got beat by a less-talented team. There's no way we should be dropping points to that team this late in the season."
Conley was quick to look at the positive side. "We've got a weekend off before our final WOYSL series and the girls have two weeks to prepare for a strong finish. We know we can play with any team in this league and beating Kitchener will be a good way to finish the season."
Next action for the Civics Surge is an August 18-19 series in the Sault against Kitchener Spirit.
The U14 Civics Surge were the recent benefactors of a weekend series forfeiture by Cambridge United. The Surge picked up six points from Cambridge's no-show in the Sault two weeks ago and now sit with a 4-2-6 record in WOYSL league play.
July 24, 2012. U17 girls enjoy challenge at USA Cup (by Jerret Semczyszyn, The Sault Star)
The finals of the Schwan's USA Cup was an international soccer showdown between Canada and Norway.
And despite falling just shy of striking gold in Minnesota, the Sault U17 Girls Civics turned in a remarkable performance throughout the week-long tournament.
The locals dropped a 2-1 decision against Norwegian squad Il Bjarg, a team that owned its opponents en route to a berth in Saturday's final.
But Sault head coach Claudia Hryniewicz said her team's defensive play put a damper on the Norwegians' high-powered offence and kept the game within reach until the final whistle.
“We were very happy,” she said. “Our goal was to make it that far in the USA Cup, and that Norway team had been trampling every other team in the tournament. To only score two goals against us, we thought we did a pretty good job of shutting them down.”
The heat was a factor in the late afternoon game, Hryniewicz said, but the team battled exhaustion and gave everything they had in an attempt to equalize the score.
“We pushed hard for that last goal,” she said. “It was so hot, and the girls were exhausted, so by the end of the game they left everything on the field. We actually had more opportunities in the first half and we had a few breakaways that we didn't capitalize on, but all in all it was a very close game.”
The coach attributed the team's overall success to both the defence and the outstanding play of goaltender Brooke Bellerose, who allowed just three goals in the entire tournament and posted four straight shut-outs heading into the semifinals.
“The defence played phenomenally, and the keeper did as well,” Hryniewicz said. “We gave up only three goals in the entire tournament in six games, and I think the defence did an amazing job as well as the goalkeeper.”
The team amassed 14 goals in the six-game tournament, and did not allow a single goal against in round-robin play. Among the Sault's goal scorers throughout the week were Amy Francella, Mikayla Ferlaino, Hannah Murray and Olivia Pastore.
Murray, the Sault's captain, said their opening game against the Wright County Chaos was one of the toughest challenges of the week, and the win set the tone for the rest of the tournament.
“The first game we played that was probably one of the hardest teams, but we all just came together and played really well,” Murray said. “Then the other games following that, the teams weren't as strong but we still had a pretty good challenge.”
Murray said the team was looking forward to the USA Cup all season, and it was the biggest tournament they had competed in.
“It was definitely the biggest (tournament) we've been in,” she said. “We went to Petoskey and lost in the finals in that one, but we're going to one or two more.”
The team no longer participates in Western Ontario Youth Soccer League play, but takes part in numerous tournaments and competes against local women's teams and other Sault Civics teams.
The captain said the team will continue to work on conditioning in upcoming practices and games, which was one area that needs improvement.
“Lately we've been doing a lot of conditioning,” Murray said. “Our team is really strong, then late in the second-half we start to get tired and it starts to fall apart. For the past few weeks we've really been working on conditioning and jogging a lot in practice.”
Next tournament action for the U17 Girls Civics is August 17-19 when they participate in the St. Clair Shores Waterfront Invitational.
July 23, 2012. U15 Civics girls WOYSL action in London (by Marty Rimmer, team parent)
The Sault's U-15 Civics won a pair of WOYSL games this past weekend in London. Mercedes Ryan and Lydia Murray each scored two goals in a 4-1 victory over the North London Galaxy on Saturday evening.
Then Civics followed up with a 5-1 victory over the Oakridge Outlaws on Sunday morning. Ryan fired another pair of goals while Alexandra Berlingieri, Kaylin Paquette and Murray added single markers in the Sunday contest.
The victories enabled the Civics to even up their league record at three wins and three losses placing them in fifth in the eight team division with three games in hand on the league leaders.
Next action for Coach Jaime Amaral’s Civic squad will be the weekend of August 4th-5th when they return to London for a pair of league games against the London Marconi Matrix and North London Galaxy.
July 23, 2012. Civics Surge finish weekend in sixth place (by Jerret Semczyszyn, The Sault Star)
After a remarkable comeback in the first game of two Western Ontario Youth Soccer League matches, the Sault U14 Civics Surge came up just short in Game 2.
The locals found themselves in a scoreless tie until late in the second half, but after a late goal against they fell 1-0 to Sarnia on Sunday at Strathclair Fields.
