Taking the action inside: Youth indoor soccer heats up at the center

ANNA MARIA – Just as the adult recreational soccer league wraps up on the big field, the community kids speed up the game with indoor soccer at the Anna Maria Island Community Center. The youth from the Island and around the area match up weekly for of the wall action.

On Friday, two of the middle school teams took the indoor field in the third week of play. Bark & Company Realty, coached by Chris Joseph, faced Sugar Beach Digital, coached by Ken Richards, in the second game of the night. Both teams filled with talented players made for an exciting 40 minutes of play.

Four minutes into the game, Gavin Walker, for Bark & Company Realty, scored the first goal of the game. Walker took another shot past Bryce Higgins, goalie for Sugar Beach Digital, taking the score to 2-0. Team Bark went up 3-0 when Ryan Joseph soon followed up with a strike of his own.

Coach Richard’s striker, Tyler Brewer, answered back by scoring a hat-trick, with the last one in the 13th minute of play. With the score tied at 3-3, Joseph came back with a goal at the 15th minute and the next with one minute left in the first half, closing out the half with a score of 5-3.

In the second half of the game, the scoreboard lit up with scoring by other members of both teams. Preston Walker started it off with a goal with 17 minutes left in regulations play. Yukio Kuroiwa scored the fourth and fifth goals for Sugar Beach Digital. James Richards slid in the final goal for his team once again tying up the score 6-6.

Battling back with 10 minutes remaining in the game, second half goalie Brock Soletti was called for violating the pass-back rule. With an indirect kick, Walker scored his third goal of the game for Bark & Company Realty. Joseph quickly scored again giving his team a two point lead. Walker scored his final goal of the game after taking the ball the length of the field. Joseph had a strong game and scored his fifth goal in the 17th minute. Bark goalkeeper Javier Rivera came out of the goal to play the field halfway into the second half. Rivera sealed the deal with a final goal seconds before the buzzer, capping of the game with a score of 11-6.

Youth indoor soccer continues with games through the second week of August. Championship games will be played on Friday, Aug. 14.

The Sun Scoreboard

Monday, July 20

8-to 10-Year-Old Indoor Soccer

West Coast Air Conditioning & Heating 3
Beach Bums 1

14-to 17-Year-Old Indoor Soccer

Salty Printing 5
LaPensee Plumbing and Pools  7

Wednesday, July 22

8-to 10-Year-Old Indoor Soccer

Signarama 4
West Coast Air Conditioning & Heating 2

14-to 17-Year-Old Indoor Soccer

Salty Printing 5
Wash Family Construction 6

Adult Flag Football

Anna Maria Vacations Dolphins 27
Slim’s Place Eagles 26

Sato Real Estate Giants 24
Miller Electric Lions 28

Jessie’s Island Store Fighting Irish 8
Poppo’s Taqueria 49ers 34

Tyler’s Ice Cream Vikings 20
Sugar Beach Digital Cowboys 14

Thursday, July 23

Adult Flag Football

Poppo’s Taqueria 49ers 26
Sato Real Estate Giants 20

Tyler’s Ice Cream Vikings 21
Miller Electric Lions 27

Slim’s Place Eagles 31
Jessie’s Island Store Fighting Irish 20

Anna Maria Vacations Dolphins 14
Sugar Beach Digital Cowboys 27

Friday, July 17

11-to 13-Year-Old Indoor Soccer

Sugar Beach Digital 6
Bark & Company Realty 11

14-to 17-Year-Old Indoor Soccer

Wash Family Construction 6
LaPensee Plumbing and Pools 5