The final four is set in the Capri Insurance Men’s 45+ Soccer League.
Defending champion Kelowna Marketplace IGA, 2010 winning Leko Precast Camels, Penticton United and Lake Country all won quarterfinal matches Monday night.
The Camels will battle IGA, while Penticton meets the Lakers in semifinals next Monday under the lights (fields TBA).
The Humpbacks (third at 17-4-1) brushed off the sixth-place Big O Tire-Turn-Key Ogopogos 4-2 at Marshall Field #5.
The Camels took an an early lead when striker Gord Howard neatly finished a cross from Rick Raber. Defender Jeff Vest went on a long run deep inside the Big O zone and his through ball was booted in by Ogopogo defender Kerry Zubot, who was otherwise stellar all night.
John Garner fooled Camel keeper Dave Dutcher with a rising 37-yard free kick for the last goal of the first half.
The Camels came out with a burst of pressure in the second half with midfielder Chris Reeves volleying in a cross from Vest for the prettiest goal of the night. Raber then smacked a left footer past substitute keeper Leo Nadeau, who made several huge saves to keep the game close.
Midfielder Brian Williamson made one great dosey-do around two defenders on the touch line, and was solid defensively, earning the Lumby Massage & Spa Man of the Match.
Garner, who earned the Rosters Man of the Match for the Ogopogos, got Big O Tire back in the game when he connected on a great cross from Mark Wasylyk. Garner almost blasted in a low drive from outside the 18, just missing the corner, in the dying minutes.
Volker Otto, Mike Adams and Mike Powell also had strong games at the back for Big O, who had their best finish ever at 12-10.
Second-place IGA cruised comfortably into the semis with a 6-1 win over the seventh-place Silver Stars at Mission Sports Fields.
The Stars showed up with only 10 players and struggled from the outset to control IGA’s fluid passing game.
Goals from Tony Gonzales, Colin Burton and Donny Brown gave IGA a 3-0 lead at the half. The Stars’ roster went up to 11 just after the half but IGA continued to dominate with goals from Scott Seiben, Steve Heiss and Brown.
The Stars pulled one back to salvage some pride in the 70th minute when John Matejicka scored on a spectacular 20-yard volley.
The Stars’ central midfield, composed of Gary Saunders who confused IGA with his Manchester accent, Art Renaud who ran the field like a border collie on cappuccino, and Rob Bauml who was his usual burly self, ran miles.
Cam Percy, and Brian Eso were pillars on the back line, each clearing at least 20 balls out back per half. English centreback John Burns intimidated the IGA forwards like a soccer hooligan whose team had just lost their fourth straight match.
Stars’ keeper Ted Lurkins was forced to make many great saves but his double dose of ibuprofen enabled him to walk off the pitch at game’s end with the same kind of pride a gored bull rider shows after being tossed at the three-second mark.
Fourth-place Lake Country clipped fifth-place North Country Appraisals Kickers 2-1 (4-2) in a shootout at Beasley Park.
North country went ahead early on a goal by Will Kruiper, from Matt Cherrille. Glen Heagle equalized for Lake Country a dozen minutes into the second half off a scramble.
Laker keeper Todd Ryder stoned Roy Hannen on a penalty shot in the second half after Greg Bevandick was taken down in the box.
Ryder again came up big in the shootout, stopping two shots. Bruce McAuliffe, Steve Cox, Heagle and Duane Mueller, with the winner, handled the Lake Country shootout goals.
League champion Penticton shut out the Rented Mules 3-0 with Ken Horncastle opening the scoring in the first half with a breakaway goal to the corner after a through ball from Zeke Pescada.
The Mules battled back and came close after a breakaway stop by a hard-challenging Penticton keeper Mike Killick. Dave Killick and Rob Jackson added insurance goals.
