ibrox Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 The circuit has become a 6 team league again as Corner Brook have re-joined the field along with fieldians, Holy Cross, Mount Pearl, and St. Lawrence. Replacing the St. John's U-18's are the NL Canada Games side, who of course compete on an exhibition basis only. Games involving Corner Brook are worth 6 points. Here is the sked: Date Time Venue Home Away June Saturday - June 13 4:00 Centennial Field St. Lawrence Canada Games Sunday June 14 2:00 fieldian Grounds Holy Cross fieldians Saturday - June 20 6:30 fieldian Grounds Holy Cross Mount Pearl Saturday - June 20 7:00 Wellington Street Complex Corner Brook St. Lawrence Sunday -June 21 2:00 fieldian Grounds fieldians Holy Cross Saturday - June 27 3:00 Clarenville, NL Canada Games St. Lawrence Saturday - June 27 6:30 U/L Smallwood Complex Mount Pearl Corner Brook Sunday -June 28 12:00 fieldian Grounds fieldians Corner Brook Sunday -June 28 2:30 U/L Smallwood Complex Mount Pearl Canada Games July Saturday - July 4 6:30 fieldian Grounds fieldians Canada Games Saturday - July 4 7:00 Wellington Street Complex Corner Brook Mount Pearl Sunday - July 5 2:00 Topsail Field, CBS Canada Games Holy Cross Wednesday - July 8 6:30 Mundy Pond Field Holy Cross fieldians Saturday - July 11 4:00 Centennial Field St. Lawrence fieldians Saturday - July 11 6:30 Upper Smallwood Complex Mount Pearl Holy Cross Saturday - July 11 7:00 Wellington Street Complex Corner Brook Canada Games Wednesday - July 15 6:30 Mundy Pond Field Holy Cross Mount Pearl Saturday - July 18 2:00 Topsail Field, CBS Canada Games fieldians Saturday - July 18 4:30 U/L Smallwood Complex Mount Pearl St. Lawrence Saturday - July 18 7:00 fieldian Grounds Holy Cross Corner Brook Sunday - July 19 12:00 Topsail Field, CBS Canada Games Corner Brook Sunday - July 19 2:30 fieldian Grounds fieldians St. Lawrence Saturday - July 25 4:00 Topsail Field, CBS Canada Games Mount Pearl Saturday - July 25 6:30 fieldian Grounds Holy Cross St. Lawrence Sunday - July 26 12:00 Topsail Field, CBS Canada Games Mount Pearl Sunday - July 26 2:30 fieldian Grounds Holy Cross St. Lawrence Wednesday - July 29 6:30 fieldian Grounds fieldians Mount Pearl August Saturday - August 1 3:00 Centennial Field St. Lawrence Holy Cross Saturday - August 1 6:30 Burin Canada Games fieldians Sunday - August 2 12:00 Burin Canada Games Holy Cross Sunday - August 2 2:30 Centennial Field St. Lawrence fieldians Wednesday -August 5 6:30 Centennial Field St. Lawrence Canada Games Saturday - August 8 6:30 fieldian Grounds Holy Cross Canada Games Saturday - August 8 6:30 Centennial Field St. Lawrence Mount Pearl Saturday - August 8 7:00 Wellington Street Complex Corner Brook fieldians Sunday - August 9 2:00 fieldian Grounds Holy Cross Canada Games Sunday - August 9 2:00 Centennial Field St. Lawrence Mount Pearl Wednesday - August 12 6:30 fieldian Grounds fieldians Mount Pearl Wednesday - August 12 6:30 Burin Canada Games St. Lawrence Saturday - August 15 4:00 U/L Smallwood Complex Mount Pearl Canada Games Saturday - August 15 6:30 fieldian Grounds fieldians St. Lawrence Saturday - August 15 7:00 Wellington Street Complex Corner Brook Holy Cross Sunday - August 16 12:00 fieldian Grounds fieldians Canada Games Sunday - August 16 2:30 U/L Smallwood Complex Mount Pearl St. Lawrence Wednesday -August 19 6:30 fieldian Grounds fieldians Holy Cross Saturday - August 22 6:30 Centennial Field St. Lawrence Corner Brook Saturday - August 22 6:30 U/L Smallwood Complex Mount Pearl fieldians Sunday - August 23 2:00 Centennial Field St. Lawrence Holy Cross Sunday - August 23 2:00 U/L Smallwood Complex Mount Pearl fieldians Wednesday -August 26 6:30 U/L Smallwood Complex Mount Pearl Holy Cross Predictions? With St. Lawrence undergone wholesale changes, are they still going to win or can fieldians challenge them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obinna Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 This will be the year of Mount Pearl. They have a substantial upgrade at keeper and a returning central midfielder from Fieldians, who by all accounts is one of the better midfielders in the league. As much as Fieldians have improved and gained experience, Mount Pearl still has a bit more quality and leadership, they have finished no lower than second in the regular season for every year I can remember since 2003. Holy Cross(my former team) has quality as well but also lack a veteran presence(as usual) judging by what I hear regarding their roster. They are also losing their keeper to Mount Pearl and I can't think of a replacement around the city that would fill his shoes. Cornerbrook United returning should be interesting. They