Islanders part of Atlanta Cup championship team
by Kevin Cassidy
Islander Reporter
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Atlanta Cup Champions: Braden River Rage
Meredith Argeros, Brielle Campbell, Cat Byrne, Nicole Dixon, Kristin Eriksen, Ashley Falkner, Kristin Ferreri, Mary Isiminger, Catherine Kasper, Martine Miller, Kelsey Moshier, Erin Mulrine, Cori Nolan, Jordan Ostermann, Jordan Ponto, Melissa Smith, Emily Teffenhart, Ally Titsworth and Kaitlyn Wolfe, coach Rick Ponto and assistant coach Mark Wolfe. Islander Photos:
Courtesy Judy Titsworth |
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Ally Titsworth turns an ASA Extreme Blue player around with a nice cutback during the Atlanta Cup championship game played Sept. 5 in Atlanta.
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Island residents Ally Titsworth, Erin Mulrine and Martine Miller are starters on the Braden River Rage girls soccer team that captured the Atlanta Cup Sept. 4-5.
The Rage opened the tournament on Sept. 4 against Cobb Co., which was ranked 16th in the state. The Rage dominated play in what turned out to be a 1-1 tie, registering 19 shots while only allowing four shots from their opponents. Defenders Jordan Ponto, Mary Isiminger, Krissy Eriksen and Nicole Dixon were outstanding in front of Rage goalie Catherine Kasper.
The Rage bounced back in its second game with a 4-1 victory over Norcross, Ga., which came into the tournament ranked 38th in the state. Kaitlyn Wolfe led for the Rage with two goals, while Miller and Cori Nolan each notched single goals. Mulrine assisted on three goals in the much-needed victory.
With a 1-0-1 record, the Rage needed a big victory in its last pool-play game to sort out tiebreakers in order to determine who would advance to the final four. The Rage got that and more, overwhelming the Newman Lady Cannons 7-0 behind four assists by Mulrine. Miller, Meredith Argeros, Titsworth and Wolfe all notched goals in the victory.
The semifinal game was an extremely physical affair against Macon Co. that saw the Rage fall behind 1-0. The Rage quickly shook that off by tying the score one minute later when Miller knocked in a rebound goal to make it 1-1, which held until halftime.
Miller gave the Rage the lead in the second half when she headed in a cross between three defenders for a 2-1 lead.
With the Rage having played two games back-to-back, their energy level was dropping, so they battened down the hatches and played defensively the last 10 minutes, but managed to hold on for an exciting 2-1 victory and advance to the championship game.
The championship game pitted the Rage against ASA Extreme Blue, ranked 13th in the state. This game was an extremely physical contest that was played between the 18-yard lines with only nine shots on goal combined between the two teams in a game that ended 0-0. After two five-minute overtimes and still no score, the game went to a penalty-kick shootout.
The Rage then found themselves down 0-2 in the shootout with only two players left to shoot. A miss or another goal by ASA Extreme and the tournament was over.
But Titsworth stepped up for her pressure-packed kick and calmly blasted it into the left corner to keep the Rage alive.
Goalie Kasper was now on the spot, but she made the save to keep the dream alive.
Miller followed and buried her penalty kick to tie the score at 2-2 with one more ASA Extreme penalty kick left.
Kasper amazingly deflected the penalty kick over the goal to send the shootout into sudden death.
The Rage kicked first, but the ASA goalie made the save to once again put the pressure on Kasper, but again she made the save to keep the Rage alive.
Argeros then stepped up and blasted a rocket off the keeper’s fingers and into the lower right corner to finally give the Rage a lead.
Facing another pressure-packed penalty shot, Kasper initially guessed wrong, but somehow recovered to get a piece of the shot and deflect it off the post for the save and the championship.
The Rage finished its championship in the high-caliber tournament with 15 goals for and only three against in tournament.
