Archives
View Previous ArchivesLAWSL executives
From left to right: Robert Headley, Ada Edwards, Kim Johnson, Dora Rzeszutek and Andrew Wilczynski.
Picture taken at the LAWSL annual banquet.
Intramurals kick into gear
Futsal is one of the newest sports aiming to make its way into UVic intramural sports
Jenny Boychuk 30/09/09
A few weeks ago I stood in a rather long line-up at McKinnon gym waiting to collect the schedule and waiver for the volleyball team I am participating in this year. Looking around the room I saw the massive line-up for soccer. I continued to scan the room, and then saw another sign labeled “futsal.” I did a double take — what the heck is futsal? Futsal is a sport very similar to soccer, although it requires great precision and superb ball control. The sport is most often played indoors on a smooth, flat surface and is comparable to indoor soccer.
However, while playing futsal you are not allowed to play the ball off of the walls or boards. There are lines marked on the floor itself, and like outdoor soccer you must keep the ball within the lines — easy enough on grass, but on a gym floor?
The futsal ball is much like a soccer ball except it’s one regulation size smaller than a regular soccer ball, and it doesn’t bounce as much as a regular soccer ball. Rules in futsal are also comparable to soccer rules. Red and yellow cards are used when a misconduct occurs.
Futsal is all about fluidity. There are five players on each team on the floor at a time. However, substitutes may occur at any time — even when the ball is still in play. This makes the sport about quick-thinking and strategy. If it is clear that one player is on the brink of a breakaway, and the fastest player on the team is currently on the sideline, he/she can quickly sub-off another player and continue with the flow of the game.
So, if the sport is so comparable to soccer, why not just call it another variation of indoor soccer? The key difference between the two is boundary and ball control. In regular soccer, the ball can be sent up the field as an easy set up for a breakaway and then perhaps a goal.
Futsal, however, is all about the footwork. A player must work to get the ball off the floor, with quick touches and movements on the ball in order to get around defenders and keep the ball from going out of bounds — all without the friction of grass.
Futsal has in fact been around (officially) since the early 1900s, and as a soccer player myself, I still cannot believe that I didn’t know that such an exciting sport existed.
Copyright 2008 The Martlet - an independent weekly student newspaper at the University of Victoria in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It is a non-profit society governed by a board of directors and operates according to a statement of purpose.
Bento Brings Brazil
Photo: R. Mark Butterwick, Times Journal
Jose Bento Vieira, standing, helps Lazar Dabic 17, with a stretch during a recent training session at
Athletic Park. Dabic travels to Kitchener, Ont., to train with others in St. Thomas under the Brazilian coach.
... we are trying to bring a little bit of a Brazilian touch into the St. Thomas Soccer Club.”
Joe Filipovic veteran coach
It's Brazil. Cheer for them or another ... everyone must still admire the Brazilian footballer. It's a culture. It's successful. Look at the five World Cup stars on their jerseys.
It's also a program to emulate. And while the depth of that South American soccer giant's greatness can't be siphoned off anywhere else, others can, and do, benefit from the experience shared by those who have grown up in its embrace. Welcome, then, to St. Thomas, Jose Bento Vieira.
Known simply as Bento, the 49-year-old coach has actually been in St. Thomas for some time to share his gift. "Bento has been with us for the whole year already," said local veteran coach Joe Filipovic during a recent training session at Athletic Park. " He's been training us for most of the year. He's been doing clinics with the coaches first, then there were goalie clinics, and he's been training a few teams at a time. "He's spent some time with most of the teams of the different age groups. And he's been absolutely helping us out a lot with this program. " So what we are trying to do in St. Thomas, we are trying to bring a little bit of a Brazilian touch into the St. Thomas Soccer Club and to our soccer teams. And, hopefully, we can do a little bit better and bring our soccer level more to the Brazilian style."
Born Aug. 15, 1960, Bento lives in Sao Paulo with his wife, Elaine, and daughter Natalie. At age 12, he signed with Portuguesa, one of the country's top teams. He was purchased by Corinthians, Brazil's most famous club, at 17, and was the top scorer in the all-Brazil under-19 championships. Bento turned professional at 19 and, at 22, the legendary Pele asked him to play with Cosmos, though his mother nixed the idea. Two years later he was signed by Anderlecht, which ruled in Europe at the time. Tragedy struck a week later when both Bento's legs were broken in a car accident, which injuries required a dozen surgeries. He never took the field for Anderlecht.
