U16 boys solidify hold on Huronia soccer league

One minor setback was not about to spoil an impressive weekend at home for the Sudbury District Soccer Association U16 boys, capturing three of four games, and solidifying their hold on first place in the Huronia District Soccer League.

The team opened up a busy 48-hour stretch with a 2-1 win over Collingwood United, as Jonathan Grebe booted the game-winning goal with less than 10 minutes to play.

Kevin Rojas, who only recently moved to Sudbury from his native Cuba, converted on a first half penalty kick to open the scoring, with the visitors pulling even before the end of the first half.

Saturday afternoon would see the locals spot the Bracebridge Storm an early 1-0 lead, roaring back thanks in large part to a three-goal performance from Noah LaSorsa, registering a 7-3 triumph.

Ben Runciman, Ben Lagadin, Jacxsen Cress and Rojas joined LaSorsa on the scoresheet. Unfortunately, injuries sustained in that contest, along with some prior commitments already made on Sunday, would take their toll, leaving coach Peter Trainer with 11 players only, only about half of whom were at full health.

Despite a 6-0 loss, the SDSA lads remained in first place when the Huntsville Strikers forfeited the fourth and final game of the weekend, unable to field a full roster for the trip north.

With a record of 4-1-1, good for 13 points, the Sudbury crew hold a four point advantage over Huntsville, but with two games in hand.

Dagostino Cup action

Round one of the revamped Dagostino Cup, flush with a 17-team field, wrapped up Tuesday at Queen's Athletic Field, with four games on the slate. Not surprisingly, both "Premier Division" teams in action advanced, although Croatia Adria needed a late goal from Marco Armiento to get past the Caruso Club 1-0.

Jacob Landriault and Michael Laplante provided the offensive punch as Boston Pizza blanked the SRCSL (Sudbury Regional Competitive Soccer League) Over 40 crew 2-0.

The Dairy Queen Blizzards rode early goals from Derek Huffels and Bobby McKinty to a 2-1 win over The Crew, with Matthew White replying in a losing cause.

Finally, an understaffed SC Italia team caught a break when Bella Vita Cucina also showed up with nine players only. Japanese import Takayuki Suzuki scored twice in the first half, before Matt Cootes set up a pretty left-footed strike by Kurtis Stoneas Italia posted a 3-0 victory.

This would be the last action of the summer for Cootes, as the popular high school teacher at Lively District Secondary School returns, with his family, for a six month stint to his native Australia, leaving Canada on Friday.

But as one player heads overseas, another arrives. Preparing to enter his third year at Laurentian University in the fall, Suzuki is a native of Tokyo, who spent one year in Toronto before moving to Sudbury to pursue his post-secondary studies.

Launched into soccer in Japan at the age of four or five, Suzuki is adjusting to the Canadian game, or perhaps one that is more Sudbury specific.

"Everyone here rushes, there's no taking time," said Suzuki. "I think it's because of hockey. In Japan, because you have ninety minutes, you take your time and pass a lot."

That said, he also credits his creativity and vision in helping him develop a decent touch in around the net, as he demonstrated several times on Tuesday. "When you have the ball, you have to see and think the next play ahead."

Second round games will take place Aug. 6 (from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.), with semi-finals scheduled for Aug. 20, and the championship final to be held on Sept. 17.

GSSC Impact U13 Girls

The GSSC Impact U13 Girls picked up a big win on Thursday night, blanking the visiting North Bay Selects 3-0 on the turf at James Jerome.

Improving their record to 2-4-0, the Impact moved to within just a point of North Bay, and are now well within striking distance of both Bracebridge and Bradford, tied for second with 10 points each.

Allison Weiler, Kennedy Ward and Katie Chomiak handled the offense for the Sudbury squad, with Cierra St. Germain recording the clean slate in net. The Impact overcame something of a sluggish start in putting away their northern rivals, displaying some definite improvement after suffering three one goal setbacks in June and July.

"We were kind of slow at the beginning, but then we started to pick up the pace," said Chomiak after the game. "Our strikers were coming in where the midfields were, so when we were sending the ball up, there was no one there to get it.

"But then we put our strikers up where the last defense was, and that's when we started getting our opportunities. I thought we played well.”

The Impact U13 girls team are in their first season together, and while many of the young ladies were certainly very much aware of each other, having competed in the same GSSC U12 division last summer as adversaries, it would take some time in 2015 to bring them all together.

"Really early in the year, when we were playing in the gym, he (coach Maurice Ferron) was showing us all the different positions, and explaining how to play them,” Chomiak said.

“And we were doing drills on how to do defensive coverage. It's a bit more challenging playing the out of town teams, but it's still really fun. We're starting to see how to all play together."

The Impact must now deal with a break in their schedule, as they hit the road for a four-game weekend set on Aug. 22-23.