They finished the weekend with a tie and a loss, which brings their record to two wins, one tie and five losses, good for sixth in WOYSL U14 girls standings.
Surge head coach Jeff Conley said he was satisfied with his team's performance against one of the strongest teams in the league.
“It was a very physical game, Sarnia is a very physical team and they are first place in WOYSL right now,” Conley said. “There's no disappointment in that loss, I think we played well and we fought back yesterday and tied them 2-2. It's just unfortunate we couldn't capitalize on our opportunities.”
Conley said the inability to capitalize on scoring opportunities was the reason for the loss on Sunday, and he said Sarnia was able to capitalize at an opportune time in the game. He also praised the play of goaltender Megan Girardi, who was strong in defeat.
“They were fortunate that when they had their opportunities they capitalized on them,” he said. “They buried where we would put it over the bar, but our girls fought hard, 110% and no quit which I am very proud of.”
The Surge head coach said the loss will be used as a building block as they head into London next weekend, and the lesson taken from defeat is to capitalize on their chances.
“I think we build on this,” Conley said. “We learn the lesson in the loss that when we have the opportunity we have to put it in the net. We play London next weekend, this is a good building block and we should be able to use it this week in practice to beat London.”
In Saturday evening's game, the Surge fell to a 2-0 deficit early in second-half play. The Sault stormed back to tie the game courtesy of a pair of goals from team-leading goalscorer Emily Calibani. The game ended in a draw.
The pair of goals by Calibani moves her into a tie for the lead in the league's goalscoring race with eight total on the season.
Next action for the Sault U14 Civics Surge will be Saturday when they take on London Portuguese in London. Start time is 6:30 p.m.
July 16, 2012. Offence dries up for U16 Civics (by Jerret Semczyszyn, The Sault Star)
The U16 Sault Civics Tenaris Vipers wrapped up a pair of weekend games against the defending Western Ontario Youth Soccer League champs at Tom Tipton Park.
In Saturday's contest, the Vipers battled to a 0-0 draw against Waterloo United followed by a 5-0 loss on Sunday. After the pair of contests their record moves to 2-3-3 for the season, good for fifth place in the league.
Vipers' head coach Mark Ciotti said goal scoring was the team's major downfall against one of the elite teams in the division, but the team played well defensively.
“Saturday's game was a lot better than Sunday's game,” he said. “The girls played well, we were very strong on the defensive side of the ball. Our scoring seems to be lacking, we've been kind of working on that in practice.”
Ciotti said missed clearing opportunities contributed to the loss on Sunday along with the lack of offence.
“Defensively (Sunday) we had a couple of plays where the girls kind of took the play off, and once you do that in soccer it sometimes goes against you and it did,” he said. “There were a couple scrambles in front of our net where we didn't capitalize on opportunities to clear the ball and it ended up in the back of our net.”
Overall the coach said his team played solid defensively, but he commended Alicia Mlynarczyk's performance over the weekend in particular.
“She had a great weekend,” Ciotti said. “Defensively she played well, and she moved the ball well. I don't know how many headers she had, but she really came to play this weekend.”
The Vipers' next action will take place south of the border in Minnesota in this week's Schwan's USA Cup in St. Paul, Minn. They depart today for the tournament which runs July 16-21, and the competition marks the first non-WOYSL event the team has played in two years.
“We're pretty optimistic, this is actually our first tournament in two years since we've been playing in the WOYSL and we haven't had the opportunity to get back into tournaments,” Ciotti said. “So the girls are very excited about this week.”
Ciotti said the tournament will be used as a learning experience to hone their skills for their return to WOYSL play. He said he expects his team to compete, and he hopes to see an improvement from this past weekend's lacklustre offensive production.
“Our goal is to compete as best as we can,” he said. “We work on all of our skills in practice, and we want to get better game-by-game.”
• In other action in the Sault this past weekend, the U17 Civics dropped two of three games in Ontario Cup play. On Saturday, the team dropped a 4-0 decision to the Richmond Hill Raiders. In their second game Saturday, the Sault club battled to a 1-1 draw against the Aurora Stingers. They wrapped up their weekend with an 8-2 loss at the hands of Windsor Eastside Kickers. Mikayla Ferlaino had a pair of goals and Amy Francella had one for the Sault over the weekend.
Next action for the U17 Sault Civics takes place this week in St.Paul, Minn. at the Schwan's USA Cup July 16-22.
July 14, 2012. Busy weekend at home for Civics (by Mike Verdone, The Sault Star)
Local girls’ soccer teams will busy this weekend when five teams come to Sault Ste. Marie to play in the first leg of the Ontario Cup, and Western Ontario Youth Soccer League games.
The Sault Civics Under-17 team will kick off the weekend at 11 a.m. this morning (Saturday) against the Richmond Hill Raiders Green, at Strathclair Field 2.
