ANNA MARIA – Going into the final game of adult co-ed soccer regular season play, team Pool America seems to be gelling at the right time. At the start of the season, the 2-4-1 team struggled to find their footing on The Center pitch.
Looking to repeat their championship success from last season, captain Eduardo Schlueter led the Pool America team to its second win against third-ranked Ross Built Custom Homes.
The Pool America squad was the underdog in this match-up based on their record, but the Ross Built defense could not contain the scoring power behind their opponents last Thursday night.
Scorers Murat Akay, Enrique Claderas, Chris Klotz and Sam Parker were among the teammates who kept Ross Built keeper Max Gazzo busy at the net.
Akay and Claderas each had two goals for Pool America, while Klotz and Parker had solo goals. Teammate Drew Jacobson has one assist in the game to help his team score against the Ross Built defense.
Despite his never-ending efforts in goal, Gazzo’s 11 physical and fully committed saves just were not enough for Ross Built Custom Homes. Gazzo’s counterpart, Nate Welch, played keeper for Pool America and was credited with six saves.
Team captain Greg Ross’ solid play assisted Ethan Hampton’s scoring effort and his single goal. Ross had a goal of his own, showing why he is one of the most consistent scorers in the league.
These two teams find themselves going head-to-head in the first round of the fall soccer season’s playoffs on Thursday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m.
Last week, in the second game Thursday night, brothers Josh and Ben Sato shared the team Sato Real Estate goalkeeping duties against seventh-place Sandbar Seafood & Spirits. The Satos had a total of 10 saves, with three made by B. Sato.
In the fourth-ranked position, Sato Real Estate showed why the team was the heavy favorite coming into the game. Strong on both the defensive and offensive side, the Sato Real Estate team won the game against the Sandbar 7-3.
Sato’s scoring came off the foot of James Troxler with a hat trick, and scores by Amy Ivin and James Noblett, each with two goals. Her ability on the field, with a scoring assist, shows why Ivin is always selected early like a hot commodity.
Gulfview Windows & Doors won 2-1 against team Slim’s Place. Finishing the regular season with one win, Slim’s Place’s keeper Steve Oelfke kept on his toes for 40 minutes of regulation play and 16 credited stops.
Soccer coach Stephen Adair had Slim’s Place’s only goal in the team’s last regular season game.
On the other side of the pitch, captain Keith Mahoney and Jesus Martinez each scored for fifth place Gulfview. Goalkeeper responsibilities were in the hands of Leo Gonzalez and Chris Culhane, each with six saves in the night.
Culhane, who typically plays on the pitch where needed, showed his goalie talents with six big saves to help his team to their win. Raul Loera came up with six stops of his own against the last seed Slim’s Place.
Gulfview Windows & Doors plays against Sato Real Estate to kick off playoff action at The Center this Thursday at 6 p.m. Moss Builders takes on Slim’s Place at the end of the night.
After six weeks of soccer action at The Center, second place Gulf Drive Café defeated the previously undefeated Moss Builders team with a final score of 5-1. Holding their opponent to only one point, the Gulf Drive Café team earned their fifth win of the season.
Charles “Tuna” McCracken had 10 championship-caliber saves. His teammates put the points on the scoreboard, including two by captain Kevin Roman. Single points scored by Hello Gomez, Javier Rivera and Juan Vega solidly paved the team’s way to playing the Sandbar squad in the quarter-final round of playoffs.
Gulf Drive’s Eliza Faillace had an assist in the team’s scoring against Moss Builders.
The single goal by James Roadman was the only point on the scoreboard for the Moss Builders team.
Captain Ryan Moss and Karri Stephens shared the goalie position last Thursday night. The four stops by Moss and two by Stephens in goal were not enough to keep the team undefeated after seven games of regular season play.
With eight teams going into the adult soccer playoffs at The Center, only two will take to the field on Thursday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. to start the Paul “Ace” Hayward Cup championship game.
SUN SCOREBOARD
OCT. 24
YOUTH SOCCER WEEK 7
8- TO 10-YEAR-OLD LEAGUE
#1 Moss Builders (6-0-0) 3
#2 Solid Rock Construction (3-3-0) 0
#6 AMI Coconuts (1-3-2) 2
#5 La Creperie (2-4-1) 0
#4 Adrian Griffin Interiors (2-2-2) 4
#7 The Porch (1-4-1) 2
11- TO 13-YEAR-OLD LEAGUE
#2 Solid Rock Construction (4-4-0) 4
#4 HSH Design (2-5-1) 0
#3 The Gitt Team/KW on the Water (3-4-1) 4
#1 Cheesecake Cuties (5-1-2) 1
OCT. 26
ADULT CO-ED SOCCER
WEEK 6 MAKE-UP GAMES
#6 Pool America (2-4-1) 6
#3 Ross Built Custom Homes (4-3-0) 2
#4 Sato Real Estate (4-3-0) 7
#7 Sandbar Seafood & Spirits (1-5-1) 3
#5 Gulfview Windows & Doors (3-4-0) 2
#8 Slim’s Place (1-5-1) 1
#2 Gulf Drive Café (5-1-1) 5
#1 Moss Builders (6-1-0) 1
