Morning Star Staff
Winger Rick Raber scored twice as Okanagan Spring Brewery bottled up the shorthanded Silver Stars 7-0 Monday night at Marshall Field #1.
Raber registered a beauty to make it 2-0 and later added the final snipe in Capri Insurance Men’s 45+ Soccer League A side action. Raber earned the Dairy Queen Man of the Match.
Zane Klym scored on a penalty kick after being knocked down in the box for the Humpbacks’ opening goal.
Gord Howard almost took keeper Al Bensmiller’s head off with a corker, while Don Balcombe, Paul Morgan and John Orton rounded out the scoring.
The Silver Stars started with 10 men, which quickly became nine healthy and one injured man, and could not keep up with the rampaging Camels.
The Camels moved the ball around the outside of the field, both on defence and up front and created many significant scoring chances early. Bensmiller recorded numerous fabulous saves to keep the Camels out of double digits.
Eric Ladner and Morgan controlled the midfield, moving the ball around and making the Silver Stars tire themselves out chasing shadows all night.
The Stars battled hard but were simply outnumbered. Their best chance came late in the first half when Bill Graham knocked a shot wide from six yards.
Brown Benefits bounced Brandt’s Creek 4-1 in other A side play at Beasley Park in Lake Country.
Don Brown opened the scoring from the penalty spot after Darryl Hazell was tripped in the box. Tony Gonzales made it 2-0 with a beautiful chipped shot over the Brandt’s keeper.
Lionel Hoffman added a third on a classic Browns’ counter attack which Hoffman coolly finished in the bottom corner. Gonzales got another from the spot after he was fouled in the box right on the stroke of halftime.
The Browns continued their pressure in the second half but Brandt’s keeper Dave Rundle had a great half and shut the door. Robin Carter got the lone goal for the Pubbers on a late breakaway.
Host Penticton United dispatched North Country Appraisals Kickers 5-2 at Kings Park.
North Country jumped out to a 2-0 lead at the break and then the dreaded injury bug struck again as they lost two key defenders early in the second half and were forced to put their two forwards on defence and put another guy who couldn’t run at all, at forward.
The floodgates opened and Mike Beliveau scored four times as Penticton dominated.
In B side action, Kelowna Taco Time Cantinas shut out Bosman Accounting 2-0 at Beasley.
Bosman keeper Yogi Kongsdorf registered a few saves and central defender Kilmer Hagen was Vernon Topsports Man of the Match.
A Division quarterfinals start Sept. 19 with the semis set for Sept. 26. The A and B finals go Sunday, Oct. 4 in Penticton.