“I think they’re seeded No. 1,” says Sault head coach Claudia Levesque.
“We’re going to have to come up big in our first game. It’ll probably be our toughest of the weekend and we’re just going to have to be on top of our game and play tough,” Levesque said.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how they (my girls) hold up against this team,” she said.
The U-17 girls will take to the field a few hours later when they suit up against the Aurora Stingers at 3 p.m., at Strathclair Field 1.
The Civics will play their third and final game of round robin action on Sunday, at 10 a.m., against the Windsor Eastside Kickers, at Strathclair Field 6.
The team with the most points after round robin play this weekend will advance to the next round of the Ontario Cup in August.
Levesque says her team’s goal is to make it to the next round.
“After this weekend we’ll have a better idea of kind of where we stand, because the Ontario Cup is a big deal,” she said.
The U-17 team does not play in the WOYSL. It suits up at tournaments, but plays against teams in the Sault women’s league to stay sharp.
“We’ve won, we’ve tied and we’ve lost a couple as well.
They (our team) hold their own in the league, and it’s great competition for them too.”
Levesque’s team has taken to the field in just one tournament so far this season. The group played at the annual Petoskey Invitational Tournament in Petoskey, Mich., in mid-June, where it lost in the semifinals.
Playing in the Canada Cup this weekend will be a warm up - of sorts - for the Civics, who head to Minnesota on Monday for the U.S.A. Cup.
“We’re gone for a week right after the Ontario Cup finishes,” Levesque said.
“It’s massive. It’s a very, very large tournament. We lost in the semifinals last year at the U.S.A. Cup.”
In WOYSL girls action this weekend:
• The U13 Civics will meet the Guelph Royals today (Saturday) at Strathclair 1, at 2 p.m.
• The U16 Civics will host the Waterloo United at Tom Tipton Field today at 7 p.m.
• The U13 girls will face Guelph again on Sunday, 11 a.m., at Strathclair 1
• The U16 Civics play their second game against Waterloo on Sunday, 11 a.m., at Tom Tipton.
July 11, 2012. Civics Shock U12 Girls Red face tough competition in Cambridge, Ontario (by Paul Nanne, team parent)
Sault Civics Shock U12 Girls Red faced tough competition in their third tournament of the 2012 soccer season in Cambridge, Ontario on July 7 and 8. Competing in the 2012 Cambridge Heritage Tournament, the Sault SHOCK finished the round robin portion of the tournament with 1 tie and 2 losses.
The Sault Shock lost their first game 3-0 against Cambridge United A, the eventual winner of the tournament. They followed with a 0-0 tie with Georgetown and a 2-0 loss to Barrie.
Goalkeeper Emma Hendrie achieved a shutout in the second game of the tournament.
“We faced strong defensive teams in both of our losses and questionable referee calls affected us in our second game. The girls fought hard and didn’t give up against the opposition,” says Coach Alison Bodnar.
“The team will learn from this tournament and we look forward to competing in Newmarket next month.”
The next tournament comes early in August with the team heading back to southern Ontario for the Newmarket CAA Heart of York Summer Classic Soccer Tournament on the August 11-12 weekend.
July 2, 2012. U14 Civics girls drop two in Guelph (by Adam Caughill, team manager)
The U14 Civics Surge girls soccer team dropped two straight road games in Western Ontario Soccer League action this past weekend.
On Saturday, the Surge fell to the Guelph Royals by a 2-1 score at the University of Guelph soccer complex. The Sault's lone goal was a second half marker from forward Bailie Malmloff.
On Sunday, despite controlling play for the majority of the game, the Sault squad dropped a 3-2 decision to the Royals and returned home winless. Emily Calibani scored both goals for the Surge, who fall to 2-4-0 in WOYSL regular season play.
"We deserved a better fate this weekend", quipped Surge coach Jeff Conley. "Both games were ours to win. We didn't cash in on our chances which, quite frankly, could have put either game out of reach for Guelph.
We let them stay close and got burned on a couple of costly mistakes."
Next action for the Surge are two games in the Sault on July 14 and 15 versus Cambridge United.
June 26, 2012. Civics Shock U12 Girls Red just miss out in St. Thomas tournament (by Paul Nanne, team parent)
Sault Civics Shock U12 Girls Red wrapped up their second tournament of the 2012 soccer season in St. Thomas on June 23 and 24.
Competing in the 2012 Soccerfest, the Sault SHOCK finished the round robin portion of the tournament with 3 wins and 1 loss. Although they had a winning record, they failed to secure a playoff spot.
The Sault SHOCK lost their first game 3-1 against Brantford City. They returned to win their final 3 games; 1-0 victory against the St. Thomas Scorpions, a 7-0 landslide over the Sarnia Spirit and a 3-0 win over the Tecumseh Warriors.
