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|  Sault Youth Soccer Club and League
News 2010
 August 30, 2010. U-17 Tenaris close out WOYSL season in London
August 25, 2010. Kucher scores three for Tenaris
August 24, 2010. U13 Civics get their crack at league play
August 23, 2010. Color Your World / Wishart Law Firm captures Northern Playoffs
August 16, 2010. U16 Civics battle back to beat Kitchener 4-3
August 12, 2010. Sault Civics U-11 Girls Fury rolls on
August 11, 2010. U-13 Boys advance to finals in Ottawa
August 10, 2010. U-11 Boys Civics fight hard in Newmarket
August 9, 2010. U17 Civics beat Sarnia 2-1
August 2, 2010. Green Circle Sault Civics U-11 Boys advance to semis
August 1, 2010. Sault Civics gain first win
July 31, 2010. U-15 girls hope for first wins
July 27, 2010. U-13 Boys unable to pluck Eagles’ feathers twice
July 26, 2010. Color Your World / Wishart Law Firm captures 3rd consecutive Panhellenic title
July 26, 2010. U-17 Civics finish weekend with a tie
July 19, 2010. Sault Civics U-17 girls falter
July 17, 2010. Under-17 Civics hope to parlay grit into victories
July 13, 2010. U-16 Civics excited about going up against the best
July 13, 2010. Color Your World / Wishart Law Firm captures Heritage soccer championship
July 12, 2010. Too little too late for Civics Under-16 boys
July 12, 2010. U-15 Civics battle back from brink
July 9, 2010. Ovey expects his team to beat the Tillsonburg Titans
July 8, 2010. U-16 Boys getting ready for Ontario Cup
July 7, 2010. U-13 girls take shot at WOYSL
June 28, 2010. U-17 Civics make up for Saturday loss
June 28, 2010. U-14 Civics encounter turbulence
June 27, 2010. Tenaris U-17 Boys Civics split weekend series with London
June 23, 2010. Sault Tenaris does well in Peterborough
June 22, 2010. U13 Boys Sault Civics Fire capture Petoskey tournament
June 21, 2010. Color Your World / Wishart Law U-13 Civics Girls Eliminated in Semi-finals
February 23, 2010. A leg up for soccer fans
January 2, 2010. Kaitlin Morin's excellent adventure
December 28, 2009. Delarosbil takes on leadership role
August 30, 2010. U-17 Tenaris close out WOYSL season in London (by George Di Berardino, team head coach)
The Tenaris Titans U17 boys Sault Civics were down in London to close out their final two games of WOYSL action this past weekend.
In their first match of the weekend, the Sault side, faced South Huron United. South Huron struck first early in the game on a free kick from a fairly long distance that surprised the Sault keeper Drake Kinnunen. The early lead did not stifle the Civics as Michael DiBerardino netted the tying goal in the 25th minute.
The Civics assault continued in the 30th minute, when Alex Cicchini potted his 8th goal of the season, putting himself into third place in league scoring. The Civics took a two goal lead on the strength of a 35th minute goal by Matt DiBerardino, who was called up from the U14 Civics team.
It looked like the Titans were going to run away with this match as the borage of attack continued, however countless missed opportunities lead to the United opportunity to claw back late in the game. The Civics went down to ten men when Brandon Syms was sent off for receiving his second yellow card of the match. Two late free kicks down in the Civics end lead to two goals for United, who in dramatic fashion evened up the game with seconds remaining.
The next morning the Civics squared off against the Marconi Centurions. This time the Sault side drew first blood on the strength of a beautiful header from Jake Cook. The London side equalized the match just before half time. The sides traded opportunities back and forth until the 70th minute when Marconi slipped one past Civic keeper Kyle Miket. The Titans, now desperate to tie the game, pushed their players forward to get even, however, this caused them to relinquish another late goal against. The Civics were not dead, though, as they continued to press on with a very late goal from Michael DiBerardino, ending the match with a 3-2 loss.
The Civics concludes the season with a 3-9-4 win-loss-tie record to finish in fourth spot in the WOYSL U17 standings.
August 25, 2010. Kucher scores three for Tenaris (from Sports Briefs, The Sault Star, August 25, 2010)
Nathan Kucher led Tenaris Titans U17 Boys Civic Soccer Club with three goals in two matches over the weekend against the WOYSL league-leading Windsor Wolves.
On Saturday, Tenaris (3-8-1) drew 1-1 with the Wolves (11-1-0.)
On Sunday, Windsor struck first with a quick goal, but Kucher evened the match for Tenaris before halftime. In the second half, the Sault went ahead 2-1, when Kucher hit the net for the third time of the weekend. The Civics tried to hold on to the lead with a depleted bench, but Windsor couldn't be kept back. Civics concede a goal with 15 minutes remaining to even the match again.
August 24, 2010. U13 Civics get their crack at league play (by Michael Purvis, The Sault Star, August 24, 2010)
The Sault Civics Color Your World/Wishart U-13 Girls Red soccer team has earned a shot at a spot in the Western Ontario Youth Soccer League.
Team coach Jaime Amaral said he expects the Civics to challenge a southern Ontario team in early October for entry to the WOYSL for the 2011 season.
"I've got a very good group of talented girls here," said Amaral. "They are very determined."
The U13 Civics came away victorious from the Northern Playoff, a weekend home tournament that pitted the Sault team against their Northern Ontario counterparts from Sudbury and Thunder Bay.
The Civics finished with a record of 3-1, but they didn't start out victorious.
The Civics dropped their opening match against the Thunder Bay Chill 3-0.
After an extended down time, the Civics, "didn't come out as sharp as we wanted to be," said Amaral.
Not to mention an unexpectedly tough Thunder Bay team, with one player with, "a kick that she can score almost from halfway down the field."
"We knew nothing about Thunder Bay and they surprised us in the first game a little bit," said Amaral "We had no antidote against that."
A 1-0 win over Sudbury Panhellenic on Saturday afternoon was an improvement, but "not a pretty one."
Jenni Richardson scored the Civics' first goal of the tournament in that game.
Thunder Bay woke Sunday to find a reinvigorated Civics team, who got a morale boost with a 1-0 victory over the Chill. Mackenzie Mazzuca scored for the Civics in that one.
"I don't think there were any shots against us (Sunday) morning and the score was not indicative of the dominance that we had over them," said Amaral.
The team took that momentum into Sunday afternoon's Sudbury rematch, downing Panhellenic 7-0.
Brook Braido scored three in that one, with singles from Mercedes Ryan, Sarah VanBoerdonk, Hali Studens and Lydia Murray.
Much of the season has been geared toward preparing for the Northern Playoff, and to keep the girls on their toes this season, they are playing in the local U-14 boys house league. Amaral has also pitted them against older boys and girls teams in exhibition games.
The next stop is Petoskey on Sept. 7-9 for the Autumn Blast tournament, "to keep us sharp," for the coming WOYSL showdown, said Amaral.
He said the girls are ready this year to enter inter-city league play.
"I believe that we are on the right track and I believe, if we do win that playoff game, that we'll represent Sault Ste. Marie properly at that Western League," said Amaral.
The team has been holding off playing in the WOYSL, biding its time as the girls matured.
Amaral said he knows from experience that to expose a team too early to the more demanding schedule of the WOYSL can be detrimental, leading to burnout by the time the girls really need that kind of exposure as they vie for university scholarships.
If the U13s can get a spot in the WOYSL next year, "they'll be at their peak," just when they need it, said Amaral.
August 23, 2010. Color Your World / Wishart Law Firm captures Northern Playoffs (by Marty Rimmer, team parent)
Despite opening the Northern Region Playoffs with a demoralizing 3-0 loss to the Thunder Bay Chill, the Sault’s U-13 Civic girls didn’t quit and subsequently didn’t give up a goal the rest of the weekend, rebounding to capture the tournament title with three consecutive shutout victories. The playoff title earns the Sault squad the rights to challenge for a spot in next seasons U-14 Girls Western Ontario Youth Soccer League (WOYSL).
The hometown Color Your World / Wishart Law squad followed up Saturday’s opening loss with a narrow 1-0 victory over Sudbury Panhellenic to finish the day in second place with a win and a loss. Jenni Richardson scored the lone goal while Mikaela Caputo had the shutout.
