The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper


Vol. 17 No. 26 - April 12, 2017

sports

Slim's Place takes the first win

Anna Maria Island Sun News Story

monica simpson | SUN

Slim's Place's Bert Vortuba dribbles the soccer ball
away from the Wash Family Construction defender
at The Center on Saturday in his team's victory.

The community center pitch came alive again on Saturday for three competitive recreational youth soccer games. With new teams created and the merging of two age divisions to create the 11- to 14-year-old league, coaches and teammates worked to try to find the chemistry on the field that would take them to victory in the season spring season.

Coach Jesse Brisson, for Slim's Place, was fortunate enough to have two seasoned powerhouses on his team with Gregory Jordan and Aiden Templeton. Both players have honed their soccer skills at the center, bringing up their game with each season.

For Brisson, Connor Samblis will be the player to watch along with Gabe Hoover. Hoover and Jordan work their skills together off Island as well as teammates in another soccer club.

Wash Family Construction's coach Kris Yavalar is starting from scratch with his squad. In the first couple of games of each season, working out the kinks, discovering each player's strengths, and coming together as a team are the goals for many teams. Yavalar's experience on the field as a player will ultimately shine as he leads his daughter's team through the season.

Starting predictably strong, Jordan scored the first goal after five minutes of play, quickly giving Slim's Place a one-point lead.

Templeton and Jordan show their experience and growth on the field with strong passing and communication, making multiple runs to the goal.

Wash Family Construction's goalie Dalton Fox showed grace under pressure during the game with multiple shots taken during the 40-minute game. His saves under the rapid fire of Team Slim's Place kept the score at 1-0, while the soccer ball remained on Wash's side of the field.

Slim's Gabriella Gilbert showed her passing skills getting the ball to Templeton who took a shot with a difficult angle, putting the ball far to the outside of the right post.

Fox stopped the corner kick by Templeton, but Jordan followed up with is second and third goals of the game within a minute of each other. Striking hard and striking fast, Jordan accomplished a hat trick in the first nine minutes of the game.

Team Wash Family Construction would not let the 3-0 deficit stop it. Fox stopped another potential Jordan goal.

Relieving Samblis in the Slim's Place's goal, Asa Brisson took over as the team's goalkeeper. From the sideline, Coach Brisson taught his son the keys to the keeper position as the communicator and defensive director of the team.

Taking the ball from Wash Family, Gilbert took the ball to midfield. With nice moves, Bert Vortuba took over on offense as Brenna Heckler and Kendall Rice protected their end of the field on defense.

Picking up the pace of their game, Jax Kagin stayed tight on Jordan, cutting him off on another offensive run. Banks Beukema supported his teammate attacking the ball while Kagin remained hot on the heels of Jordan.

Addison Hey, for Wash Family Construction, added her support on the field. Hey and Layla Yavalar, daughter of Coach Yavalar, combined their efforts on the field for their team making a difference, preventing scoring for more than five minutes by Team Slim's Place.

Samblis showed his pace and ability with his first goal of the game. Jordan followed with his fifth and final goal of the game.

In the inaugural game of the season, the referee allowed the learning of skills and rules with throw in do overs. As the season progresses, rules are enforced more strictly and play becomes more refined.

Hey continued to put the pressure on the Slim's Place's offense, preventing another score before the close of the half.

To start the second half of play, Templeton immediately took the ball to the goal in the first minute of play, advancing the score to 7-0.

Not to be rattled, Fox saved the next shot on goal.

Hoover dribbled the ball only to have it stolen by Killian Garrard. Once again showing her ability, Gilbert placed a strong throw in right to teammate Templeton, who struck hard to the goal. Fox grabbed the ball with confidence making another save.

Getting the ball out for the defense, Kagin stopped the offensive advance of Slim's Place.

Showing girl power on the field, Gilbert dribbled the ball down the field, but could not get past the defensive foot of Yavalar.

Garrard again showed his field skills before having the ball taken away at midfield. With the steal, Templeton was given another chance to score. His hard shot went off the post and off the back of Fox just outside of the goal.

Jett Smith made a difference as Hoover attempted to score his goal. Stopped by Fox, the play knocked the wind out of the brave goalie momentarily stopping play.

After a short delay, Samblis's shot hit on the side of the net, but set him up for a second shot and his second goal of the game with less than six minutes left on the clock.

Fox, who finished the game with 12 saves, continued to play hard and kept the scoring to a minimum.

With Hoover and Jordan traveling to their next soccer game in town, the scoring was left to Templeton and Samblis.

Out of the goal, A. Brisson took the ball to the goal. His shot was saved by Fox, who saved the next shot by Samblis. With the ball going off the hands of the goalie, Bin There took a corner kick by Templeton and scored the ninth goal of the game with less than three minutes on the clock.

In a showing of good sportsmanship, passing was the direction of Coach Brisson. But the opportunity presented itself, and Samblis made his third goal of the game capturing his own hat trick.

Templeton took possession of the ball and dribbled it around the field without taking a shot, allowing the final seconds of the clock to tick off the scoreboard with the score 10-0, giving Bin There Done That their first win of the season.

In the 11- to 14-year-old league, Tyler Brewer, Jackie Schlossberg and Tuna McCracken were the goal scorers for Signarama in their victory over Salty Printing. Salty's David Daigle, Javier Rivera and Ava Zink kept the game close with their four goals.

Truly Nolen's Jack Mattick, Nick Yatros and Victor Albrecht put the ball in for their team in the win over Progressive Cabinetry with Jackson Pakbaz scoring the lone goal for his team.

Sun Scoreboard

Thursday, April 6

Adult Co-Ed Flag Football

#3 Beach to Bay 29
#6 Smoothie King 25

#2 Tyler's Ice Cream 36
#5 Mason Martin 18

#4 Moss Builders 13
#1 Beach House Real Estate 7

Saturday, April 8

Youth Soccer: 11- to 14-Year-Old League

Signarama 6
Salty Printing4

Youth Soccer: 8- to 10-Year-Old League

Slim's Place 10
Wash Family Construction 0

Truly Nolen 5
Progressive Cabinetry 1


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