There will be a new champion in the Capri Insurance Men’s 45+ Soccer League.
First-place Penticton Dental Center United grounded the visiting Vernon Okanagan Spring Brewery 7-1 in semifinal action under the lights Monday at Kings Park.
North Country Appraisals Kickers continued their fine late season play with a 2-1 (5-4) shootout victory over undefeated and defending champion Brown Benefits on a beautiful sunny Sunday at Mission Sports Fields in Kelowna.
Penticton and North Country meet in Sunday’s final, 1 p.m., at Mission #14. The undermanned Camels started the game with only 10 men and without their regular keeper Dave Dutcher who was injured in earlier playoff action.
Steve Milne showed up late to give them 11. Despite being shortstaffed, the Camels maintained a strong defence against the high-scoring United and countered with several strong offensive runs, but no goals. Penticton broke the scoreless deadlock when Kevin Kothlow beat substitute keeper Akbal Mund with a low corker.
Mike Beliveau made it 2-0 on another low blast to end the half. The desperate Camels applied sustained pressure early in the second half and were rewarded by striker Gord Howard, who caught Penticton’s keeper Mike Killick too far off his line, placing a rocket over the keeper and below the crossbar.
Kothlow then put Penticton up 3-1 by beating new keeper Rob Parkin, who hurt his groin so switched spots with Mund. Within a few minutes, goals by Brian Johnston and Ken Horncastle put the game out of reach.
Horncastle and Darren Schimpf tallied late goals. “It was a real gutsy effort by our guys; we held our own until we ran out of gas,” said Camel veteran Ron Krause, who will welcome 45+ newbies Johnny Orton and Eric Ladner to the lineup next season.
North Country opened the scoring near 20 minutes as defender Rick Sewell made a great run down the right side and crossed the ball into the Brown’s box. It somehow made its way through keeper Steve Heiss and ended up on the foot of Fritz Berenyi, who converted from gimme range.
Brown’s tied it about 10 minutes later as Tony Gonzales lobbed a high ball from near the corner spot that somehow fooled North Country keeper Dave Gadd and ended up going over his head.
Both teams had plenty of chances to take the lead the rest of the way but the keepers shut the door. Brown’s started to take control in the overtime as North Country suffered some injuries and were down to just one sub but the the defence and Gadd held strong.
North Country scored on all five of their penalty shots while Jim Kruiper of Brown’s was thawarted by Gadd, who dove to his left and made the save.
Meanwhile, Alves Bros. of Kelowna’s first division shut down North Enderby Timber of Vernon 5-0 in the Royal Cup final Saturday. It marked a threepeat for Alves Bros.
The Royal Cup, emblematic of men’s Okanagan soccer supremacy, is B.C.’s oldest soccer championship. It’s celebrating its 102nd season.
Defender James Byra headed in the winner at 10 minutes. It was 3-0 at the half with NET holding a good deal of possession but failing to create any serious shots on keeper Todd Swaby.
Greg Godber and Sean Murphy added late goals. Fernando Alves was brilliant on the back line for Alves Bros.
Midfielder/fullback Chris Ovens was the Red Robin Man of the Match for the Timber. Alves Bros. blanked Penticton Pinnacle Masters 1-0 in the Kelowna Men’s Soccer League 35+ final Saturday on a goal by Dave Crawford.
Orton, Ladner and Graham Ross of NET played for Alves Bros.