Mackenzie Mazzuca fired the only goal in Sunday morning’s action to lead the Civics to a thrilling1-0 victory over Thunder Bay to even the two teams atop the standings. Caputo was in net for the shutout. Following a Sudbury – Thunder Bay scoreless tie, the Civics needing a victory in the final game came out firing on all cylinders and handily beat Sudbury 7-0 to finish first in the standings and capture the playoff crown. Brooke Braido had a hat trick to lead the way while Lydia Murray, Hali Studens, Sarah VanBoerdonk, and Mercedes Ryan each added single markers while Caputo once again earned the shutout.
Other key members of the U-13 championship squad with strong contributions offensively and defensively include Alex Berlingieri, Olivia Ivic, Lauren Rimmer, Erica Stefano, Logan Naccarato, Olivia Bruni, Jenna Mitchell, Martina Pulente and Ashley Ouellet.
Next tournament action for Coach Jaime Amaral’s U-13 Civic girls will be the weekend of September 11th - 12th when they travel to Petoskey for the Autumn Blast Tournament in preparation for the WOYSL challenge game later in the month.
August 16, 2010. U16 Civics battle back to beat Kitchener 4-3 (by Michael Purvis, The Sault Star, August 16, 2010)
The Kitchener Spirit's biggest mistake Sunday may have been scoring two goals in the first 20 minutes of play.
It's the sort of thing that might get another team down, but which only served to get the Sault Civics U16 Tenaris Girls soccer team riled.
"They get mad," said Bill Siegman, Civics assistant coach. "If you heard them on the bench at half, they get mad and they bare down and they play hard."
Play hard they did.
Civics midfielder Kristen Henderson scored the Sault team's first goal about 30 minutes into the game. Two more by striker Tianna Bagnall had the Civics leading the Spirit 3-2 by half time.
Kitchener managed a fourth goal to tie it up, but that didn't last long. The Civics pulled ahead with a game-winner from from Chelsea Reader.
It was Reader's 17th of the season and should have boosted the Civics striker to tops in scoring for the Western Ontario Youth Soccer League.
This was the third and final time the Civics will face the Spirit. The two teams played to a 3-3 draw on Saturday at Tom Tipton Field. The Civics dropped an earlier road game against the Spirit 2-1.
Bagnall said the team's plan Sunday was to score early and then concentrate on defence. Things looked grim at the game's outset.
"We were thinking it was going to be a really tough game in the beginning," said Bagnall. "We pulled through and got three goals."
It's the kind of comeback this team is becoming known for pulling off, said Siegman.
"They do not let up, it doesn't matter what it is, and they've done well with that," said Siegman.
"We've been down in various games and they've come back and played hard in those games to win them," he said. "I wasn't concerned we would lose (Sunday's) game, but I wasn't too sure we would win the game because goal-scoring at times has been hard for us."
The Civics are 5-7-1 in the WOYSL after Sunday's action, but Siegman said the team's record isn't all that bad, considering the circumstances.
Work commitments and injuries have led to a few fatiguing road trips for the Civics this season, said Siegman.
"We've gone away on some weekends with barely enough players and as a result we've lost a few games that we normally would have won if we'd had two or three subs on the bench instead of just one," said Siegman. "We've lost about three games this year in the last 10 minutes and it's hurt."
Next WOYSL action for the team are Saturday and Sunday home games against Waterloo United at Strathclair Field.
August 12, 2010. Sault Civics U-11 Girls Fury rolls on (by Rob Stopar, team parent)
The U-11 Girls Sault Civics Fury returned from the Sudbury Panhellenic Soccer tournament last week and for the second tournament in a row went through the round robin portion undefeated and did not concede a goal!
In the opening game the U-11 Fury dropped the Valley East Nordic Bears by a score of 5-0. Payden Schuurhuis was stellar in goal picking up two straight shut outs. Scoring for the Fury were Chrissy Colizza, Brianna Scarfone, Jozee Stopar, Taija Dawne Ryan and Taryn Lamorie.
In their second game the Fury beat the Sudbury Canadians by a score of 1-0. Lauren Rizzo handled the lone Soo goal.
Head Coach Marcel Rizzo and Co Coach John Pulente were extremely pleased with the play on the defensive side of the ball. Jenna MacKenzie, Jaidyn Vine, Rachel Rising, MacKenzie Monico, Kara Neveau, Serena Pulente, Jenna Solomon, Hayley Point and Rachel Barban held their opponents at bay.
In the championship game the Fury lost a close match 2-0 to the Northwest Bulldogs of London. The girls will now prepare for the Henderson Tournament in London on September 4-6.
August 11, 2010. U-13 Boys advance to finals in Ottawa (by Frank Sacchetta, head coach)
For the third tournament in a row the Sault Civics Fire Personal Touch Auto U-13 Boys soccer team earned a spot into the finals.
However, they had to settle for a silver medal losing 2-1 to Peterborough City in the Kickin’ in the Capital Tournament in Ottawa this past weekend.
On Saturday the Sault lost 2-1 to Peterborough City, tied Ottawa Royals 0-0, and tied Nepean City Storm 1-1. Despite having numerous scoring opportunities the Sault could not find the back of the net.
This led to a two-way tie for third spot in the round robin between the Sault and Ottawa Royals. The deciding factor was a penalty kick shoot out in which the Sault outscored Ottawa 4-2.
In the semi-final game the Sault defeated Nepean City Storm 3-1 to advance to the finals.
The Sault boys end a very successful year with one gold and two silver medals while competing in four tournaments.
August 10, 2010. U-11 Boys Civics fight hard in Newmarket (by Anna Lisa Zappacosta)
The Green Circle Enviromental U-11 Civics Boys were pleased with their advancements this past weekend at a tournament in Newmarket.
The first game of the tournament brought a 3-0 win for the team against Simcoe. Goals were scored by Stefano and Zappacosta.
Second game was lost 8-0 against a strong Newmarket team.
The final game of the tournament against Pickering brought a score of 5-3 with goals being scored by Stefano, Smith and Shuttleworth.
Coaching staff are very proud of the progress made to date by the team in their first year of existence as a Civics team.
Next tournament for the team will be in London on the weekend of September 4 and 5.
August 9, 2010. U17 Civics beat Sarnia 2-1 (by Michael Purvis, The Sault Star, August 9, 2010)
The Sault Civics U17 Girls soccer team downs the Sarnia Spirit 2-1 on Sunday. The two teams tied Saturday.
Michael Purvis QMI Agency
The Sault Civics U17 Girls soccer team downs the Sarnia Spirit 2-1 on Sunday. The two teams tied Saturday.Michael Purvis QMI AgencyPersistence paid off this weekend for the Sault Civics Seamless Eavestrough U-17 Girls.
The team battled back for a tie with the Sarnia Spirit on Saturday, then hung on for a win against the same team Sunday, in Western Ontario Youth Soccer League action.
"The girls played the full 90 (minutes), they kept control of the ball," said Pat Lillie, the Sault team's assistant coach.
The Civics hadn't played in two weeks going into the first of two weekend home games on Saturday, having picked up a win and a tie on the road July 24-25.
Sarnia had the Civics down 2-0 by the half-way mark on Saturday, but goals in the second half by Celine Valiquette and T.K. Rocca, evened the score.
Lillie said the Sault team turned the tables Sunday, controlling the game from the start.
"The girls played the ball, they controlled it, stayed to our game, didn't get rattled and took it to them right away," said Lillie. "We had many chances we didn't score on."
Tori Medaglia put in the Civics first goal. The Spirit tied it up, and it wasn't until late in the game that a free kick by Tianna Deluzio cemented the win for the Civics.
"We were feeling the pressure, but Celine (Valiquette) got knocked over in the penalty area and Tianna put it away for us," said head coach Sam Medaglia.
"It was nerve-wracking, knowing everyone was relying on me to get it in," said Deluzio.
With five games left in the regular season, the Civics remain within striking distance of first place.
"We're up there in the top. This is a big three-point game for us (Sunday) and then we're going away," he said.
Next weekend will be a "huge," one for the Civics, who should have pushed Sarnia out of second place with Sunday's win.
"We've got Sarnia again Friday, London Saturday, and then Sunday back in Sarnia," said Lillie. "Waterloo is on top right now, but we've got a chance to knock them off."
