Morning Star Staff
The reigning league and playoff champion North Enderby Timber opened the North Okanagan Soccer League season Wednesday with a 2-0 win over the gritty Monashee Surveyors under the lights at the Greater Vernon Athletics Park.
Both teams took most of the first half getting used to the lights and new field, not generating much action.
The Timber opened the scoring in the 63rd minute when Kyle Halvorson broke through the midfield and dished to Brent Poulsen, who turned and from 22 yards curled the ball casually into the top corner.
The simplyfrugal.ca Man of the Match, Ross MacDonald ran through two Monashee midfielders like a train bouncing the ball off his back to Halvorson, who turned and beat the diving Monashee keeper in the 83rd minute.
The Surveyors turned up the pressure but NET keeper Ean Ross earned the clean sheet.
Turn-Key Controls jumpstarted the season by slamming Peters Tirecraft 6-0 at MacDonald Park.
Turn-Key came out looking like Leicester City early on, and Nolan’s Pharmasave Man of the Match David Weir calmly produced the first snipe off some sustained pressure.
Shortly after, Lucas Betschler streaked in from the right wing and beat the Tirecraft keeper.
After going down 2-0, Tirecraft seemed to pick up their game with play being held even in the midfield before Andrew Pool crossed in a shot from the left flank.
The second half saw more of the same as Kanwar Pandhar took a pass from Pool and cooly converted the breakaway chance.
Central defender Sam Nolan added to the Turn-Key tally with a play he started from the back end, completing a brilliant give-and-go through the Tirecraft defence before finishing from the 18 yard line.
Conan Ackert rounded out the scoring for Turn-Key, who were solid in front of keeper Gregg Douma who earned the Total Restoration Save of the Game in the first half with an aggressive control of the 18-yard box, swallowing up several balls at the top of his box trying to beat the offside trap.
n The Tolko United U11 Strikers dropped a pair of close games last weekend at Marshall Field, falling 2-1 to Kelowna G United and falling 3-2 to Kamloops Blaze S.
After a scoreless first half, Kelowna scored two straight before Vernon responded with Adelynn Heyes converting from a sharp angle in the final minute of play.
Lauren Hoard and Naomi King shared the goalkeeping duties for the Strikers, while Joelle Kohtala and Sophia Bilodeau had strong games on defence. Heyes opened the scoring for Vernon versus Kamloops after getting a pass from Aimee Skinner, but Kamloops responded seconds later and took the lead.
Vernon equalized after Kirsten Brown redirected an Anna Hirschkorn corner. Kamloops potted the winner with only seconds left.
Vernon Tolko United U14 suffered their first loss of the season, 4-0, to the host Blaze.
Keeper Janelle Barnett held off six shots in the first half, including a diving save to the post, tipping the ball safely away from the net. The Blaze counted three goals in the first 10 minutes.
United finally settled into the second half with solid clearance kicks from defenders Marika Ternan, Elizabeth Hirschkorn and Rane Smith.
Midfielders Lanaya Bandy and Sydney Wolford and forward Mekedes Bunn sparkled.
Both teams turned on the defence with only four shots on goal in the second half until United conceded the fourth goal with five minutes left. Keeper Summer Crosby and the defence contained the Blaze for most of the second half.