Other members of the team include Brielle Campbell, Cat Byrne, Kristin Eriksen, Ashley Faulkner, Kristin Ferreri, Kelsey Moshier, Cori Nolan, Jordan Ostermann, Melissa Smith and Emily Teffenhart.
Congratulations, girls!
Horseshoe news
Horseshoe action at the Anna Maria City Hall pits got rained out on Sept. 12, but the Sept. 9 games saw Steve Grossman and Sam Samuels emerge from pool play with the only 3-0 record and they were the day’s outright champs.
There was, however, a good battle for second place between Bob Heiger and Jay Disbrow, who took on Steve Doyle and Carl Perlman. Doyle and Perlman jumped out to what seemed like an insurmountable 20-12 lead, but a six-pack, double ringer by Disbrow sparked a rally. Heiger finished off the rally with a ringer to give them a come-from-behind 21-20 victory to claim second place.
Play gets under way at 9 a.m. every Wednesday and Saturday at the Anna Maria City Hall pits. Warm ups begin at 8:45 a.m. followed by random team selection. There is no charge to play and everyone is welcome.
Key Royale golf news
The men of the Key Royale Club played an 18-hole, better-ball-of-partners game on Sept. 9. The team of Don Ledford and Bob Jorgensen carded an impressive 9-under-par 55 to tie for first place with Carl Voyles and Vince Mercadante. Five shots back in second place was the team of Bob Dickinson and John Sagert with a 4-under-par 60.
Speaking of Golf
There’s still time to register for the first-annual Anna Maria Island Community Center golf tournament, which is being held at the IMG Academies Golf & Country Club on Friday, Oct. 9.
The tournament, which benefits the Center and includes dinner, golf, driving range, beer and soft drinks. Also on tap are tons of raffle prizes, a longest-drive contest and closest-to-the-pin contests.
The fun gets started with a 12:30 p.m. shotgun start and dinner and awards following play at 5:30 p.m. For those folks who don’t golf, but want to support the cause, you can attend the banquet for $45.
For more information, contact Sandee Pruett at the Center at 778-1908, ext. 9204.
Anna Maria Island Community Center Soccer League Spirit Week schedule
Date Time Teams Field
Sept. 18 6 p.m. IRE vs. A&E F1
Sept. 18 6 p.m. Sparks vs. Panoramic F2
Sept. 18 6:30 p.m. Coastal Ortho. vs. Panoramic F1
Sept. 18 6:30 p.m. Surf Shop vs. Sand Bar F2
Sept. 18 7 p.m. Pest Control vs. Bistro F1
Sept. 18 7:30 p.m. LaPensee vs. West Coast Air F1
Sept. 19 10 a.m. Pest Control vs. Jessie’s F1
Sept. 19 10 a.m. Harcon vs. Wash Const. F2
Sept. 19 10:30 a.m. LaPensee vs. Jessie’s F1
Sept. 19 10:30 a.m. Was Const. vs. Norman Realty F2
Sept. 19 11 a.m. Bistro vs. WCAC F1
Sept. 19 11 a.m. Harcon vs. Norman Realty F2
Sept. 19 Noon Isl. Dental Spa vs. Oyster Bar F1
Sept. 19 Noon Panoramic vs. Surf Shop F2
Sept. 19 12:30 p.m. Oyster Bar vs. IRE F1
Sept. 19 12:30 p.m. Sparks vs. Sand Bar F2
Sept. 19 1 p.m. Panoramic vs. Dental Spa F1
Sept. 19 1 p.m. Mr. Bones vs. Autoway F2
Sept. 19 1:30 p.m. A&E vs. Coastal Ortho. F1
Sept. 19 1:30 p.m. Ross Built vs. Autoway F2
Sept. 20 2 p.m. Wash Const. vs. Ross Built F2
Sept. 20 2:30 p.m. Wash Const. vs. Mr. Bones F2
Field 1 indicates small field, Field 2 is big field |