Saturday's game marked a return to a full roster for the Civics, who saw the return of top scorer Brittany Syms. Syms was responsible for eight of the team's 15 goals when she was knocked out by a shoulder/neck injury in late July.
Medaglia said Syms is not yet back to 100 per cent, but he said the team is glad to have her and Tori Medaglia, who the team has been without for three games, back from injury.
Meanwhile, the Sault Civics U-15 Boys soccer team was less successful at Tom Tipton field on the weekend.
The U-15s dropped Saturday's match 6-0, and fell Sunday 4-1 against against a tough Guelph Royals squad.
The Civics sit 4-4-1 after nine games. The Royals are now 7-1-3.
Joseph Medaglia scored the U15 Civics single goal of the weekend.
August 2, 2010. Green Circle Sault Civics U-11 Boys advance to semis (based on report from Anthony Zappacosta, head coach)
With a new team and determination to win, the Green Circle Sault Civics U-11 Boys made it to the semi-finals in the Sudbury Panhellenic tournament past weekend but unfortunately lost to a strong North Bay team. The score was not reflective of the team play but some unlucky bounces and fatigue from an earlier morning game resulted in a 6-0 loss.
In the first game of the tournament, Sault Civics dominated Sudbury Athletic team 8-1. Lucas Stefano and Nicholas Smith led the scoring with two goals a piece while Brodie Gagnon, David Gioia, Lucas Higham, and Paul Zappacosta provided single markers.
In the second game, Sault Civics lost to the host Sudbury Panhellenic Gheos 3-1. Lucas Stefano scored the Sault’s lone goal.
In the third game, Sault Civics faced North Bay Select Vipers. The game was even with both teams exchanging chances, and a tie seemed to be a logical outcome but North Bay scored very late in the game to win 1-0.
Next tournament for coaches Anthony Zappacosta and Charlie Grawbarger and their squad will be in Newmarket on the weekend of August 7-8.
August 1, 2010. Sault Civics gain first win (by Peter Ruicci, The Sault Star, August 1, 2010)
How sweet was their first victory of the season?
"We felt a sense of relief," said head coach Claudia Hryniewicz, whose Sault Civics under-15 girls soccer team defeated the London United Thunder 1-0 Saturday at Tom Tipton Field.
Victory No. 1 of the Western Ontario Youth Soccer League season came following seven setbacks and one tie.
London United repaid the favour Sunday, splitting the two-game series here with a 2-1 decision.
That dropped the Civics record to 1-1-8 (wins, ties, losses), with four regular season games remaining.
But Hryniewicz insists her team has deserved a better fate this season.
"We've worked so hard and been playing so well all year," the coach said. "But we haven't gotten any breaks. It's been tough, but the girls haven't quit at all."
Jana Longo's goal, late in Saturday's game, provided the margin of victory.
Keeper Brooke Bellerose came up with what the coach called "some stellar saves" to post the shutout.
"Everybody played at 110 per cent for the full 90 minutes," Hryniewicz said. "It was probably our best team effort of the season and I'm absolutely proud of our players."
The Sault coach also thought her charges played well and battled hard Sunday, despite dropping that 2-1 decision.
Longo had the lone Sault goal.
"We may have been a little bit tired today (Sunday) and they wanted it more than we did," Hryniewicz said.
London United opened Sunday's scoring 10 minutes into the contest, but the Civics answered midway through the first half.
The visitors scored the deciding goal midway through the second half.
With a .500 season out of the question, Hryniewicz was asked about her team's goal for the remaining four games of the WOYSL season.
"It's been a rough year for us," said the coach, whose team sits in the Under-15 Division cellar. "But our goal now is to climb up the standings."
July 31, 2010. U-15 girls hope for first wins (by Michael Purvis, The Sault Star, July 31, 2010)
The Sault Civics Under-15 Girls soccer team hopes to turn a corner this weekend.
The girls are gearing up to come away with their first wins of the Western Ontario Youth Soccer League season as they face London United Thunder in games Saturday and Sunday.
To beat London would be a drastic turnaround for the Civics, who sit 0-1-7 about three quarters through the season.
"We're trying to get six points out of the weekend and climb from near the bottom to middle of the pack again," said Domenic Nicoletta, the team's manager.
It won't be easy. The team will be without one of its star players, striker and midfielder Emily Nicoletta, who will miss the rest of the season with mononucleosis.
"We've got some other girls who hopefully can step up, but it's going to be harder without her in the lineup," said Domenic, Emily's father.
This weekend will be the only time the Civics face the 3-0-6 United Thunder this season. WOYSL games in the Sault have been grouped this year.
But Nicoletta said from past experience, the Civics are well matched against the London team. The Civics have four more games before the season ends.
The Sault team is frustrated by their earlier defeats, but confident previous patterns will prevail and they will improve as the season goes on, said Nicoletta.
He said an improvement appears to have begun with the last road trip, which produced a tie and a close loss for the Civics.
That they have had a hard time scoring, even of late, is the product of unlucky bounces and some misses at key time.
"Our shot rang off the crossbar out, and their shot hit the post and went in. It's a combination of some bad luck and bad timing," said Nicoletta.
The Civics face London at 4 p.m. on Saturday and at noon on Sunday. Both games will be played at Tom Tipton Field.
July 27, 2010. U-13 Boys unable to pluck Eagles’ feathers twice (by Frank Sacchetta, head coach)
After defeating the Bradford Eagles in round robin play 2–1 at the Sudbury Panhellenic Tournament this past weekend, the Sault Civics Fire U13 Boys fell 3–1 to the Eagles in the Final Championship Game.
The Sault finished first in the six team division but were unable to keep their energy alive in the final game Sunday afternoon. Earlier that day the Sault defeated North Bay 2-0 to finish the round robin and Timmins 3-0 in the semi-final game before heading to the final.
On Saturday the Sault defeated Tri-City Tigers 2-1 and ruffled a few feathers defeating Bradford Eagles 2-1. The Sault battled through all their games with strong efforts from all players including an excellent performance from their goalkeeper.
The team is made up of six returning players from last year and eight new talented young soccer players who have all contributed to a very successful soccer year so far. All deserve to be recognized since it is a team effort that wins or loses a game or tournament. The Sault Civics Fire which is sponsored by Personal Touch Auto Limited. includes Bradley Brideaux, Cody Brideaux, Avery Ciotti, Can Cui, Earl Gibbs, Rocky Krancevich, Aaron Lidstone, Alfonso Martinez, Dylan Robertson, Chris Sabourin, Marcus Sacchetta, Trent Sepkowski, Noah Smith, Billy Szlag. Coach: Frank Sacchetta. Assistant Coach: Franco DiBerardino. Manager: Tommasina Sepkowski. The Fire’s next tournament action is in Ottawa.
July 26, 2010. Color Your World / Wishart Law Firm captures 3rd consecutive Panhellenic title (by Marty Rimmer, team parent)
The Sault’s U-13 Civics Girls continued their winning ways, earning their second tournament title of the season and third straight Panhellenic Championship by defeating the Valley East Vipers 6-0 in Sunday’s final this past weekend in Sudbury. Mercedes Ryan had the hat trick while Lauren Rimmer, Logan Naccarato and Sarah VanBoerdonk added single markers to lead the Sault to the victory. Mikaela Caputo provided the shutout goalkeeping.
The Color Your World / Wishart Law Firm squad tied North Bay 1-1 earlier in the day to finish first in round-robin action and solidify their birth in the final. Mackenzie Mazzuca tallied the Sault’s only marker in the contest. The Sault squad began round-robin action with a pair of shutout wins on Saturday. Ryan fired three goals and Hali Studens and Jenni Richardson had a goal apiece to lead the Sault to a 5-0 victory over Valley East while Lydia Murray, Ryan, Naccarato, and VanBoerdonk had the goals in a 4-0 victory over the host Sudbury Panhellenic team. Caputo once again earned both shutouts.
Other key contributing members of the U-13 championship team include Alex Berlingieri, Olivia Ivic, Brooke Braido, Erica Stefano, Olivia Bruni, Jenna Mitchell, Martina Pulente, and Ashley Oulette.
