It was a lovely June evening for a North Okanagan Womens Masters Soccer League game, and the Fresh Is Best Impact and Pleasant Valley Dental Controllers obliged with awesome soccer between both teams.
The 5-1 final in favour of the Impact was not indicative of the games played by both sides. The Controllers played a hard game, but the Impact played as a cohesive unit to keep it a one-sided affair on the scoresheet.
The Impact opened the scoring within three minutes with an awesome solo effort from Leah Watt who deked two defenders and placed the ball in the bottom right hand corner.
Watt followed up on her first goal quickly with a second boomer into the top right hand corner just minutes before half. Impact goalie Auralie Westfield made an awesome save to keep the score 2-0 until just before half when the Controllers scored one in a scramble in front of the net, resulting in a Jen Sorochuk goal with Jessie Bicknell picking up an assist.
In the second half the Impact added three more goals with brilliant efforts from Raegen Russel, who scooted through the defence to blast one into the corner of the net. A long sweeping shot from Janelle Smithson on a corner deked out the goalie who thought it was going wide. To top off the scoring, Yvonne Rogers planted a header past the keeper off a beautiful cross from Dana Hornibrook.
The score wasn’t a true indicator of the awesome soccer that was played by both sides. The Controllers played a hard game but the Impact played as a cohesive unit to keep it a one sided affair on the score sheet.
For the Controllers, a late goal in the second half came again from midfielder Bicknell, but was disallowed after a late off-side call. The front line was backed up with Brittany Chase and Amy Shupe, both playing a strong offensive game.
Defense played by wingers Jenna Hunter and Martina Allen was strong in getting many first touches against their forward opponents. Michele Wernicke, Karen Zupp, and Christyna Whieldon controlled the centre of the back line cleaning up lots of loose balls, and working to hold the line for offside positions. Cliona Curran helped to chase long balls sent in over the defensive line. Great effort by both keepers, Michelle Embelton and Michele Wernicke, making many great saves, including a rebound off the lower right post in the second half.
Halfbacks in the midfield had a busy game supporting both the offence and defence in quick plays that switched over to left winger Marni Brandl and right winger Elena Sookarow. The centre was consistently in action with Bicknell, Jodi Peshko and Jacqueline Nuyens helping to move the ball out of the Controllers half.
JUNE 11 GAMES
VERNON CHICK KICKERS 7 PLEASANT VALLEY DENTAL CONTROLLERS 0
The Chick Kickers got off to a great start, scoring three times in the first 10 minutes and rolled to the win.
The Controllers did have many offensive plays and chances at net. Whieldon shot a lovely ball from the top of the 18 that just went wide. Tara Murray and Sookarow worked hard on the outside to attack at the net and feed the ball up to forwards Chase and Angela Durfeld.
Midfielders Nuyens, Peshko, and Bicknell had a couple of breaks out front but couldn’t sneak it past the Chick Kickers’ keeper. Defenders Allen, Wernicke, Zupp, and Sheri Reynard worked hard all match to try to contain the Chick offence. The arrival of Jenna Hunter and Curran at the half greatly helped out the dental defensive line with their fresh legs. Allen was named player with heart for the Controllers.
FRESH IS BEST IMPACT 6 SHUSWAP MERLOT 1
The Impact opened the scoring with a whopper from Russell just outside the 18 yard box.
Smithson made it 2-0 before the half after a beauty shot tucked away to the bottom right corner of the Merlot net.
In the second half, Ashley Buechler scored her first goal with a long shot past the keeper The Merlot managed to make it 4-1 after a mix up in front the of the Impact net.
Buechler added two more goals for the Impact, giving her a hat trick for the night.
Impact defence was solid with great performances by Marla Ronnquist and Nikki Friesen.
roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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