Goalkeeper Emma Hendrie achieved 3 shutouts in the tournament. Offensively, Taryn Gazankas and Makenzi Chartrand each captured 3 goals. Emily Weir and Tiffany Davies netted 2 goals each, while Jadyn Deschene and Emily Scarpino added singles.
“The team continued to perform well in this tournament. Strong goaltending and an aggressive offense were key to our wins in the round robin games. Unfortunately, it still wasn’t enough to secure a top spot in the tournament”, says Coach Alison Bodnar.
“The team is still looking for that first tournament win. With a bit more hard work, it’s within their reach.”
The next tournament comes early in July with the team heading back to southern Ontario for the Cambridge Heritage Soccer Tournament on the July 7-8 weekend.
June 26, 2012. Under-15 Civics split (from Local sports briefs, The Sault Star)
The Sault's U-15 Civics split a pair of WOYSL games this past weekend in London. Logan Naccarato had a pair of goals and Lydia Murray added a single marker in Saturdays 3-1 win over the Oakridge Outlaws.
The Civics followed up on Sunday with a hard fought 5-4 loss to the Marconi Matrix of London. Mercedes Ryan had a pair of goals while Martina Pulente and Naccarato fired single markers in the loss.
Next action for the Civics squad will be the weekend of July 14-15th when the Guelph Royals visit the Sault for a pair of league games at Tom Tipton Park.
June 20, 2012. U15 Boys Civics now two for two (by Frank Sacchetta, team coach)
The U15 Boys Sault Civics Fire soccer team returned home this past weekend with their second gold medal in less than a month. This time defeating the home town Petoskey Lakers 3 – 2 during the 30th Annual Petoskey Invitational Tournament.
The Sault led 2–0 going into the second half until the Lakers tied the game forcing two 5 minute overtime periods and then penalty shots. The Sault boys scored all 5 of their penalty kicks while Petoskey missed one.
The first two goals of the game were scored by Earl Gibbs and Rocky Krancevich. The penalty shooters were Rocky Krancevich, Marcus Sacchetta, Bradley Brideaux, Earl Gibbs and Quinten Grimm.
Michael Chilelli provided strong goaltending the entire match.
During the first game of the tournament the Sault defeated the Petoskey Lakers 3–0. Goal scorers were Can Cui, Quinten Grimm and Earl Gibbs. Shutout by Michael Chilelli.
The second game ended in a 0–0 tie against Holly Heat. Shutout goaltending this time by Avery Ciotti.
The third game, which was a semi-final game in the six team U15 boys division, ended with a 3–0 win over FC Marquette Blurr. Goals were scored by Earl Gibbs, Can Cui and Dylan Robertson. Shutout goaltending by Michael Chilelli.
The Sault Civics Fire first tournament championship this year was in Traverse City during the month of May in which they defeated the Traverse City Team to win the Cherry Capital Cup Tournament.
The entire team deserves credit as they have all contributed to a successful start to the year. Other team players include Cody Brideaux, Jacob Palmerio, Anthony Policicchio, Jake Jackson, Aaron Lidstone, Chris Sabourin, Trent Sepkowski, Daniel Zagordo and Billy Szlag.
June 19, 2012. U13 Green Circle Boys Civics win silver in Petoskey (by Anthony Zappacosta, team coach)
The U-13 Boys Civics team performed very well in their first tournament of the year this past weekend in Petoskey.
The boys went undefeated during preliminary play with 4 wins which enabled them to capture 1st place in their pool and, as a result, advanced to the finals.
Unfortunately, they ran into a strong team from London, Ontario and had to settle for the silver medal.
In summary, the Civics defeated the Fruitport Fire in their opening game 11-0. Kristian Shuttleworth notched 5 goals with David Gioia, Daniel VanBoerdonk and Daniel Martella each adding 2 apiece.
The second game resulted in a 6-0 win over Cadillac Energy. Lucas Stefano led the way with 3 goals, Paul Zappacosta added 2 with Kristian Shuttleworth getting the other.
The 3rd game resulted in a 7-2 victory over South West Michigan. Nick Smith had 3, with David Gioia and Lucas Stefano adding 2 each.
The Civics beat the host team, Petoskey Lightning, in their fourth and final preliminary game 4-0. Andrew Berg, Daniel Martella, Lucas Stefano and David Gioia all added singles.
The four wins allowed the team to advance to the finals to play the Norwest Arsenal which resulted in a 4-0 loss.
Strong goaltending throughout the tournament was provided by Aaron Grawbarger, with 3 shutouts and a very solid performance in the final game.
Next action for the U-13 boys will be on July 28 when they travel to play in the Greater Sudbury Impact Tournament.
June 19, 2012. Tenaris/SIS U-16 Vipers pointless in WOYSL weekend play (by John Febbraro, team parent)
The Tenaris/SIS Vipers lost a pair of games at home this weekend to the 1st place North London Galaxy.