Next tournament action for Coach Jaime Amaral’s U-13 Civics girls will be the weekend of August 21st – 22nd when they host the Northern Regional Playoffs in an attempt to qualify for next seasons Western Ontario Youth Soccer League (WOYSL).
July 26, 2010. U-17 Civics finish weekend with a tie (by Michael Purvis, The Sault Star, July 26, 2010)
But for a few bad breaks in the first half, the Sault Civics U-17 Boys soccer team might have come away with a win instead of a tie.
The U-17s hosted London, Ont.'s Byron Athletic for a pair of Western Ontario Youth Soccer League games on the weekend at Tom Tipton field, dropping the first game Saturday 3-1.
Sunday, the Civics were poised to rebound, with the return of the team's leading scorer, striker Alex Cicchini, from a three-game suspension.
The second game would have turned the Sault team's way in the first half, if it hadn't been for a trio of "tough breaks," said head coach Geord DiBerardino.
"We sprung (Cicchini) loose three consecutive times," said DiBerardino.
The Byron Athletic goalkeeper foiled one of Cicchini's scoring chances, and two others went off the cross-bar.
"A tie was what the soccer gods meant for this one because it could have gone either way," said DiBerardino, noting some solid saves that game by Civics goalkeeper Drake Kinnunen.
Cicchini, who leads the team in scoring with five goals, said his season so far has been "not bad."
But he said the team needs to "go harder," if it wants to win.
"We can't be lazy and we've got to just be focused and warm up better before the game," he said.
The Civics found a renewed energy in the second half of the game, after DiBerardino moved Drew Johnson from his normal defensive role, to the attack.
The London team took the lead in the second half, but the Civics managed to nullify it late in the game.
John Vairo was responsible for tying things up for the Civics, with a shot that bounced over the opposing team's defenders and into the net.
"I thought it might have lobbed onto the top of the back of the net, but it made it in, so we were pretty excited about that," said DiBerardino.
Vairo, an attacking midfielder, was called up to take Cicchini's place on Saturday.
"I thought he played a good game on (Saturday) as well," said DiBerardino.
The Civics were first to score on Saturday. Nathan Kucher launched "a good hard blast," on a free kick 20 minutes into the game, said DiBerardino.
Kyle Miket was in net for the Civics on Saturday, though DiBerardino said the keeper shouldn't take the blame for the loss.
"He charged on three different occasions and stopped them, so he saved our butt for sure," said DiBerardino.
This season marks a move down to the third tier of the WOYSL for the U-17 Civics.
DiBerardino said the team is competitive at the level it is playing now, though the Civics, who are 3-7-1, have had trouble winning games. He said the team is developing more opportunities than it did in the second tier, but not capitalizing on them.
"All of our games are like this. We're having some very unfortunate luck, almost like we need some kind of divine intervention to shake off our bad luck," said DiBerardino.
Next action for the U-17s are road games on Aug. 7 and 8 against South Huron United and Byron Athletic.
July 19, 2010. Sault Civics U-17 girls falter (by Michael Purvis, The Sault Star, July 19, 2010)
The Sault Civics Seamless Eavestrough U-17 Girls soccer team will be looking to recapture their motivation this week, and their health.
The Civics had a tough weekend, dropping two Western Ontario Youth Soccer League games to the visiting Waterloo Wild Wings – 2-1 on Saturday and 3-0 on Sunday – and suffering a string of injuries.
The team lost key midfielder Brittany Syms in the first half of the Saturday game. Syms scored the team's lone goal of the weekend, but shortly after went down hard. Victoria Medaglia suffered an injury to her foot in the second half of the same game. Both were out for the Sunday match.
"They just keep compounding, and everybody's got to step it up. (Sunday), nobody stepped up," said head coach Sam Medaglia.
The Civics had been hoping to overcome Waterloo this weekend after battling back to a 2-2 tie in a road game earlier in the season.
"They're beatable. We've got to be on our game – (Saturday) we weren't, and (Sunday) we weren't as well," said Medaglia.
Problem is, the Civics next meeting with Waterloo will be Saturday, in Waterloo. How that goes will depend on how well the team recovers this week.
Medaglia said it is unclear whether Syms or his daughter, Victoria, will have recovered for next weekend's trip to southern Ontario, which also includes a stop in London, Ont. to face the Southwest Tornadoes.
Until then, the team will also be keeping an eye on its goalkeeper Dina Madolesi, who went away from Sunday's game hurt.
Medaglia said it is possible the team may have to call up some younger players for the weekend road trip.
He said Waterloo is tough because they are a well-coached team.
"They play their positions well, move the ball well," Medaglia said. "You've got to give them credit, they didn't make any mistakes. The mistakes we made, they scored on us," he said.
The Civics are now halfway through the regular season, with a record of 3-1-3.
"Once we get healthy, we'll have to rejuvenate ourselves," said Medaglia.
Meanwhile, the Sault Civics Under-15 girls will return from a two-game road trip with a tie and a loss.
The team tied London Galaxy on Saturday, and lost 3-1 Sunday to the Waterloo Eagles.
The Civics' deficit Sunday may have been steep, but head coach Claudia Hyrniewicz said she doesn't feel her team got outplayed.
"We just had a few unlucky breaks," said Hryniewicz. "They played really well, it was just a couple bad deflections, bad bounces."
Jana Longo scored the lone goal Saturday for the Civics. Hryniewicz said the London goal was an unfortunate penalty shot.
Olivia Pastore produced Sunday's point.
The first half of the WOYSL regular season has been tough for the U-15s, with a number of injuries holding the team back, and having been pitted against some of the league's stronger teams first.
Hryniewicz said her girls plan to use what they've learned in the second half of the season. She said even the teams who are top of the league now are not unbeatable.
"I think the girls are playing really well, actually, way better than they were last year," said Hryniewicz.
July 17, 2010. Under-17 Civics hope to parlay grit into victories (by Mike Verdone, The Sault Star, July 17, 2010)
Good things sometimes happen in twos.
That's what the head coach of the Sault Civics Under-17 girls soccer team is hoping, as the Waterloo Wild Wings come to town this weekend for a two-game series.
Sam Medaglia's team was down 2-0 in the first half against Waterloo a few weeks ago during the Civics first road trip to southern Ontario this season. But they battled back in the second half and ended in a 2-2 tie.
"It was a very good game ... We made a couple errors in the first half, but then the second half we took control. We fought hard. Our keeper (Dina Mandolesi) played very well that game."
The Civics have made two trips south so far this year and lost only once. On the last tip, to London, Ont., they won handily, 4-1 and 6-1. The Civics have a 3-1-1 record in the Western Ontario Youth Soccer League with about one-third of the season completed.
Medaglia says his team is in sync right now and looks forward to a rematch with the Wild Wings. The two teams are very balanced, which means the Civics cannot afford to have an off game.
"Waterloo has a very good team. We respect them. If we play our game, we can beat them," Medaglia said Friday. "We're coming off two wins on the road, which was huge. And we scored a lot of goals that weekend (10). So we're putting the ball in the net ... If all the girls come prepared and are willing to play well, we should fare well."
Medaglia says the Civics have a lot of grit. They are strong up the middle, which forces opponents to the outside of the field.
"If they want to beat us, they have to go the long way (around). Outside they're not dangerous. Inside, that's when they're dangerous. We try to push them outside so they only have one option," he says. "We don't give up, we'll fight till the end. If we're down 2-0, we won't pack it in."
Midfielder Brittany Syms echoes her coach. Syms scored six goals in the two games the Civics won in London two weeks ago.
"We know they have a strong team and that they come out strong all the time, but our team never gives up. We always fight back. I think if we have a good start we'll do fine against them."
Waterloo has improved this year because they've picked up a few more players. Syms says the Civics must play as a unit if they expect to win.
"We have to help each other out and play together, because things don't work if players try to do it on their own."
Medaglia, who is in his sixth year as coach of the Civics, says his team stacks up well against any in the league.
"If we come to the field focused to play, we can beat anybody," he said.
The U-17 Girls Civics play Waterloo on Saturday, 5:30 p.m. at Tom Tipton Field, and again Sunday, 10 a.m. at Strathclair Field No. 2.
The Sault Ste. Marie Croatia Under-21 girls soccer team is also in action this weekend. They square off against Ajax at 10 a.m. Saturday, and again on Sunday at 10 a.m., at Tom Tipton Field.