should have a roster filled with players who have all played at this level before, plus they have a board with 6 members who are responsible for finding a coach, managing financing, etc. These are all things the players had to do themselves in the past so mabye Cornerbrook are finally organized and serious enough to make an impact in the league. Still, with that being said I expect a Mount Pearl/St. Lawerence final. St. Lawerence are at the point where they no longer enjoy an advantage skill wise. Mount Pearl, Holy Cross, and Fieldians have all caught up, but St. Lawerence have such an unchanged roster year in and year out, plus they are all from the same small town for the most part(roughly 800 people?) and that familiarity pulls them through almost every year. This year will probably be the same, I expect them to win it all. The standings before final weekend will be: 1)St. Lawerence 2)Mount Pearl 3)Fieldians 4)Holy Cross ---------------------------------------- 5)Cornerbrook 6)Canada Games Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibrox Posted June 11, 2009 Author Share Posted June 11, 2009 Who did Pearl get for a goalie? If you're thinking that Putt guy or whoever, I didnt think he was that great. Then again, anything is an upgrade over their keeper last year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obinna Posted June 12, 2009 Share Posted June 12, 2009 I never said he was great, but I did say he is a substantial upgrade, so yes you hit the nail on the head. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibrox Posted June 12, 2009 Author Share Posted June 12, 2009 Actually, Ian Power has moved to Mt. Pearl (i think from Feldians), and Prim has left for the mainland. Bartellas has moved to fieldians from the U-18's. My predictions given the info I have: 1. St. Lawrence --> Until they lose a game, theyre still the favourites, but with the changes made, it'll be interesting. John Douglas is apparently playing intermediate for Gonzaga haha. 2. Mt. Pearl --> With Power in net and the experience on the pitch, plus Mavin's coaching, they should give Laurentians a run for their money. 3. fieldians --> Both their keeps gone will hurt big time, Bartellas is good, but he is deffo not Power or Prim, gonna be a long year. 4. Cross --> Losing Tyler Putt will also, and i cant think of a goalie in town apart from John D that is as good as him. Which says somethin as I don't think Putt is great, sorry Obinna, lol. 5. Corner Brook --> although they can easily grab 4th because of the six pt. rule and depending how they stack against fieldians, they may be able to give Cross a run for their money. 6. Canada Games --> They may spring a few surprises given a draw and 1 goal loss to the Laurentians, but theyll still be last. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obinna Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 quote:Originally posted by ibrox Actually, Ian Power has moved to Mt. Pearl (i think from Feldians), and Prim has left for the mainland. Bartellas has moved to fieldians from the U-18's. My predictions given the info I have: 1. St. Lawrence --> Until they lose a game, theyre still the favourites, but with the changes made, it'll be interesting. John Douglas is apparently playing intermediate for Gonzaga haha. 2. Mt. Pearl --> With Power in net and the experience on the pitch, plus Mavin's coaching, they should give Laurentians a run for their money. 3. fieldians --> Both their keeps gone will hurt big time, Bartellas is good, but he is deffo not Power or Prim, gonna be a long year. 4. Cross --> Losing Tyler Putt will also, and i cant think of a goalie in town apart from John D that is as good as him. Which says somethin as I don't think Putt is great, sorry Obinna, lol. 5. Corner Brook --> although they can easily grab 4th because of the six pt. rule and depending how they stack against fieldians, they may be able to give Cross a run for their money. 6. Canada Games --> They may spring a few surprises given a draw and 1 goal loss to the Laurentians, but theyll still be last. 1) Jonny D is not playing with Gonzaga. He played in a pre-season tournament for us in Corner Brook because we never had any keepers available. 2) Power doesn't play in net, he's a center midfielder. 3) Bartellas plays in net? I never knew that hmmmm. Once again Power doesn't play in net. 4) Neither do I lol. He is deffinatly better than Edwards though, who I hear is playing for Cross in net. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obinna Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Date: Sunday June 14th Holy Cross VS fieldians Score Holy Cross - 3 fieldians - 1 Half-time Score: Holy Cross 0 - fieldians 1 Goal Scorers Holy Cross: John Hawco 59 min, Zack Wade 65 min, Corey Moore 90 min. fieldians: Zack Hynes 3 min. The first game of the 2009 season for Holy Cross and fieldians was a very well played game It was a game that opened with intensity. It was a contest that demonstrated high level of soccer skills and it certainly showed a high level of fitness. This game opened with momentum, with lots of hard tackles and physical play. There were plenty of fans on hand .Basically, this contest demonstrated that no team is going to be a push-over this season. Wide open play Right from the opening whistle, both teams ran the field well. At the three minute mark fieldians Zack Hynes hooked on to the ball deep into Holy Cross territory and then, with a beautiful finishing touch, he lobbed the ball over Holy Cross goalkeeper Scott Edwards, who was caught off his line. Both teams continued to go at it after the goal and the play went back and forth until the 23 minute mark, when Jon Hawco picked up a loose ball at the 18 yard line. Hawco went in, dribbled around the defender, carried on and went around fieldian’s goalkeeper. Then rather than put the ball into an empty net, he took an extra step and, as a result of this, he was totally stopped from even getting a shot on net. Holy Cross had another glorious chance when Zack Wade missed from close in at the 3o minute mark. From there, it was fairly even play for the remainder of the half. Second Half - It was all Holy Cross The second half of play was a much different half. fieldians stopped running and Holy Cross ran miles . They totally frustrated the fieldians defence and they controlled the middle of the field. They looked impressive. They worked the ball to the outside and as a result of their efforts, Jon Hawco scored on a beautiful header at the 59 minute mark. Zack Wade scored again at the 65 minute mark from a ball that was hit inside the box from the outside wing position.From that point onward, it was as if fieldians had somehow disappeared. A field of green had become a field of red. All that the fieldians could do was chase the ball. They weren’t orchestrating any sort of creativity. In the last minute of play Corey Moore sealed the faith of the fieldian team and gave Holy Cross their third goal of the match for a well deserved 3-1 victory. Referee Shannon Tobin Cards Holy Cross - Ryan Yetman (Y), Jeff Slaney (Y) fieldians - Zack Hynes (Y), Ryan Sheppard (Y) Goal Keepers Holy Cross - Scott Edwards fieldians - Michael Bartellas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coppercanuck Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 http://www.thewesternstar.com/index.cfm?sid=262799&sc=24 Second half surge propels Laurentians over Western 4-0 print this article CORNER BROOK JAMIE BENNETT The Western Star The St. Lawrence Labatt Laurentians emerged from a road trip to Corner Brook with a familiar result — a win. The four-time defending Challenge Cup Champions scored four times in the second half to down Western United 4-0 in a Saturday evening soccer showdown at the Wellington Street Sports Complex. Western United, playing in its first Challenge Cup game in five years, did well in the early stages of the match against the powerful Laurentians as the squads played to a scoreless first half. Peter Greene broke the ice in the 49th minute before Paul Slaney bulged the twine in the 57th minute to set the stage for the eventual win. Rudy Norman and Mike Douglas rounded out the scoring and John Douglas earned the clean sheet in goal. Following the game, Western coach Garland Oram was pleased with the way his team started the game but felt in the end, his squad simply ran out of gas. “I think overall it was a good start,” Oram told The Western Star. “At about the 55 or 60th minute mark our fitness level wasn’t there to finish the game and that’s really when they started taking it to us. St. Lawrence are a very strong and well disciplined team and when they see you start to break down, they’ll take advantage of those chances.” Despite the loss, he was encouraged by the way his team compete in its first match, particularly against an opponent which has proven to be one of the best in the country over the past several seasons. “They’ve been and still are, in my mind, the best team in the league,” he said. “Playing against them in our first game after five years, we’ve got to take that as a positive. We’ll get ready for next weekend and we’re not going to be discouraged. We played 55 minutes with them but we’ve got to play 90 minutes next game.” While the game was played in front of a large group of supporters, Oram feels interest in the club will build as