A 2-0 defeat on Saturday followed by a 5-0 loss on Sunday. The Vipers drop to a 2-1-3 win-draw-loss record good for seven points and are tied for third place in WOYSL play.
The Vipers played a very tight game on Saturday in a losing cause and on Sunday the Vipers plagued by injuries couldn't tame the powerful Galaxy team.
The Vipers are off for three weeks to heal their wounds and host Waterloo United Saturday July 14th at Tom Tipton field. Game time at 7:00 pm and Sunday July 15th at 11:00 am at Strathclair.
June 18, 2012. Surge beats Galaxy in final minute (by Jerret Semczyszyn, The Sault Star)
The Sault U14 Civics Surge capped off a pair of weekend matches against the North London Galaxy with a thrilling 3-2 victory at Starthclair Fields on Sunday.
With under a minute remaining in regulation time, a shot from the foot of Maggie Kirk handcuffed the Galaxy goalkeeper as she bobbled the ball that appeared to have bounced over her head. An act of desperation by the keeper could not keep the ball from crossing the goal line.
"I was standing right there when I noticed that Maggie took the shot," said Surge forward Bailie Malmloff. "She got a hard shot off, so the keeper kind of fumbled it and it went in. We really worked hard as a team to get it there and we just wouldn't quit."
Malmloff scored one of the team's two first-half goals as she fired a shot that found the top corner of the North London goal. Mariah Fata opened the scoring earlier in the half.
"I just got the ball, took my time and squared it up and then shot it," Malmloff said. "It felt pretty good."
The Surge led by a pair at the half following a few narrow misses, including a shot by Emily Calibani that struck the crossbar in the late stages of the first frame.
At the start of the second half, North London battled their way back into the game with a pair of quick goals to tie the score 2-2.
Surge head coach Jeff Conley said a combination of three injuries and a mental collapse were contributing factors as to why his team came out flat to start the second half, but he praised his goaltender for keeping the team in the game."
"The warrior was our goaltender, Megan Girardi," Conley said. "She was playing hurt and she gave 100% and she kept the girls in the game, and vice versa. The girls played very well in front of their keeper."
The remainder of the second half consisted of end-to-end play with both teams exchanging scoring chances. The game remained tied at two until the final minute tally by Kirk.
The Surge head coach said he is thrilled with his team's effort, which evens their record at 2-2 in Western Ontario Youth Soccer League standings. He said both Sunday's victory against North London and last week's win over Waterloo were confidence boosters for the club.
"I'm happy with the split this weekend," said Conley. I'm very proud of the team because they didn't quit. It was a total team effort because we had seven injuries throughout the game. We had players that had to step into positions they've never played before and the girls gave it 100% and regrouped after a 2-0 loss to London and played absolutely wonderful."
Next action for the U14 Civics Surge is a pair of games on the road against Guelph this upcoming weekend.
June 18, 2012. Civics U12 Girls Red kick off the 2012 season (by Paul Nanne, team parent)
Sault Civics Shock U12 Girls Red kicked off the 2012 soccer season with a challenging opening tournament in Michigan this past weekend.
Competing in all games against older division teams, the Sault Shock put their best foot forward to achieve respectable standings in the Petoskey Summer Invitational Tournament.
Losing their first two games 1-0 and their final game closing in a 0-0 tie, the defensive power of the team pulled out all stops.
“The team did very well this tournament. We entered this tournament knowing the girls would compete against the Michigan older division to provide the girls with an extra challenge to ready them for the season ahead. We always want to win but the girls did exceptionally well against the older, more seasoned players,” says coach Alison Bodnar.
Goalie Emma Hendrie blocked several attempts against the net letting in only 2 goals and recording a shutout in game 3.
The next tournament comes back to back with the team heading to the St. Thomas Soccerfest Tournament this upcoming June 22-23 weekend where it is expected they will compete against teams from the Southern Ontario region.
June 17, 2011. Civics Surge take revenge on Sunday (by Adam Caughill, team manager)
Civics' midfielder Samantha Battagin battles a North London Galaxy striker on Sunday at Strathclair Fields
On Sunday morning at Strathclair Fields, the U14 Sault Civics Surge walked away with a split of their Western Ontario Youth Soccer League (WOYSL) series with North London Galaxy.
With under one minute to play in Sunday's game, midfielder Maggie Kirk fired home the winning goal to break a 2-2 deadlock.
After surrendering a 2-0 halftime lead, the Civics regrouped for the eventual victory. Mariah Fata and Bailie Malmloff scored the first half goals for the Civics.
Megan Girardi made several key saves in goal.
On Saturday night, the Civics came out flat and lost 2-0 to the North London squad at Tom Tipton Park.
Coach Jeff Conley was happy to collect a win on Sunday but admitted frustration.