July 13, 2010. U-16 Civics excited about going up against the best (by Peter Ruicci, The Sault Star, July 13, 2010)
He wants to see how his team stacks up against competition from around the world.
But just as importantly, Clive Wilkinson wants his players to have fun.
The Sault Tenaris Civics, an under-16 girls soccer team, is scheduled to begin play at 3:45 p.m. today at the Schwan's USA Cup in Blaine, Minn.
The 911-team tournament, played in a soccer complex featuring 48 fields, is billed as America's greatest youth soccer event.
"It might be the biggest tournament in the world," said 66-year-old Wilkinson, who has coached youth soccer for the last 51 years. "They normally bring in teams from England, Scotland, Ireland, South America, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Sweden, Norway and all across the United States."
This marks Wilkinson's first trip to the USA Cup, but he remembers other local coaches taking teams there in the past.
"I've been really looking forward to it and our girls have been really looking forward to it," said Wilkinson, whose club left by bus for Minnesota early Monday morning. "That's all the girls have been talking about. I have a coaching friend in Southern Ontario who told me it was absolutely fantastic. He said that the kids and their parents will love it. Everyone who goes there says it's fabulous."
Along with the competition, Wilkinson sees the trip as an opportunity for his players to gain some exposure.
He's heard that university scouts from across the U.S.A. will be in attendance.
The coach also views the trip as a life experience.
"It's rare you get a chance to attend something so big," Wilkinson said. "I want them to experience the entire event."
Along with the tournament soccer, the Sault players are scheduled to attend a United States Soccer League game Wednesday as the Minnesota Stars entertain A.C. St. Louis.
Wilkinson, who was inducted into the Sault Ste. Marie Sports Hall of Fame in 2009, has coached most of the players on his team since they were 10 years old.
The plan, he noted, has always been to take the players in this group to a major tourney when they were playing under-16 soccer.
Presently, the Tenaris Civics compete in the Western Ontario Youth Soccer League (WOYSL).
"These kids are very good," said Wilkinson, who was president of the Ontario Soccer Association in 2009 and is presently a member of the Canadian Soccer Association executive. "For Northern Ontario, they're excellent. Against Southern Ontario teams, we're very competitive. And I have no doubt whatsoever that we'll be competitive at the USA Cup."
Midfielders Sammi Schryer and Logan Kennedy serve as the Tenaris co-captains.
Schryer says she believes the Sault team, which is guaranteed at least three games, has a good chance to do well.
"We've been training really hard and we're mentally prepared," Schryer said. "And we've been playing better the last two weekends."
Wilkinson said the parents of his players approached him last October about attending the USA Cup.
The cost wound up being slightly more than $20,000.
Tenaris Algoma Tubes, described by Wilkinson as "an excellent sponsor," joined the parents in kicking in money for the trip.
Local businesses helped out and the team also staged three fundraisers.
"I'm so excited," said Kennedy. "We've been planning this for three or four years and we always wanted to go somewhere huge. Everyone on our team is pumped."
July 13, 2010. Color Your World / Wishart Law Firm captures Heritage soccer championship (by Marty Rimmer, team parent)
Powered by an outstanding defensive effort, the Sault’s U-13 Civics girls didn’t give up a goal all weekend enabling them to win their first tournament title of the season this past weekend in Cambridge, Ontario. First half markers from Brooke Braido and Lydia Murray and shutout goalkeeping from Mikaela Caputo enabled the Civics to knock off the Kitchener Spirit 2-0 in Sunday’s championship final.
In Sunday’s earlier semi-final action, Mercedes Ryan’s early second half goal and a stingy defense combined with Caputo’s goalkeeping led the Sault to a narrow 1-0 win over the Waterloo Stingers.
The Color Your World / Wishart Law Firm squad began round-robin action with a pair of wins on Saturday. Braido and Ryan each fired a pair of goals while Martina Pulente and Erica Stefano added singles to lead the Civics to a 6-0 victory over Kitchener followed by a 4-0 shutout over Waterloo. Sarah VanBoerdonk, Hali Studens, Jenni Richardson, and Ryan handled the scoring in the Waterloo contest, while Caputo was in net for both shutouts.
Other teams in the tournament included Cambridge, Whitby and Woolwich.
Other key members of the U-13 championship team include Alex Berlingieri, Olivia Ivic, Lauren Rimmer, Mackenzie Mazzuca, Logan Naccarato, Olivia Bruni, Jenna Mitchell, and Ashley Oulette.
Next tournament action for Coach Jaime Amaral’s U-13 Civics girls will be the weekend of July 23rd - 25th when they travel to Sudbury as they attempt to three-peat at the 11th Annual Panhellenic Tournament.
July 12, 2010. Too little too late for Civics Under-16 boys (by Michael Purvis, The Sault Star, July 12, 2010)
Momentum got the best of the Sault Civics Under-16 Boys soccer team as they battled it out on the weekend on their own turf for a shot at the Ontario Cup.
From the start, the visiting North Bay Selects Century 21 United and Whitby Iroquois came on strong, a little stronger than the Civics were ready for, said Howard Gray, the local team's head coach.
"The players realized after the first game with North Bay, that if you miss a step or if you sleep for a second, the ball is behind you and you're gone," said Gray.
The Civics suffered a pair of 5-0 losses Saturday, before regaining their composure Sunday morning, battling hard with North Bay to a 2-1 loss, and downing Whitby 1-0 in the afternoon.
Gray said the Saturday blowouts were a case of the Civics not being able to strike first.
In the first game against the tournament-winning North Bay team, the Civics fared well until a pair of "cheap goals," which gave the Selects the confidence to simply "pick away," at the local team.
Gray said the Civics have a hard time scoring, and were undone Saturday by the other team's momentum. He said the local boys played well until both the Selects and the Iroquois got too far ahead.
"If we can play our control passing game, and create chances, then we usually do OK, but once we got behind, like we did (Saturday) it was an uphill battle," he said.
Civics who shone on the weekend were Sean McGonigal, Matthew Fagan, and Jemmett Kirk.
The Civics put up "a lot better effort," Sunday morning against North Bay, which Gray said was clearly, "a quality team."
The Sault team scored first, but gave up a tying goal just after the half. North Bay scored on a free kick to win it.
In the afternoon, the Whitby rematch saw the Civics score just after the second half, then let their defence to the hard work.
"When we score first, we're a hard team to beat," said Gray.
Gray said the team should take the lessons it learned from this tournament to the Sudbury Panhellenic where, in two weeks, they will again face the strong North Bay team.
July 12, 2010. U-15 Civics battle back from brink (by Michael Purvis, The Sault Star, July 12, 2010)
They may be slow to warm up, but the Sault Civics Under-15 Boys soccer team has become quite proficient at digging themselves out of a hole.
"It takes them 15-20 minutes for it to kick in, 'Oh, we're in a game,'" said head coach Neil Ovey. "And then they start to get going."
The Civics came back from the brink twice on the weekend, in each of their Western Ontario Youth Soccer League games against the Tillsonburg Titans, winning Saturday's game 3-1 and squeaking out a 2-2 tie on Sunday despite being a man down.
On Saturday, the Titans took an early 1-0 lead. But the Civics "got to grips," with the situation midway through the first half.
Brady Smith scored two and Joe Medaglia added one.
Sunday was more of a struggle.
"The boys started slow and went 2-0 down very quick, within 10 minutes," said Ovey. "They just weren't getting started, they were making basic mistakes."
Things looked grim when Civics Matt Smylie earned a red card, and a likely two-game suspension, mid-way through the second half.
But instead of being fazed, the Civics found a renewed sense of urgency.
"It might be a strange thing to say, but we dominated more with 10 men than we did with 11," said Ovey. "I think they thought because we had 10 men they would just sit back and hit us on the counterattack."
Smylie's impending suspension and "two lads on crutches," makes this "one of those weeks."
Ovey's goalkeeper broke his ankle in training, and another player dislocated his knee, forcing the team to pull up three replacements from the Under-14 team.
Now, the team hits the road.
They'll play Saturday against Cambridge United, and Sunday against London Portuguese.
The London game won't be easy, but with four games in hand, the Civics are in a good position, Ovey said.
"If we win our games in hand we'll go top of the table," he said.
