It was stat night Tuesday for the elite teams in the North Okanagan Women’s Soccer Association Masters Division.
The league-leading Chick Kickers smothered the Pleasant Valley Dental Controllers 7-1, while second-place Dr. Lee Dental drubbed Rosters 8-0. The Kickers are 8-0 and three points ahead of Dr. Lee.
The Kickers went up 3-1 and then changed positions for the second half with Jen Kemper pocketing four goals and singles going to Mel Jacobs, Marley Wournell and Jessy Tanner.
Sharon Storms returned with style after having a baby in the offseason. Storms ran miles on the back line and was named Player with Heart by the Controllers (0-3-5) at Marshall Field.
Jacquie Nuyens and Laura Champigny combined to set up Amy Shupe for the Controllers (0-3-5). Elena Sookarow had a great scoring opportunity that just missed later in the first half. Emma Louie made a solid debut as a forward.
Dr. Lee opened their attack on Rosters with Ronda Thomas feeding Jennie Currie, who then made a remarkable cross to the head of Jacquie Charvet, who nodded it home. Five minutes later, Julie Bolin buried a blast and Loren Hutton made it 3-0 by finishing a pass from Bolin.
Just before the half, Hutton hit Paula Brownlee, who chipped the ball over the outstretched arms of the Rosters keeper Brenda Keay, who kept things close for a while with multiple saves.
Charvet converted early in the final half by taking a pass from Jill Rintoul and going around the keeper before finishing. Charvet came up big again when she took a cross from Erin Scott and volleyed the ball in for the goal of the night.
Charvet tapped in her fourth snipe off assists from Thomas and Currie. Dr. Lee’s final tally came off a passing clinic as almost the entire team touched the ball right from the back. Keeper Lisa Arrotta tossed the ball to Scott, who moved it around the back four to the midfield with Amanda Bolton holding the ball at the 18 until Rintoul beat her check and connected.
The fourth-place Gray Monk Impact brushed back the Shuswap Merlot 2-0 at MacDonald Park with super striker …Raegan Russell recording both goals.
Newbie Michelle McPherson brought seasoned skills and superior fitness to the Gray Monk midfield while sweetly distributing the ball. Janelle Smithson delivered some impressive crosses, while Kim Wiebe and Velvet Beaumont both hit the crossbar. Beaumont also saved a sure goal off the goal line after keeper Shelinda Morin came off her line.
The Vernon Liquor Store VQA and Courtesy Motors Sistas ran to a thrilling 3-3 draw at Marshall Field #1.
Tireless Harmony Crockett rang up a deuce, while jubilant Jen Hatten added a single for VQA (3-4-1).
“Harmony supplied several crosses to the square head of Carla Gibson but the points prevented any tallies,” chuckled VQA veteran Shelly Johnston. “She promises to polish for next week. Jen Hatten spent some time doing copious corners kicks trying to get her team to respond but alas, all her efforts went over or beside the net.”
Nancy and Shawn Nickoli who made dynamic debuts for VQA with Shawn nominated by the Sistas for Player With Heart. Lindsay Smith remained dry all night after a vacation to the Emerald Isle.
Andy Zubot scored off a pass from Carmen Kinniburgh for Courtesy Motors’ opening strike. Zubot took an open lane to the keeper, who got a hand on it before the ball rolled in, just before the break, making it 2-1 VQA.
Keeper Wendy Nadeau turned in a stellar showing in the Sistas net, getting huge help from fullbacks Liz Peterson and Wendy Beuckert to hold off the VQA first-half pressure. VQA extended their lead to 3-1 on a long, high shot but Zubot countered after a throw-in from Jessa Garro. Zubot juked and jived past the defence and finished to the corner.
Zubot levelled the score in the 70th minute on an electric passing play from Diane Neudorf. The Sistas kept pressuring with Peterson placing a lovely high through ball to Neudorf, who river-danced past the last defender before striking the post.
Shortly after, VQA enjoyed a breakaway with Nadeau coming out to challenge and slow down, the shot was headed to the corner before Beuckert cleared it away.