"For the second weekend in a row we came out flat on Saturday and were dominated, then a totally different Soo team shows up on Sunday and pulls out a win. We'll certainly be focused on how we prepare for our next series."
Conley did, however, credit his team for rebounding on Sunday, "That's a tough North London team with incredible speed. On Sunday, we were able to hold them to a few good chances and then we capitalized on our scoring chances."
Sunday's win gives the U14 Civics a 2-0-2 WOYSL record heading into a weekend series with Guelph Royals on June 30 and July 1.
June 11, 2012. U14 Civics split weekend series in Waterloo (by Adam Caughill, team manager)
The U14 Civics Surge Girls soccer team returned from Waterloo on Sunday with a split of their weekend series with Waterloo United in Western Ontario Youth Soccer League play.
On Saturday, the Civics were defeated 6-2 by WOYSL's top-ranked team, despite an outstanding effort by goalkeeper Megan Girardi. Emily Calibani and Danielle Watling scored the Civics goals in the loss.
On Sunday, in 32 degree heat, the Civics regrouped and turned the tables on the Waterloo squad with a dominating 5-1 victory.
Maggie Kirk kicked off the scoring for the Sault, followed by three goals from Calibani and a single marker from Ryea Caughill.
Civics Coach Jeff Conley was generous with his praise following Sunday's win.
"We (coaching staff) went with a different formation on Sunday and the girls executed beautifully. It sounds cliché, but it was a real team effort. The girls managed their energy well in the heat, moved the ball well, and defended as well as we have all season."
Conley credited Saturday's loss as the key motivator. "We learned a lot about ourselves after Saturday's loss and responded loudly. You can't take a day off in this league. All in all, it's a good start to our season."
The U14 Civics Surge are back in action Saturday June 16th at 5:00 PM at Tom Tipton Park and Sunday June 17th at 11:00 AM at Strathclair Fields.
June 11, 2012. U13 Civics' offence dries up (by Jerret Semczyszyn, The Sault Star)
The Sault U13 Northside VW Fury dropped both of its games this past weekend in Western Ontario Youth Soccer League regular season play.
Both losses came at the hands of the Byron Blaze at Tom Tipton field in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. In Saturday’s match the Sault was defeated 2-0, and on Sunday they came up short losing 1-0.
Fury head coach Marcel Rizzo said his team played well overall, but lacked in the offensive category as well as being victimized by some bad breaks.
“Overall I think the girls’ performance was strong, defensively anyway but unfortunately we’re having some challenges making the transition from defense to offense and getting some shots off,” Rizzo said. “Having said that, the game we played on Saturday could have very easily been a 2-2 game. We had two quality chances, one went off the cross-bar and one just grazed the outside of the post on a free kick.”
Although the Fury lacked in goal-scoring, Rizzo said the coaching staff thought both games should have resulted in draws. He said they needed to generate more quality shots on goal, but he said it’s still early in the season and there is plenty of time to improve.
Sault goaltender Payden Schuurhuif was strong in defeat in both games. Rizzo said she made numerous key saves to keep her squad in both games.
“(Schuuruif) brought her game forward and moved it to the next level,” he said. “Even though the score might not show it, her performance was critical in keeping us in both games.”
The Fury will continue regular season play as they travel to Kitchener to play the Kitchener Spirit on June 16.
June 5, 2012. Tenaris/SIS U16 Civic Vipers start WOYSL on right foot (by John Febbraro, team parent)
The Tenaris/SIS Civic Vipers collected four of a possible six points in their first two games of their WOYSL season over the weekend.
The Vipers tied Cambridge United 0-0 in the first game, which saw both teams trade chances. Jamie Ricard posted the shutout for the Vipers.
In game two, the Vipers scored late in the game to post a 2-1 victory. Down 1-0 heading into the second half, Christina Richer scored her first goal of the season off a free kick at the 10-minute mark.
The Vipers continued to put pressure on the Cambridge United defense throughout the second half. With 15 minutes left to play, a handball in the box resulted in a penalty shot for the Vipers. Daniella Febbraro made no mistake and scored, giving the Vipers the victory.
Next action for the Vipers is June 9 in London, followed by June 10 in Windsor.
June 4, 20102. Civics offence dries up in close encounters (by Michael Purvis, The Sault Star)
Civics Fury U-13 girls suffered a pair of 1-0 losses at home on the weekend as they made their Western Ontario Youth Soccer League regular season debut on the weekend.
The U-13 girls lost their first game to Cambridge United in a wet Saturday evening match. A penalty shot late in the game on Saturday on a hand ball call decided that game.
The Civics faced the same team Sunday morning, letting a lone goal slip past well into the second half.
Marcel Rizzo, the team’s head coach, said he thinks the girls had a good weekend, putting in a solid effort. He said he doesn’t think the score tells the whole story.