July 9, 2010. Ovey expects his team to beat the Tillsonburg Titans (by Mike Verdone, The Sault Star, July 9, 2010)
Neil Ovey is looking for good things from his Sault Civics U-15 Boys soccer team this weekend when the Tillsonburg Titans come to town for a two-game series.
"I'm expecting to win. They're probably playing the best soccer in the four years that I've had them," the Civics head coach says of his team. "They're really playing some good stuff. It's impressing me to see how they've matured and developed."
The Civics play in the Western Ontario Youth Soccer League. They've played only two league games so far this season, both of which were in southern Ontario on the weekend of June 26. They won one and lost one.
Ovey blames the 5-1 loss on fatigue. He says his team took the field shortly after making the nine-hour trip to London. The boys were "heavy-legged" after travelling all day Saturday, he says. Things were different though after a good night's sleep.
"But Sunday, after we rested up and got our heads right we won eight nil (8-0)."
Ovey is very high on his team this year. He has coached most of the boys on the Civics since coming to the Sault from England four years ago.
"I started with a squad of 18, but I thought that was too big, so I cut it down to 16, and all but three of those kids I've had since (they were) under 11."
Ovey played and coached at the semi-pro level in England. He also holds a sports/science degree, so he brings a mix of conditioning and psychology to the field, he says.
Soccer was a family affair back home.
"I've been brought up with it. All we did was eat, sleep and drink the stuff. It was a bit of an adjustment when we came here," says the 41-year-old.
His Civics team also plays in the Sault Youth Soccer League U-18 Boys house league division, with exhibition status.
Although they've played only two games in that league so far this season, they won going away both times: 12-1 and 8-1.
Going up against kids two and three years older is a particular challenge to young teens because those players are stronger and faster, he says, which means his boys must dig deeper.
"They've got to play the game at a higher tempo. Where normally they're use to five or six touches on the ball, now they only get three."
His team is not short on effort, but its greatest strength is ball handling.
"The way they're retaining possession and keeping the ball. They're setting up their triangles and the passing is just excellent. They're really a hard team to get the ball off once they've got it. And their work ethic is very good ... I'm really impressed with them this year."
He says there are a couple of standouts on the Civics, but he has especially high praise for one boy in particular: Joe Medaglia.
"I've got one player -- I'd put my mortage on it -- if he was in Europe he'd be snapped up by a professional club. The boy is something special. I've never seen a 14-year-old make decisions like he makes on the pitch. Already, in two games, he's got five goals."
Brandon Vernelli, who plays defence for the Civics and calls himself the sweeper, says he's been kicking a soccer ball around since he could walk. Vernelli is nearly as confident as Ovey going into the two-game series against Tillsonburg on Saturday and Sunday.
"We've got a good group of guys and good determination. If we all play together this weekend the way we can, no one can stop us."
Both games against the Titans will be played at Tom Tipton Field: Saturday at 6 p.m., Sunday at noon.
July 8, 2010. U-16 Boys getting ready for Ontario Cup (by Mike Verdone, The Sault Star, July 9, 2010)
As the Sault Civics U-16 Boys soccer team prepares for the Ontario Cup, coach Howard Gray expects the tournament will give his team an opportunity to improve.
"You always look to try and play at the highest level, and the highest level we have in Ontario is the Ontario Cup," he says.
Although they will not be playing in the top division, the tournament this weekend will "still be very competitive," Gray says.
Some of his boys bring more experience to the field than others, but there are no players on the team that he considers "the best."
"There's a core group of about eight or nine who play very well together... and then there's four or five coming along nicely who play a very important role on the team."
The core group has played together for about 5 years, he says, and they've learned to play various positions.
Gray has been coaching soccer for more than 30 years so he is also very familiar with some of the players on his team. He has seen their faces before... well sort of.
"The guys I coached, I'm now coaching their children... It's great to see the players I have played with and the players I coached when they were in the Civics program. And now I'm coaching their kids."
Gray's team will square off against the Whitby Iroquois and the North Bay Selects Century 21 United during the tournament on Saturday and Sunday. The teams will play each other twice. It will be a straight round-robin event and the team with the best record will be crowned champ.
The U-16 Civics play in a second division men's league in the Sault, which could be a bit intimidating for young teenagers.
"There's some good teams in the competition (against the men). They're obviously bigger and stronger than us so we have to be a lot more aggressive," says Daniel Turco who plays centre midfield for the Civics.
The Civics have faced North Bay Selects before, but not this year, Turco says.
"We have a pretty good rivalry with them."
Turco says the Civics are hoping to make it out of the first round this time.
"Hopefully we can build as a team and get stronger."
The Sault Civics will play the first two games of the tournament on Saturday, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., at Strathclair Field 1.
July 7, 2010. U-13 girls take shot at WOYSL (by Michael Purvis, The Sault Star, July 7, 2010)
It has been almost three years since the players on the Sault Civics Color Your World/Wishart U-13 Girls Red soccer team first came together.
But this year is going to be bigger than the others. This year, they'll finally take a shot at playing in the Western Ontario Youth Soccer League.
"Our goal, our objective for this year, everything, is geared to hopefully go into that league (next year)," said head coach Jaime Amaral.
So a series of tournaments scheduled for the summer -- last weekend's Petoskey tourney, this weekend's round-robin in Cambridge, and the July 23-25 Panhellenic International in Sudbury -- are "basically tuneups" for an August showdown between the local U-13 team and corresponding teams from Sudbury and Thunder Bay.
These tournaments are basically exposing these girls to a higher calibre of competition, and to give us the opportunity to challenge those teams and make sure we are ready," said Amaral.
The winner of the August 20-21 northern playoff in the Sault will have a crack at entry to the WOYSL, either directly, if the league deems it has room, or by challenging the league's bottom team.
Last year, this team did phenomenally well, advancing in the local round of the Ontario Cup, and winning tournaments in Sudbury, Ottawa and London.
This year looks like a continuation of last year," said Amaral.
To keep the girls on their toes this season, they are playing in the local U-14 boys house league, and Amaral has pitted them against older boys and girls teams in exhibition games.
The U-13 girls have won many of these exhibition games, and when they have lost, against the older boys for example, it has been by a single point.
All this is done to push us to the next level," and to force quick playing and quick thinking, said Amaral.
Mercedes Ryan, one of the team's top players, said she thinks playing the older teams has helped.
We work even harder and we put more effort into it," said Ryan, 13.
Ryan said the team gets along well, and she is looking forward to the August showdown. She's also looking forward to eventually getting into the WOYSL, because it will mean going up against stiffer competition, and meeting girls from other teams.
I think it's going to be a big deal, because next year, if we do well, we'll be playing in a higher league and it would be more competitive teams," instead of mainly practices, said Ryan.
Amaral has been with the team since the beginning, when his girls came together to form a U-11 team.
That nearly the entire team has stuck together isn't unusual for a Sault Civics team, but it is special to have this level of commitment in a U-13 team, said Amaral.
That's pretty well what sets them apart -- their no-nonsense approach," he said.
It is the team's depth that is its biggest asset.
Like all sports, you have different levels, but the gap between the top and the bottom is very narrow" for this team, said Amaral.
He said a team of four or five capable forwards confounds their opponents' defence.
We don't depend on one player to put the ball in the net, so it's very hard when other teams play against us," said Amaral.
The U-13 team's defence is strong too, and good two-way players like Ryan are an added asset, he said.
The big part in the depth of this team is we can move players into different positions and they perform, so they're not dependent on one or two players," said Amaral.
Amaral said he believes the team is ready now to compete in the WOYSL, but for a Sault team to play in a southern Ontario league involves a lot of travel, and Amaral said he purposely delayed the decision to pursue the league until this year to avoid burn out.
I don't want these kids, when they need it most, when they need to really start to show (their skills) for the possibility of a future scholarship, for example, to be so burned out that they are not interested anymore," he said.
June 28, 2010. U-17 Civics make up for Saturday loss (by Michael Purvis, The Sault Star, June 28, 2010)
Alysha Giardino, left, of the Sault Civics Seamless Eavestrough Under-17 girls soccer team looks for an opportunity to get the ball away from a Southwest Tornadoes player during Sunday's Western Ontario Youth Soccer League game between the Sault and London at Strathclair Field.
