Sunterra Custom Homes Sistas reaffirmed their grip on top seed in the North Okanagan Women’s Soccer Association Division 2 table with a 5-3 win over OMG Chickkickers Thursday night at Marshall Field #4.
Kim Sylevester got the 7-1-1 Sistas going with a well-struck penalty kick after a Chick was called for a handball.
Less than five minutes later, Sylvester broke through the OMG defence for the 2-0 goal. The third-place Chickkickers, now 5-4, replied with a pair of goals to equalize before the break.
After a bit of a scrambly first half, Sunterra coach Volker Otto got the Sistas settled and refocused during halftime. The pep talk worked as they began the second half with purposeful passing and control.
Less than 10 minutes in, Sylvester crossed a beauty to Nicole Williams, who fed Amy Fitchett for a blast past OMG keeper Wendy Nadeau. It was her first goal of the year.
Deanna Baker then put one in off another Williams feed. The Chicks cut the lead to one, but Baker sealed the win with her second on the night, assisted by Fitchett.
Ever-improving Sistas’ keeper Suzyn August made some key saves, while Cassandra Otto continuously moved the ball out of harm’s way. Becky Birbilis was all-star on the back line, and she even made a few offensive forays up the middle. Lesley Williams saved the day for the Sistas many times on the defensive line.
Newbies Dalvir Nahal and Lisa Shearer both showed strong in their Sistas debuts, breaking up several of the Chickkickers’ offensive attempts.
The Green Rockets spread out the scoring as they dismantled Capri Insurance 6-1 at Marshall #2.
Leah Willinger, with a pair, and singles by Anna Clarke, Angie Mende, Casi Stanley and Dana Dimmick accounted for the second-place Rockets’ attack, improving them to 6-4.
Sam Audley and Lindsay Smith held the back line for the Green team, and Brittany Chase, Willinger and Nicole Vogan were relentless in the midfield. Stanley and Clarke kept the 3-5 Capri defence on its toes with plenty of attempts at net. Rachel Cross was her usual unstoppable self.
In Masters Division play Thursday at Marshall #5, Longhorn Impact outlasted Salmon Arm’s TED United 3-2 in a battle of the top two teams.
After fielding just 10 players Tuesday night, the undefeated Impact (15-0) came prepared with a full roster to take on second-place TED (9-2-1). But it was the visitors who scored first, connecting on a header after a great through ball.
Longhorn needed just two minutes to respond as Lauren Harris buried a feed from Dawn Lemiski.
United retook the lead on an 18-yard volley, but the Impact regrouped yet again as Edeen Ramsay and Chris Fraser used their stealth moves to weave through the TED defence to set up another Harris strike before the break.
Jodi Hawthorne showed versatility in playing solid defence and midfield.
Deadlocked 30 minutes into the second half, Ramsay put a beautiful cross onto the waiting head of Harris, who converted her hat-trick goal.
TED came on strong in the late going, but sweeper Bree Pickett, Velvet Beaumont, Lisa Boer and Suzie Andrews worked tirelessly on the back line to keep Salmon Arm’s talented forwards in check.
In the other Masters Thursday-nighter, North Okanagan United grounded Shuswap Merlot 3-1 in Salmon Arm.
Carly Bibby got the 4-5-4 NOU offence rolling a gorgeous pass from defender Pat Nielson. They went up 2-0 on a free kick from about the half-field mark, with the vivacious Carla Gibson unleashing a high bullet up and over the Merlot keeper’s head.
(Lean) Lena Dean, who covered the field like a marathon runner, capped the offence.
NOU keeper Dar Weise came out to aggressively challenge the 3-6-3 Merlot forwards.