word spreads about the quality of soccer the league has to offer. “I think after tonight you’ll see a lot more people come out to support the team,” he said. “This is a different level of soccer than Corner Brook has seen in many years and I think it’s only going to grow.” Meanwhile, Laurentians coach Clem Edwards admitted Western came out of the gates strong but was happy with the way his team stayed calm and capitalized on its opportunities. “They gave us a run for it in the first of it,” Edwards said. “They were a little bit physical and they’ve got a lot of young guys who are pretty fit so they put pressure on us. In the end, once we got a couple of goals, our experience took over. We sort of laid back and played ball the way we usually do.” Now 2-0 on the season, Edwards said the club could still use some fine tuning in order to reach peak form. “We’ve got to tighten up our defence,” he said. “ There’s too many loose balls and loose markings for my liking as a coach but we’ll straighten that out by the end of the year.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PearlFan Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 I ahve been a fan of Mt. pearl for close on 10 years now! I think this is the best team the have assembled since they won it all. If they are going to win, this year is their year (or next if they keep the same team) additions of Power, Iain macleod and Kurtis walsh have made them a great team with some depth. In regards to Putt, I was suspect to him comming to Pearl. But can honestly say he is the best keeper in this province at this time (with John D who I also this is a fantastic keeper). After watching him play for Pearl in Practice as well as MUN games (where he was MVP last season) I ahvent seem such play in a long time. the only nock on him for me, is the temper he seems to have, which hopefully doesnt become a liability in a big game. All in all, i still think its St. Lawrences to lose this season, but Pearl will give a great push. 1-St. Law 2- Mt. pearl 3- Cross 4- CBrook 5- Fieldians If canada games could qualify I would put them top 4 for playoffs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibrox Posted July 17, 2009 Author Share Posted July 17, 2009 Putt better than Johnny D? No way. Yes, I said Putt is over-rated, and he is not even close to the calibre of John Douglas. I have seen him play a few games and I have lost count how many times he has gone for balls and missed completly. Yes, they are some goalies his size that aren’t aggressive but you can’t get over-aggresive and I think Putt is guilty of that. As much as I dislike Scott Betts (head coach of MUN), there is a reason Douglas started in front of Putt. In fact, if it wasn’t for John, I doubt MUN would have won a game last season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibrox Posted July 19, 2009 Author Share Posted July 19, 2009 Sorry meant to say u can be over aggressive. The only reason why Putt is #2 is because of the departures of Power and Organ from fieldians. I don’t even think Putt could start in the Nova Scotia Premiership. Power is barely holding up in it as it is and I think he’s better than Putt. John Douglas is now head and shoulders the best keeper in the province. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PearlFan Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 I never said Putt was better than John D. And Putt and John D split time last year at MUN actually, I believe they both won a game a piece. I believe MUN had one of the best Goals Against in the league last year and I actually think Putt had more clean sheets. Again I am not saying Putt is better, but he is on the same level as John D for sure. To say Putt couldnt start in the NS premiership is odd becase he was their goalie at Canada Games in 2001 (same year John D was with NL). And who do you keep about saying Power is a GK???? There is no GK in this province named Power Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibrox Posted July 20, 2009 Author Share Posted July 20, 2009 Colin Power (i think its his first name), ex-fieldians goalie is who I was referring to. He's in Halifax now, playing for Dartmouth United. Sorry, but seemed liked when you said Putt was the best goalie in the province I was assuming you thought he was better than John D. Obviously John D is regarded by many (myself included) as the best goalie in the province. And yes, it's one thing to start in a Challenge Cup league at 18 (on a CG or U-18), but it's completly different at 20 something, especially in a league like NL where all the goalies are well established minus Simms/Bartellas at fieldians. PS. Mun was tied for 5th for GA with 16...hardly what I'd call "one of the best" in a 12 team league. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PearlFan Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 I see your point! I am just basing on what I have seen, as I am an ex goalkeeper myself, and have worked training high performance gkers for close on 15 years now. It is very hard to compare John D and Putt, as they are 2 completely different keepers with very different styles. I hear you on the MUN Goals Against, i think I made my point a bit wrong. Perhaps I should have said they had a very good goals against for one of the worst teams in the league. I think both Putt and John D.. played a huge part in that keeping as low as it was. i also coached in Halifax for a year and I now know who you are talking about with Power, and he is nowhere near a keeper that could compete with John D or Putt, he is barely a starter on a bad DU team. when Putt was in NS league he was starting for Athens (old King of Donair) and this was while he was in his 20's (but not exactly sure of his age to be honest) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PearlFan Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 I saw on Gords blog that his next Coaches Corner will be on his top 20 players in this years Challenge Cup, if he were to assemble an all star team, so I thought I would beat him to the punch with my opinions on the Top 20: Keepers: 1) John D 2) Tyler Putt Defenders 3) Clinton Edwards 4) Marc Pittman 5) Jon Kelly 6) Ryan Slaney 7) Andrew Murphy 8) Colin Brown Midfielders 9) Rudy Norman 10) Shane Antle 11) Zack Wade 12) Paul Slaney 13) Mike Douglas 14) David Webb 15) Ryan Yettman 16) Ian Power Strikers 17) Justin Pickford 18) Jon Hawco 19) Kevin Oram 20) Aaron Anstey Just a shot on the top 20, anyone agree/disagree?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bates Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 That team would not win a game in any quality league in Canada. The midfield has Rudy Norman who is playing striker, Shane Antle who is possible the most overrated player in history of Nl soccer. Mike Douglas who is not even a starter on his own team. david Webb is an average intermediate player. Ian Power see David Webb. Yettman is a meat head and also a very average player. Paul Sleney is in the middle of his worst season on record. The D and goalies on your team offer the only quality to be found. The forwards are Ok but not great. I also understand that you have little to pick from and your post has shown me just how bad the league in NL is at the present time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PearlFan Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 I agree that it was a hard time to name 20 players, I can think of a quality 11 to put together probably, but 20 players from 5 teams was very difficult. Completely agree that keepers and defence are quality.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibrox Posted July 21, 2009 Author Share Posted July 21, 2009 Sorry Pearlfan, I actually made a mistake too. I usually get Colin Power confused with Matt Prim for some stupid reason. If it wasn’t for him and Organ departing, Bartellas would not be starting CC. But he is a decent keeper and has potential. Either way, I have played around Atlantic Canada and this team would easily beat an NB team and maybe even PEI. NS would give a good game for sure... And guys, I agree with you on the D and keeper being quality. But, ask Greece what they did in 2004...(then again Euro’s and a full league campaign are much different). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PearlFan Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 Makes much more sence now!! Prim is a very good keeper, Fieldians miss him this season. Bartellas is a raw keeper, he has some potential, and with some good training could be a good keeper in a few years. I also think they could beat NB and PEI, but I think NS has really stepped up the last few years, and they are now more elite in my mind. Of course this team would be solid in every game but would most likely end up just short as the quality would be hard to match in larger populated provinces. But look at 2001 canada games 2nd place was NL, 3rd place was NS, and 4th place was PEI. Not bad for small provinces in soccer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibrox Posted August 18, 2009 Author Share Posted August 18, 2009 Gord Dunphy has weighed in on the challenge cup report card of 2009, anyone care to comment? 