Michael Purvis QMI Agency
Some days are better than others.
In the case of the Sault Civics Seamless Eavestrough Under-17 girls soccer team, Sunday was "100 per cent better," than Saturday, said Sam Medaglia, the team's head coach.
The Sault team played two Western Ontario Youth Soccer League games against London's Southwest Tornadoes on the weekend at Strathclair Field. The Civics dropped their first 3-0 on Saturday.
"Nobody showed up to play (Saturday), it was awful," said Medaglia.
Sunday was a completely different story.
"They probably realized (Saturday) was not their best game and (Sunday) they came out prove that they can play," said Medaglia. "I know they can play because they've proved in the past they can play."
Medaglia said his girls had control of the Sunday game right from the start.
"After the referee blew the whistle, it was like eight or 10 passes and the ball was in (London's) net," said Medaglia.
The Sault team went on to win 2-0, thanks to goals by midfielders Brittany Syms and Sophie Hodgson. The shutout was courtesy of Dina Mandolesi.
Sunday's win was the first of the year for the Civics, who posted a tie and a loss from the previous weekend's trip to southern Ontario.
It's only four games into the regular season, but Sunday could be a sign the Civics, who finished second in the league for the last three years, are in the chase again.
"Anybody can beat anybody in this league if they're ready to play, so it's a well-balanced league," said Medaglia.
Everyone had to pull up their socks Sunday after one of the Civics players was sent off the field.
"Once we went a man down, everybody kind of had to step up," said Medaglia. "I would give kudos to everybody because we played shorthanded probably two-thirds of the game."
The Civics, who are also missing two players to injury, got some help on the weekend from Anna Lees and Jaclyn Amadio, who were brought up from house league and "really stepped up."
June 28, 2010. U-14 Civics encounter turbulence (by Michael Purvis, The Sault Star, June 28, 2010)
It's not often a goalkeeper earns kudos from his coach in a winless weekend.
But Nicholas Trecroce's "no-fear," performance between the pipes was a silver lining to the dark cloud that was the weekend's string of 2010 Ontario Cup tournament defeats for the Sault Civics Under-14 Boys soccer team.
"I know it was 4-0 (Sunday) but it could easily have been 10-0," said Civics head coach Glen Vine.
The U-14 Civics went winless and scoreless in the three-team round robin, falling 3-0 to the Richmond Hill Raiders and 3-0 to the Thunder Bay Chill on Saturday, and 4-0 to the Mississauga Falcons in Sunday morning's final match.
"We just weren't firing on all cylinders," said Vine. "Guys were out there, coming off the field sweaty, but they just weren't working together as a team."
Trecroce is one of a handful of new players in what Vine considers a "rebuilding," year for the team. But he said he blames the team's unusually poor tournament showing on upheaval in June caused by a spate of Grade 8 graduations and graduation trips.
"Because of Grade 8 graduation, Grade 8 trips, I haven't had a whole team for a whole month," said Vine. "Obviously that's had an impact, because the boys were there physically but they were not there mentally."
Richmond Hill, with two wins and one tie, won the tournament and advances to the quarter-finals in the Ontario Cup series, the finals of which take place in September, in Vaughan, Ont.
The next big challenge for the U-14 Civics will be a one-game do-or-die showdown July 18 in Thunder Bay, the winner of which gets a shot at a tryout for the Western Ontario Youth Soccer League.
"I'm hoping to be able to get the guys to buy into a plan of extreme hard work and dedication to get us ready to go to Thunder Bay," said Vine.
If they can beat Thunder Bay, the U-14 Civics then must best the second-last place team in the WOYSL to be admitted to the league.
This past weekend will serve as a learning experience for the U-14 Civics.
"We know who to watch and how to kind of play them a little bit," said Vine.
The Sault Civics Lucidia Vipers U-14 Girls Red team fared better in their Ontario Cup tournament, beating the Oak Ridges Knights 4-0 and the Sarnia Spirit 5-0 on Saturday. The local team had a shot at the quarterfinals, but lost 3-1 Sunday to the advancing Tecumseh SC.
June 27, 2010. Tenaris U-17 Boys Civics split weekend series with London (by George Di Berardino, team head coach)
The Tenaris Titans U-17 Boys Civics soccer team matched up for two WOYSL games with visiting London Marconi Azzuri this past weekend.
In game one on Saturday afternoon, the Titans dominated the play with several attempts at goal, however, they finished the first half behind 1-0. The Sault side levelled the game on a fabulous free kick shot from Alex Cicchini half way through the second half. The Azzuri were able to pull off the win late in the game on their own free kick opportunity. Despite outplaying the London team throughout the entire game the Civics found themselves being handed their fourth loss of the season bringing their record to 1-4.
The second match on Sunday morning at Tom Tipton Field brought better fortunes to the Tenaris Titans. Alex Cicchini led the way with a brilliantly struck ball on a rush getting the Titans out to the lead halfway through the first half. Justin Williams connected on an accurately placed volley shortly after, increasing the Civics lead to 2-0. The London side inched the game closer by capitalizing on a penalty shot just before the end of the first half. Alex Cicchini notched his third goal of the weekend, vaulting his team back to a two goal lead, by connecting on a hard shot early in the second half. The Azzuri did not lay back by the setback as they scored with twenty minutes left in the match, making it a 3-2 contest. The Sault was able to keep the London entry at bay for the remainder of the game, giving The Titans their second win of this early season.
Azzuri head coach Victor Eskildsen commented that his side was very fortunate to earn the split over the weekend since their team was outplayed in both games. Meanwhile, Civics head coach George DiBerardino says he has been working on his teams shooting skills because his team is outplaying their opponents all season long, despite the 2-4 win- loss record. He feels that improvements in that department will secure more victories enabling the team to catapult itself up near the top of the standings.
The Titans next WOYSL action will take place on the road versus the undefeated, league leading Windsor Wolves.
June 23, 2010. Sault Tenaris does well in Peterborough (from Sports Briefs, The Sault Star, June 23, 2010)
The Sault Tenaris Wolverines U-12 boys soccer team posted a win, a tie and a loss over the weekend at the Challenge Cup in Peterborough.
The Wolverines opened with a 2-0 victory over Pickering Power Gold. Mike Nenonen and Brady Doiron scored the goals and game MVP Noah Wacker posted the shutout.
Zackary Senecal and Mike Trunzo scored for the Sault in a 2-2 tie with Peterborough City.
Trunzo was the game's MVP.
Peterborough City then handed the visitors a 4-1 setback. Doiron had the lone goal in defeat. Noah Spina was the Sault's game MVP.
June 22, 2010. U-13 Boys Sault Civics Fire capture Petoskey tournament (by Frank Sacchetta, team head coach)
The U-13 Boys Sault Civics Fire (sponsored by Personal Touch Auto) gave their fathers a great Father’s Day present by demonstrating a lot of skill, ability and heart to win the 28th Annual Petosky Invitational Tournament this past weekend.
The Sault boys were up against some tough U.S. competition made up of 13 and 14 year old boys. In their round robin play the Sault beat Marquette Blurr 2-1, Mt Pleasant United 6-0, and tied the winners of the Traverse City Tournament (North Storm Red) 4-4.
The Boys then advanced to the finals against the Petoskey Lakers who finished first in their five team bracket. The Championship game ended in a well deserved, hard fought victory of 3-1.
June 21, 2010. Color Your World / Wishart Law U-13 Civic Girls Eliminated in Semi-finals (by , Marty Rimmer, team parent)
After going undefeated in round-robin action, the Sault’s U-13 Civics advanced to the semi-finals but were eliminated on penalty kicks by the hometown Petoskey Lobos at the 28th Annual Petoskey Invitational held this past weekend. The two teams battled to a scoreless draw throughout regulation and two overtime periods but the Civics ultimately suffered a heart breaking 4-3 penalty kick loss. Lydia Murray, Ashley Ouellet, and Sarah VanBoerdonk tallied the Sault’s shootout markers.
The Color Your World / Wishart squad began their first tournament action of the season with a pair of wins on Saturday. Logan Naccarato fired a hat trick and Murray and Jenni Richardson added single markers as the Civics opened the day with a 5-1 victory over the Midland Fusion then followed up with a hard fought 1-0 victory over the Royal Oak Renegades later in the afternoon. Murray tallied the game’s only goal while Mikaela Caputo provided the shutout goalkeeping behind a strong defensive Color Your World squad.
