Monashee Surveying and Turn-Key Controls FC battled to an entertaining 1-1 draw in North Okanagan Men’s Soccer League play Wednesday night at Marshall Field #5.
The Surveyors (4-7-2) opened the scoring early as striker Darren Nobrega got behind the Turn-Key defence off of a nifty flick on by Rodney Goodchild and buried a left-footer from the 18 low, right corner.
Turn-Key pressured for the rest of the half but couldn’t put one past Monashee substitute keeper Oeun Ouch.
The 5-6-3 Turn-Key defence stepped up in the second half and shut down the Monashee attack and stalwart defender Sam Nolan outworked three defenders and equalized off a brilliant corner from Marco Arnold.
Turn-Key strikers Chris Harris, Jeremy Kler and Cam Egan all had chances to put them ahead but failed to find the back of the net. Sweeper Kevin Knauf had a stellar game for the Surveyors.
The league-leading North Enderby Timber showed no mercy on the winless Salmon Arm Outlaws in a 13-2 ambushing at Credit Union Savings Park.
NET started the scoring in the eighth minute when Bryn Knauf flicked a header to Kyle Halvorson, who played a cross to Alex Farina, who rocketed home a one-timer.
Colby Buckham sacrificed his body (groin region) by taking an aggressive knee while attacking a bouncing ball. Jobie Waughman played a long cross off the free kick to the foot of Halvorson, who slid the ball past the keeper.
Brodie Couch brought down a corner and used composure before laying the ball off to a streaking Devin Janke for a one-time blast from 22 yards out, just under the crossbar, top left.
Andy Stein then controlled the ball on the back line and picked out a streaking Ross McDonald up the wing. McDonald faked the shot, took a touch and buried the ball with a well-placed blast.
Acting coach Brent Poulsen chose to place McDonald (usually a wing back) in an attacking wide-mid position stating: “I knew he had a goal in him.”
Alex Farina finished the first-half Timber offence by sending a long shot far post in the 37th minute to take it to 4-0 before the Outlaws responded with their first.
Farina finished his third of the night after Devin Janke took a page out of his dad’s (Derek Janke) playbook and used HON moves to dance around several Outlaw midfielders. Janke’s toe drag, to spinorama, and flick pass, would have fooled world-class defenders.
Keeper Danny Stein decided to leave his 18-yard box after an errant ball and ended up dribbling around three Outlaw forwards before sending a full-field through ball to Halvorson who tucked away yet another. Halvorson finished with five goals.
McDonald proved the coach right again by claiming another goal late in the half. Lone Goals came from Brodie Couch, who played a stellar game at center midfield, and Buckham, who finally tallied his first of the season.
Buckham streaked up the left wing and used his speed and soft touch to outrun and outplay the Outlaw defender before unleashing a blast that could only be matched by the likes of Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard to the short post.
The Vernon Square Liquor Store Celtics lost 2-1 to host Salmon Arm in an Okanagan Men’s 35+ Soccer League make-up game Wednesday night.
The Celtics started slowly, allowing the hosts to dominate the opening 15 minutes. The game was well balanced for the rest of the first half, but Salmon Arm opened the offence after a well taken free kick.
The Celtics came out strong in the second half but could not find a gap in Salmon Arm’s solid defence. Sweeper Jason Beck was unlucky not to find the net with six different attempts from long distance.
When Salmon Arm effectively countered to a second goal, the Celtics decided to add an extra striker with captain Geoff Straight going up front. The switch paid off five minutes before the end when Bryan Schenker scored.
