Soccer season kicks off first week of action
by Kevin Cassidy
islander Correspondent
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Mike Norman Realty's Morgan Greig and Autoway Ford's Robby Officer battle it out for the ball during Anna Maria Island Community Center Soccer League, Division III, soccer action. |
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Autoway Ford striker Robby Officer dribbles between Mike Norman defenders Kobi Hunter, Samantha Burgess, Lily Banyas and Joe Class during soccer action at the Holmes Beach field. |
The dress rehearsals are complete and the games are for real as the Anna Maria Island Community Center kicked off its 31st season of recreational youth soccer.
Unlike past years, this season is being played at the new Holmes Beach field and the majority of the games are being played on Saturdays during the day.
In hot, muggy conditions, Autoway Ford defeated a short-handed Mike Norman Realty team by a score of 4-0 in Division III action on Sept. 23. In a nice gesture of sportsmanship, Autoway Ford agreed to play one player short to match the number of players present for Mike Norman Realty.
The two teams battled it out fairly evenly in the early going. Mike Norman Realty had the first good scoring chance when Morgan Greig got fouled dribbling toward the Autoway goal. His free kick from 22 yards went just wide of the goal.
Autoway then kicked it up a notch and applied tremendous offensive pressure over the ensuing 15 minutes. In the fifth minute, Robby Officer pounced on a short goal kick, dribbled inside the 18-yard mark and fired a shot that Norman goalie Zoe Piccirillo saved.
Neil Carper came right back at the Norman defense and ripped a shot that had goal written all over it, but again Piccirillo was up to the task. The ball deflected off of her hands and went directly to Officer, but his followup offering was blocked by Mike Norman defender Samantha Burgess.
Carper got free up the right side in the ninth minute, but his shot caromed harmlessly off the left post and was easily picked up by Piccirillo.
Carper found some space through the middle of the Norman defense in the ninth minute, but Piccirillo made another strong save to deny the Autoway striker. Carper followed that offering with an even better shot from 22 yards out that Piccirillo just got a hand on. The ball rolled slowly toward the corner of the goal, but fortuitously bounced off the post to preserve the tie.
Autoway finally broke through when Officer beat three defenders up the left side, cut back and found Carper alone inside the box and he rocketed a near-post shot for a 1-0 lead.
Mike Norman Realty almost tied the score two minutes later when Joe Class passed ahead to Greig, whose shot was saved by Autoway Ford goalie Joe Cucci.
Autoway’s bad luck ended in the opening seconds of the second half when Officer scored a pair of goals before one minute had ticked off the clock for a 3-0 Autoway lead.
Officer completed his hat trick in the 35th minute to give Autoway a 4-0 victory to open its season.
Morgan Stanley got its first win of the season on Saturday as well, a 5-1 victory over West Coast Surf Shop in Division II soccer action. Jacob Titsworth led the way with three goals, while Trevor Bystrom added a pair of goals for Morgan Stanley, which also received one goal from Dale Hoffman. Samantha Latimer and Mallory Kosfeld played strong games on defense for Morgan Stanley in the win.
Stephanie Purnell led West Coast Surf Shop with one goal, while Molly Stoltzfus and Christian Hightower played strong games on defense for the Surf Shop.
Island Real Estate sank Cannons Marina by a 6-1 score in Division II action on Saturday morning. Daniel Pimental and Chris Pate each scored three goals to lead the way for IRE.
Nick Papazian notched the lone goal for Cannons in the loss.
Division I had a pair of games to open soccer action on Saturday morning. LaPensee Plumbing received four goals from Joey Hutchinson and one goal apiece from Sarah Howard and Chris Callahan as they shut out Danziger’s Destroyers 6-0.
Island Family Physicians received goals from four different players as they carved up ReMax Gulfstream Realty 5-1 in the second Division I match of the day. Martine Miller led IFP with two goals, while Alex Hall, Kyle Crum and Kyle Parsons each notched one goal in the victory for the doctors. Carlos Rios led ReMax with one goal in the loss.
The Sun edged Morgan Stanley 5-4 in Division II action on Sept. 22 behind a hat trick from Joel Hart and one goal apiece from Arianna Collins and Connor Field. Jacob Titsworth scored four goals to lead Morgan Stanley in the loss.
Autoway Ford received an own goal and one goal apiece from Neil Carper and Robby Officer to defeat Ooh La La! Bistro by a 3-1 score in Division III action on Sept. 21. Josh Zawistoski scored the lone goal for Ooh La La in the loss.
Mr. Bones smoked Mike Norman Realty 3-0 in Division III action on Sept. 20. Blaine Jenefsky led Mr. Bones with two goals, while Keegan Murphy added one goal in the victory.
ReMax Gulfstream Realty flooded LaPensee Plumbing by a 9-4 score in Division I action on Sept. 19. Carlos Rios led the way with four goals, while Cory Wash added three goals and Jordan Sebastiano notched two. Zach Evans led LaPensee with four goals in the loss.
Harry’s Continental Kitchens cooked Danziger’s Destryers 6-2 on Sept. 18 behind three goals from Matt Bauer in the Division I contest. Alex Burgess, Chandler Hardy and Blake Rivers each added one goal in the victory. Sage Geeraerts and Tommy Price each scored one goal for Danziger in the loss.
Key Royale golf news
Jim McCartney fired a three-under-par 29 to win the Key Royale Club’s nine-hole, low-net golf competition on Sept. 18. Vince Mercadante and Austin Rice tied for second at 30, while Bob Jorgenson, Larry Fowler and Matt Behan were a shot back in third place.
On Sept. 15, the men and women teamed up for a co-ed, two best balls of threesome competition. The team of Terry Westby, Teddie Morgan and Al Morgan combined to fire a six-under-par 58 to run away with the title. Frankie Smith-Williams, Joyce Brown and Lorraine Toiano finished four shots back in second place.
Horseshoe news
A six-pack, double ringer by George McKay and a single ringer from partner Steve Doyle brought the McKay/Doyle team back from the brink of defeat to a 23-20 victory over the team of Ron Pepka and Debbie Rhodes to win the Sept. 16 Anna Maria horseshoe competition. Rhodes and Pepka defeated the team of Hank Huyghe and Tom Rhodes 24-16 to advance to the finals.
Play gets under way at 9 a.m. every Wednesday and Saturday at the Anna Maria City Hall pits. Warmups begin at 8:45 a.m. followed by random team selection. There is no charge to play and everyone is welcome.
AMICC Soccer League schedule
Division I (ages 12-14)
- Sept. 30 9 a.m.Harry’s vs. ReMax
- Sept. 30 10 a.m.Physicians vs. LaPensee
- Oct. 2 6 p.m.Harry’s vs. Physicians
Division II (ages 10-11)
- Sept. 28 6 p.m.IRE vs. Sun
- Sept. 30 11 a.m.Sun vs. Surf Shop
- Sept. 30 12 p.m.Cannons vs. M. Stanley
Division III (ages 8-9)
- Sept. 27 6 p.m.Ooh La La vs. Americo
- Sept. 29 6 p.m.Autoway vs. A&E
- Sept. 30 1 p.m.Autoway vs. Mr. Bones
- Sept. 30 2 p.m.A&E vs. Americo
- Sept. 30 3 p.m.Ooh La La vs. M. Norman
Instructional League (ages 5-7)
- Sept. 28 6 p.m.Beach Bistro vs. LPAC
- Oct. 2 6 p.m.LBK Kiwanis vs. Bank of America
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