“Sometimes soccer can be a funny game. There can be unlucky bounces one way or the other that can decide games,” said Rizzo.
Both games were played at Tom Tipton Field.
Rizzo said hard-working defender Mackenzie Monaco had a good weekend.
“She’s instrumental in motivating the other players around her to step up their game and our defence continues to do that. They have for the last three years,” said Rizzo.
The Sault team is embarking on its first season in the WOYSL. The weekend’s games were the first of the regular season.
Rizzo said his objective for the team is to finish somewhere better than middle of the pack.
“Sometimes when you have those kind of objectives, people are going to say you’re reaching a bit,” said Rizzo. “I don’t think so at all.”
The team finished with a 1-1-1 record at theWOYSL’s Kickoff Cup, in Strathroy, Ont. last month, beating the Sarnia Sting and tying with London’s Eastside Kickers.
“There’s a bit of a perception that Northern Ontario teams can’t beat southern Ontario teams and I’m very confident in our girls’ abilities to play against southern Ontario teams,” said Rizzo. “They’ve shown, right from the get-go this weekend, that they can play with anyone,” he said.
The U-13 girls are back on their own turf again this coming weekend, when they face Byron Blaze in a pair of games.
Rizzo said the team will be looking to generate more scoring chances this time around.
This week, “We’ll see what’s working up front, what’s not working up front, and try to make changes accordingly,” he said.
Meanwhile, the U-15 girls also had a losing weekend at home, falling 3-2 Saturday and 4-2 on Sunday to Waterloo United.
The Sault team gave up a 2-1 lead in Saturday’s game, which was played in wet conditions.
On Sunday, the U-15 Civics suffered from a slow start, with Waterloo jumping by halftime to a 3-0, which the Sault team was not able to overcome.
Jaime Amaral, the U-15 team’s head coach, said Waterloo is a strong team, likely the strongest in the league. He said he expects his girls, who have had little playing time compared to their southern Ontario counterparts, to improve as the season goes on.
“Had we been able to draw (Waterloo) later in the season, I think it would have been a closer game,” on Sunday, said Amaral.
Next up for the U-15s is a June 23-24 road trip that will see the team take on the Oakland Outlaws and London’s Marconi Matrix.
May 25, 2012. Northside VW Fury progressive in tournament play (by Marcel Rizzo, team head coach)
The U-13 Sault Civics Northside VW Fury is looking forward to their inaugural season in the Western Ontario Youth Soccer League.
The Fury is fresh off their debut at the Kick Off Classic held in Tillsonburg, Ontario on May 19-20. This was the second tournament in as many weeks for the Fury.
At the Kick Off Classic the Fury beat Sarnia 2-1, tied Eastside 0-0 and lost to Norwest Bulldogs 3-0. Taija-Dawne Ryan and Lauren Rizzo scored for the Fury.
At the Midland Michigan Soccer Tournament held May 12-13 the Fury drew even with London Gryphons 0-0, tied Mt. Pleasant 1-1 and lost to La Forza 2-0. Jozee Stopar scored the lone goal for the Fury while Payden Schuurhuis posted two shutouts over the two tournaments.
Next action for the Fury is June 2 at Tom Tipton Field at 7:00 PM and June 3rd at 9:00 AM at Tom Tipton Field when the Northside VW Fury hosts Cambridge. They now turn their attention to preparing for their home opener.
May 22, 2012. Civics victimized by posts (by Michael Purvis, The Sault Star)
The outcome could have been better for the Sault Civics U-15 girls at this year’s league kick-off.
But considering it was the team’s first outdoor outing of the season, a semifinal loss, Jaime Amaral will take.
“We actually out-played and out-chanced the other team - we had three posts and two cross-bars - but we couldn’t put the ball in the net,” said Amaral, the team’s head coach. “All in all it was a very good effort from the girls.”
The U-15 team is just back from the Western Ontario Youth Soccer League Kick-Off Cup, in Strathroy, Ont.
The Sault team went 2-2 on the weekend, losing 3-1 to Waterloo United, beating the Oakridge Outlaws 3-0, and downing the Owen Sound SWAT 5-1, before losing to the Kitchener Spirit 2-0 in Sunday afternoon’s semifinal.
It tells Amaral the Civics will be competitive this season.
“We came here playing against teams who have been on the field for a couple of months now,” said Amaral.
The U-15 girls are one of four Civics squads competing in the WOYSL this summer. The Sault Civics Tenaris Vipers U-16 Girls Red, the Sault Civics Surge U-14 Girls Red, and the Sault Civics Fury U-13 Girls each participated in the Kick-Off Cup.
This U-15 Civics squad heads into its second season in the WOYSL this summer. They will be looking for payback when they play their first back-to-back home games against Waterloo June 2-3.
