ANNA MARIA – The adult co-ed recreational soccer playoff games kicked off last Thursday night at the Island’s community center. After seven weeks of exciting soccer play, eight teams battled it out in four action-packed matches.
To start the night at The Center, first-seed Duncan Real Estate took the field as the team to beat, losing only one game in the regular season. Their opponent, the last-place Moss Builders team, had nothing to lose and a seat in the semifinals to gain with the win.
With friends and family cheering on both sides, the underdogs Moss Builders ended the first half of play with a two-goal lead against the Duncan squad.
The Duncan team struggled to click as a team in the game. Moving the ball down the field was an effort against a motivated Moss Builder defense.
After nearly two halves of play in the heat of the early evening, the game was tied with only minutes left in the game.
Duncan Real Estate goalkeeper, Charles “Tuna” McCracken, uncharacteristically let two soccer balls past him with an absent defense at the end of the game. McCracken finished with seven saves, letting five go.
McCracken’s Moss Builders’ counterpart David Moss had eight big stops to help his team to victory.
The hard strikes of Adam Bujarski and Gerardo Urbiola Bolanos, each with two goals in the quarterfinal game, helped the Moss team advance in the playoffs. Teammate Cemal Duzgun scored a solo goal in the match.
Duzgun and Pedro Gonzalez are credited with assists in the goal scoring for Moss Builders.
Despite the defeat, the Duncan Real Estate team put three points on the scoreboard. Team captain Kevin Roman scored his last two goals of the season and Erica Nielsen had a nice goal for Duncan. The offensive efforts, including assists by Tyler Brewer and Murat Akay, just were not enough to give their team a W.
Moss Builders moves on in the playoffs, facing Pool America at on Thursday night, May 18, at 7 p.m. at The Center. Pool America beat Gulfview Windows & Doors after a tie in regulation play.
After eight PK shots, Pool America came out on top, with goals by Nate Welch, Eduardo Schlueter and Jamie Hutchison. Dean Hinterstoisser, as the third shooter for Pool America, surprisingly missed his shot.
Keith Mahoney, shooting for Gulfview, was the only one of the four shooters for his team to make the shot.
Goalkeepers Mark Long, for Gulfview Windows & Doors, and Pool America’s Robb Marshall, both made critical stops for their teams with six and seven saves, respectively.
In other adult soccer semifinal playoff action, the Sandbar team faces the Vintage Beach squad in the semifinals at 8 p.m. this week. Vintage Beach defeated Sato Real Estate by one goal, while the Solid Rock Construction team lost to Sandbar Seafood & Spirits with a final score of 5-3.
This week in youth soccer, the 8- to 10-year-olds started league playoff action on the small pitch. The 11- to 13-year-old league finished their regular season games on Tuesday and will start playoff play next week.
As the summer heat approaches, spring soccer at The Center starts coming to a close with championship play in the coming weeks.
Sun Scoreboard
May 9
8- to 10-year-old League
Week 7
#3 Westfall’s Lawn Care & Pest Control (3-2-1) 2
#4 Solid Rock Construction (3-3-0) 0
#5 Island Real Estate (2-4-0) 3
#1 Cheesecake Cutie (5-1-0) 0
#2 Sato Real Estate (4-2-0) 4
#6 AMI Coconuts (0-4-1) 2
11- to 13-year-old League
Week 7
#3 HSH Designs (2-2-2) 3
#1 Gulf Drive Café (4-1-1) 3
#2 Moss Builders (3-1-2) 2
#4 Shady Lady Horticultural Services (0-5-1) 2
May 11
Adult Co-Ed Soccer
Quarter Final Playoff Games
#8 Moss Builders 5
#1 Duncan Real Estate 3
#7 Vintage Beach 5
#2 Sato Real Estate 4
#3 Sandbar Seafood & Spirits 5
#6 Solid Rock Construction 3
#4 Gulfview Windows & Doors 3
#5 Pool America 3 – winner in PKs 3-1