2009 Challenge Cup Report Card The beauty of sports is you never know what a new season will bring. This season we have experienced some improved clubs, and we have also seen some teams that their play must be described as major disappointments. At this time I will share with you my views on the play of all five Provincial Challenge Cup teams. Holy Cross/The Dock: This team has an abundance of youth that possess sheer raw talent.The club has a good crop of strikers with great goal scoring ability. Corey Moore and Aaron Anstey, along with John Hawco, all know where the net is and all are capable of putting the ball in it. In mid-field Holy Cross is led by Zack Wade, the most talented mid-fielder in the province. While Craig Edwards has brought maturity to this team in the middle, Edwards’s career was mostly played as an all-star center back. Jeff Slaney, Adam Burry, Jake Warren and Blaise Peters are good young players that are only experience away from becoming great players. Holy Cross has an ample backline. Jeremy Babstock is solid while Ryan Yetman’s greatest asset is his strong physical presence. Brian Reddy, Chris Pope and Andrew Stanford are adequate back liners.In goal, veteran Scott Edwards has the smarts and the athletic ability to get the job done. Cross also has a solid bench. Coach’s Corner Comments: Holy Cross is a hard working team that is well coached. They are by far the most improved team in the league this season. St. Lawrence Labatt Laurentians: The Laurentians haven’t gotten over the loss of strikers Richard Kelly and Mike Howlett. Laurentians’ 2008 midfielder Rudy Norman is again playing in the striking position. Although, Rudy works extremely hard and has a super shot, he hasn’t got the finishing touch of a natural goal scorer. He has an excellent work ethic; he runs the field better than anyone in the league, but he needs to get more creative with his team-mates and become poised inside the box. In mid-field, the Laurentians are mediocre this season. Paul Slaney, although he is having his best season ever in the goal-scoring department, needs to focus himself a little better on being capable of running the field. Veteran Andrew Perrott, who has showed early signs of his age, has steadily improved since the season began. Both Ryan Slaney and Peter Greene have had some good moments but they have yet to play with any form of consistency. The Laurentians are very strong on the backline when Marc Pittman, Clinton Edwards, Darren Pike and Adam Loder are used in this position as starters. In goal, John Douglas may have had a few cloudy moments, but one must realize these sorts of things may happen when a player plays with great intensity and has a huge desire to win. Despite Douglas’s bleak moments, I still feel he remains the league’s best keeper. On the bench the Laurentians have players that for most part just sit and wait to be given a chance to play for 15 to 30 minutes at the Challenge Cup level. I feel these players have done a great job under very trying circumstances. Coach Corner Comments: This has not been a season that Laurentian fans are accustomed to, but one should realize this season is far from over. Mount Pearl/That Pro Look/Molson: Mount Pearl is becoming a good solid team quite capable of defeating Holy Cross or St. Lawrence. When their strikers are on their game, Justin Pickford and Ryan Caines can create havoc for the opponents. Caines is a very much under-rated striker. Sean Drew is starting to regain form. I like the potential of young Tyler Forsey. This kid has a bright future ahead of him and he has been very impressive when he’s given the chance to play. In mid-field, Shane Antle, who is playing with a lot of confidence this season, leads Mount Pearl. Mark Reddy, Ian Power, Ian MacLeod and Michael Luther are solid but these players need to get their nose dirty and become involved and start contributing more offensively. Now that Jon Kelly and Gord Ryan are paired up on defence, Mount Pearl has become solid in this position. Andrew Murphy has had a super season to date. Mount Pearl goalkeeping is a little questionable. Tyler Putt can be brilliant but he has also allowed a few too many soft goals. Mount Pearl has a solid bench. Coach Corner Comments: Mount Pearl could have very well been in the top two seeds this season, if they had gotten a few breaks. The team is improving, and playing stronger each game. On Labour Day this squad could be heard from. The Upper Smallwood Pitch, which is to be the host of the Provincial Challenge Cup Championships, is very conducive to the style of play of the Mount Pearl team. fieldians Ernst & Young Orenda: What a difference a season makes! Last year, fieldians were the most improved club, while this year they are certainly the league’s biggest disappointment. Jay Babstock, the upfront newcomer has