Last season, in their U-14 year, the same Sault girls finished tied with the Marconi Matrix for third spot in the eight-team L3 division of the WOYSL.
All but one of the team’s players from last year are back. Ashley Ouelett’s family moved to southern Ontario and she now plays for Whitby in the top-tier Ontario Youth Soccer League.
Aside from Ouelett, Amaral’s mainstays have returned, including star forward Mercedes Ryan, midfielders Lydia Murray and Sarah Van boerdonk, and Olivia Bruni at centre defence.
Ryan, who scored five goals on the weekend, suffered a twisted knee in Sunday’s win over Owen Sound, and Amaral said he opted to rest her in the semifinal game.
“We are hoping that’s nothing serious, said Amaral.
Ryan is a key performer for the Civics, bringing, “a lot of punch up front,” though a serious injury in the first game last season put her out for much of the year.
Surely one of the highlights of this season for the U-15s will be the Ontario Summer Games in Toronto, where the team will face many of the province’s elite girls’ soccer players.
By acclamation, the Sault team is the northeastern Ontario entry to the annual week-long tournament, Aug. 15-19.
It won‘t be an easy week, but Amaral said it will be worth it.
“When you play against good teams, it tends to elevate your level too,” said Amaral.
Complete results from the WOYSL Kick-Off Cup were not immediately available.
February 2, 2012. Schryer on Cloud 9 after inking Div II scholarship (by Mike Verdone, The Sault Star)
How many 18-year-old women have their dreams come true?
One local teen received exactly what she was wishing for.
Sammi Schryer will attend Northern Michigan University (NMU) this summer on a partial scholarship to play soccer at the Division II level.
What does it mean to get such an offer from the Marquette, Mich., university?
"It means everything to me. I worked for it for at least five years. I've always wanted to do it," says the St. Basil Secondary School student.
"It means that all the determination and everything I put into it and everything I gave up for soccer, finally paid off. And I get to live my dream."
Although she spoke with other schools that were interested in having her join their programs, Schryer chose NMU for two reasons.
"It's Division II and it's close to home. I've always wanted to play Division II or Division I. It's been like my biggest goal since I started the regional pro-g ram, since I was 13," says Schryer, who began playing soccer when she was four.
The five-foot-three teen has been a standout on the soccer pitch since she was young. She was selected -- a year early to play on the Northeastern Ontario regional team, which she suited up with for two years as a 14-and 15-year-old.
The group went up against other regional teams across Ontario.
She was then picked to be part of the Ontario provincial team. The provincial program required a bigger commitment because it ran year round.
Schryer travelled from the Sault to Vaughn, Ont., near Toronto, even during the winter months, while she was on the provincial team.
"Me and my mom went every weekend with my brother. It was a lot of dedication."
After the first year, she did not return to the provincial squad because "it was expensive," and because her "little brother" was not yet one.
"I was invited back for the U-16 tryouts, but I decided not to. I just tried to focus on school and the scouting."
She hoped all the hard work that went with being a member of the provincial team would open the door to a scholarship at a top program in the U.S.
"It definitely worked out," she said. The partial athletic scholarship will pay for "a big chunk" of her schooling, she says.
Schryer is undecided what she will study in Marquette, but says she will likely enroll in a four-year criminal justice or nursing program.
She aspires to one day play professional soccer. However, there are not many opportunities for women to play professionally in Canada or the U.S., Schryer said.
"If that could happen, I would definitely go for that over anything else in my life. But I do want to get a good education and a good career out of this too."
Schryer has played in the Sault Civics program since she was 10, under Clive Wilkinson, who has been coaching soccer in the city for more than four decades.
She has been a team captain each year since she was 12.
Wilkinson says Schryer has several skills as a centre midfielder. She sees the pitch well and is aggressive.
"She's very tenacious. She has good vision of the field. When she looks around on the field, she makes good decisions," he says.
But as a retired school teacher, Wilkinson says Schryer also has a number of other skills that will likely serve her well when she is south of the border playing with the NMU Wildcats.
"She's a good kid. She's a sensible girl. She's a hard worker," he said. "She's going to be a good citizen that girl."
Wilkinson is familiar with NMU's soccer program and its head coach, Matt Granstand.
"They do have a good program there and their coach is very, very well thought of," he said.
After coaching soccer for 53 years and teaching school for many years, Wilkinson knows soccer is not the be-all and end-all for the countless kids he has mentored.
"I've always stressed with all my players, male or female, 'You go to school to get an education. If you can play soccer, that's a bonus.' "
NMU is a co-educational university that offers degree programs to nearly 9,400 undergraduate and graduate students.
The 360-acre NMU campus is located in Marquette, Mich., which has a population of about 20,000 and is located on the southern shore of Lake Superior, about 300 kilometres west of the Sault.
Created by: Michael Ter-Mikaelian -- Last updated:Dec 27, 2012
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