Sunday morning’s final round robin action saw the Civics finish tops in their division with a 2-0 victory over the Tri-City Strikers. Murray handled the scoring with a pair of goals while Caputo earned her second consecutive shutout, as the Civics’ defensive play was solid once again in only allowing one regulation goal throughout the entire weekend.
Next tournament action for Coach Jaime Amaral’s U-13 Civics girls will be the weekend of July 10th and 11th when they travel to Cambridge, Ontario for the Annual Heritage Tournament.
February 23, 2010. A leg up for soccer fans — Council votes in favour of moving ahead with west end facility (by Elaine Della-Mattia, The Sault Star, February 23, 2010)
Soccer players, coaches, fans and parents crowded council chambers Monday night to hear councillors debate the pros and cons of moving forward with a west end community centre that would see a double indoor turf facility constructed.
In the end, council voted in favour of moving ahead with the first two phases of the development including two indoor turf facilities, a temporary lobby and a library facility.
It is estimated the project will cost about $10.7 million.
The pre-engineered building would include the two fields, four player dressing rooms, public washrooms, general office space and a temporary lobby.
It would also include a 6,000-square-foot library at the west end of the building with reading rooms, child and adult areas, multi purpose rooms and a staff room.
The building's design allows for a third phase, to be looked at sometime in the future or as funding comes available. That phase would add a rink surface, change rooms, a new lobby and a second floor including bleacher areas for the indoor turf facilities and the arena, as well as a walking track circling the field area.
That third phase would replace the existing McMeekan Centre but it's not expected that portion of the project will begin for at least five years.
The project was listed as the city's top priority for stimulus funding programs but was the only project that did not receive funding.
Nick Apostle, commissioner of community services, said the McMeekan Centre is inspected every three years and results show the aging building is currently structurally sound.
Some work needs to be done on the refrigeration system.
The space exists for any future growth to add a second pad arena and a third indoor turf.
Councillors raised concerns about the cost and the fact that the project did not receive funding from the government stimulus applications.
It is expected the city will need to assume about $5.1 million of debt for the first two phases of the project, bringing the city's entire debt load to $28 million.
City treasurer and commissioner of finance Bill Freiburger said the city's credit rating should not be affected by the increased debt.
But Freiburger said the city "shouldn't go much beyond this with debt right now."
Ward 1 Coun. Steve Butland, a longtime proponent of the project, said he's glad the project is moving forward.
"There is a need for this. There are more soccer players than hockey players" in the community, he said.
"This will be for the people that are here now."
The facility will be the largest open space in Sault Ste. Marie and has been a project much sought-after by the soccer association for years.
Ward 3 Coun. Bryan Hayes said he is pleased the project will result in no tax increase, will be the best cost scenario for a new library and will be done during a time of low interest rates.
Ward 4 Coun. Lou Turco said "I'm disappointed we can't go 100 per cent and have an entire project including a twin pad arena as well."
Councillors also suggested the city look at naming rights possibilities to help with the operational costs of the facility and that staff continue to look for funding sources for the arena portion of the project.
Under the current plan, architects EPOH will start construction drawings and it is expected the project will go to tender in the summer with a construction start date of September.
Construction of the project will take about one year.
January 2, 2010. Kaitlin Morin's excellent adventure (by Peter Ruicci, The Sault Star, January 2, 2010)
A soccer ball has been known to bounce wildly at times.
But it's been sailing along smoothly for Kaitlin Morin during her brief time at the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff.
In her first year at the school, the 18-year-old Sault Ste. Marie native helped the women's soccer team thrive.
By winning the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) championship, the Golden Lions became the first team in school history to earn a berth in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament.
"It was a dream season for this team," head coach Roberto Mazza, a Windsor, Ont., native said in a school press release.
And Morin grew into a standout at centre defence, starting every game and helping lead her team to a 12-7-4 record.
"The soccer program at the school used to be pretty bad, but our coach has done an amazing job with the program," said Morin, a St. Mary's College graduate, who won the 2008-2009 Percy Bedford Award, emblematic of the city's female athlete of the year among graduating high school students. "When we were going to the NCAA tournament there was a lot of excitement at the school."
And the excitement over the women's soccer program didn't diminish, despite a 7-0, first-round loss to powerful, Louisiana State University.
Tiny Arkansas Pine Bluff was a big underdog going into the game.
"We should have only lost 4-0," said Morin, citing the fact the Golden Lions inserted a little-used, backup goalkeeper when the game began to get out of hand. "We're a really young team and they (LSU) had nationally-ranked players on their team. It makes us realize that if we want to be at that level, we have a lot of work to do."
Morin said she was surprised to play as much as she did in her freshman season. She spoke of how Mazza, after watching her in the preseason, told Morin she would be one of his key players.
"He told me that eventually, I could be the best defender in the conference," said Morin, a nursing major who's carrying a grade-point average of 3.6 (out of 4). "That made me really happy." Morin said she tries to be as coachable as possible, taking instruction from Mazza and trying her best to apply it.
And she nearly scored a goal in her first season, heading a corner kick that barely went over the crossbar.
"I really wanted to score," she said. "And I really don't like thinking about it because it was so close."
Her decision to go to school so far from home, Morin said, has proven to be the correct one.
Although she was homesick at the start of the school year and adjusting to a new culture took some time, Morin said she's made good friends with her teammates, many of whom are also Canadians.
"Our goal next year is to win the SWAC Conference again," she said. "And our ultimate goal is to win an NCAA playoff game."
December 28, 2009. Delarosbil takes on leadership role (by Ben Leeson, The Sault Star, December 28, 2009)
Photo submitted
Her team's last line of defence on the soccer pitch, Shannon Delarosbil will one of the first players younger teammates will turn to for advice next season.
During a rebuilding phase this past fall, over which her New Mexico Highlands University Cowgirls struggled to a 4-16 overall record, the second-year goalkeeper began to take on a leadership role.
"It was a new year, with a new team and a new coach, a building year," said Delarosbil, a 19-year-old Sir James Dunn graduate. "We only had six or seven returnees, and otherwise it was pretty much a brand-new team.
"We didn't do as well as expected. We had some unfortunate falls, some injuries and it was one of those years where we just didn't jell much as a team."
She's determined to help change those things in 2010.
"As a sophomore goaltender, the team had to depend on me," said Delarosbil, who started seven games for the Cowgirls during the 2009 season. "Next year, things are looking a little brighter. As a junior, I'll be coming in with a lot more experience."
The five-foot-six keeper, who bears the nickname "Canada" as the only NMHU player hailing from north of the 49th parallel, was a standout with the Sir James Dunn Eagles as well as with the Sault Civics and Sault Ste. Marie Croatia travel clubs.
But she found another level of competition with NMHU, which plays in the Division II Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
"College soccer is so different," the daughter of Dan and Renee Delarosbil said. "It's more competitive, you have to practice every day, run every day, and the heat down in New Mexico takes some adapting to.
"But it's a group of players who want to be there, who have made a choice to be there. It's a group of players who love the sport."
That made it easy to choose NMHU, based in Las Vegas, N. M., which she decided to attend soon after her first visit.
"I fell in love with it," she said. "The school is perfect in size -- not too big, not too small. It's 10 minutes from one side of the campus to the other. The professors know my name, which helps, and they know me as an athlete. And I have some of my teammates in my classes, too."
She attends NMHU on a partial scholarship.
A criminal justice major, Delarosbil plans to obtain a master's degree in law enforcement or criminology and possibly pursue a career with the RCMP.
Spending nearly 808 minutes on the pitch this past season, Delarosbil posted a record of 1-4-0, with one shutout.
Her goals-against average of 1.78 was best among Cowgirls keepers.
Delarosbil gave much of the credit for her success so far to Rob Vagnini, her head coach with the Civics and goalie coach for Sault Croatia.
"He's been the most influential person for me, in soccer, to this day," Delarosbil said. "I'm here because of him.
"He's so passionate about the sport, and he's a goalkeeper, so he had a lot to offer at that position for me. His technique, the way he plays, it rubbed off.
Created by: Michael Ter-Mikaelian -- Last updated:Aug 30, 2010
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