struggled. Matthew Wilkins appeared in uniform for a few games but then he disappeared. Zack Hynes is a player that gives it his all but he has very little support.In mid-field, David Webb, who had a career year in 2008, is just not the same player in 2009. Johnny Acreman, the captain of the fieldians’ team is a strong defender but has not adjusted to the pace of the mid-field position very well. Chris Burry, who was a contender for ‘Rookie of the Year’ in 2008, is another one of those athletes who is going through the sophomore jinx. Chris Roche appears to be more focussed and has been a bright spot for the team. This year’s backline, led by Colin Power, backed by Ryan Sheppard, Colin Browne and Steve Howell has allowed too many scoring chances and as a result, the fieldians have the worst goals against in the league. This may be a result of the squad having two unproven goalkeepers, Michael Bartellas and Matthew Simms. Coach Corner Comments: When a team can’t put the ball in the opponent’s net and can’t keep the ball out of their own net, they could be in for a long season. This statement may very well explain the fieldians in 2009. Western United F.C.: This is a team comprised of a number of experienced players plus a lot of youth and because of this mixture, this team can compete. The most prominent player on this team is all-star Kevin Oram, Greg Keats, who patrols the team’s backline, is the team’s top defender. He also has played with MUN’s soccer team and is a very solid player. Veterans Colin Lynch, Corey Rideout, Clarence Bennett, Mark Fitzpatrick, Todd Warren and Pat Fewer make this team fairly respectable. The team has added young Steven Hobbs, who was a late drop from the NL Provincial Canada Games Team, and has a bright future ahead of him as a future leader on this team. Coach Corner Comments: The experiment of the NLSA allowing the Western representative a one-year pilot project of re-entering the league on a reduced schedule appears to have worked.The Western squad, when playing at home, have drawn good crowds. They have competed with all teams in the league both at home and on the road. At the present time Western United F.C. is in fourth place, making them eligible for the 2009 Provincial Challenge Cup playoffs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martyr Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 Glad to see all those youngsters coming through for Holy Cross. Who is coaching them now? Is it Jake Stanford? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibrox Posted August 19, 2009 Author Share Posted August 19, 2009 Yep, it is Jake Stanford. It is interesting how they were terrible last season and now went to first. Hopefully they don't do a fieldians and wind up on the bottom next year, they seem like a good team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bates Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 They are the combination of the U-18 team and Holy Cross from last year which should help explain why they are so much better. Also this might be the weakest league in a few years with the Laurentians not nearly as good as past years and with very little bench to draw from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martyr Posted August 19, 2009 Share Posted August 19, 2009 quote:Originally posted by Bates They are the combination of the U-18 team and Holy Cross from last year which should help explain why they are so much better. Also this might be the weakest league in a few years with the Laurentians not nearly as good as past years and with very little bench to draw from. I remember Jake Stanford had a very good U16 side when I was in St. John's a few years ago. That team had discipline and style. If I recall they did ok at Nationals that year as well. I'm glad he's been able to continue that good work at the senior level. Cross have been consistently introducing good young players into their squad since I was there in 2004. We brought in Corey Moore, Chris Bulger and Brian Reddy up from the St. John's U18s for a few games. The fact we couldn't use them in the final tournament hurt us quite a bit. John Hawco joined the year after. I think the only players still around from the year I was there are Bobber and John Lacey (at least from what I've read on the NLSA site). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obinna Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 hmmm...i wonder if any burin players got dropped from the CG team... I think steven hobbs attends NTC in Halifax, so for him to get cut is suspicious to say the least Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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