Bento turned to coaching in 1993 and was schooled under Tele Santana, twice a World Cup championship head coach. In 1996, he was teamed up with Zico Jr. (World Cup 1982) and Rosemiro (World Cup 1974) to run the multimillion-dollar Project High Soccer school. A year later Bento headed FIFA's first elite youth coaches training program in Brazil. Working under the curriculum he developed, were such greats as Tele Santana (World Cup head coach of Spain and Mexico), Vanderlei Luxemburgo (head coach of Real Madrid, and currently of Sao Paulo FC), Nelson Batista (head coach of Corinthians), as well as Dr. Antonio Losada (FIFA commissioner), and Andy Rob Burgh (FIFA technical director).
In 2001, Bento was head coach of the youth development system for America Futebol Clube, Rio de Janeiro. He became head coach, in 2007, of Sao Caetano Football School, Sao Paulo, which has a storied reputation for developing young talent. "The other day I was watching Corinthians play Santos on GOL TV, and the English commentators were talking about the number of players on both sides who were products of the 'Sao Caetano Connection,'" said Filipovic.
Kevin DeSerpa, a former national team member and one of Canada's most skilled players who was with St. Thomas FC a year ago, said, "Bento was the best coach I have ever trained under.' One of the teens training with Bento at Athletic Park is Tim Van Rijn, 17, a frontliner for St. Joseph's High School. "The training is a lot better than what I'm used to," Van Rijn said. " It's a lot more physically demanding and it requires a lot more skill. "This will step up my game and make me an even better striker."
Bento has been staying in St. Thomas with local soccer fixture Bob Luft. "When I am done training I go home," Bento said through an interpreter, trusting his Portuguese more than his developing English. "The focus is on the soccer pitch."
Looking out over the group training on that day in their third session with him, Bento said, "We need more practices and more time to see how people progress. We get used to what we are doing and keep practising, practising, to get in shape for what we are doing." Practising. Practising. It's Bento's way. It's the Brazilian way. Bento will be heading home in November, but Filipovic said "we'd like to have him back next year, too." What a boon that would be to the developing soccer talent in St. Thomas.
He loves working with youth. Teach them young ... and watch them grow.
WOSL Premier Cup Final: AEK London 2:0 St. Thomas
2009 St. Thomas Soccer Club Youth Award Winners
Masters Cup: St. Thomas 4 Whte Eagles 2 (2OT) ... to meet Portuguese in Final
Photo: Robert Chaulk, Times Journal
St. Thomas goalkeeper Tom Green makes his move on White Eagles' Jurek Gebczycki (11) as he's in all alone for a shot on net during their Middlesex Masters Cup semifinal game Sunday at Athletic Park. Gebczycki's shot went wide for a miss keeping the score at 2-0 for White Eagles at the half. St. Thomas came back to tie the game and then got two goals from Jeff West in the second overtime to win 4-2. St. Thomas meets London Portuguese this Sunday, 2 p.m. in the final at London Marconi Club field.
3rd Division Men's game: SEA vs St. Thomas
WOSL 2nd Div. Men's game: St. Thomas vs St. Columban
St. Thomas falls 2-0 to AEK in Premier Cup
LONDON, Ont . — A hungry AEK team, coming off an Ontario Cup final loss this past Sunday, defeated St. Thomas SC Times-Journal 2-0 Wednesday in the WOSL Premier Cup final.
" They were eager to rebound from their disappointment," said St. Thomas captain David Day. "We were eager to finish the year with a winning record against AEK and continue our success in cup games against them." The first half was very evenly matched with AEK owning a bit more possession, but with St. Thomas earning as many scoring opportunities under the lights at the Marconi Club field. Both goalkeepers were forced to make tough saves to keep the game scoreless.
Unfortunately for St. Thomas, leading scorer Matt Aristone had to leave the game in its first 15 minutes due to lower back spasms. "He is our most dangerous attacker and one of, if not the, fastest player in the league and he is irreplaceable," said Day. It also left St. Thomas without a substitute for the remainder of the game, which would severely test their fitness. The half ended at nil and " both sides were pleased with their efforts."
The second half was more of the same, but with a more physical edge. The flow of play as allowed on the field had both teams seemingly perplexed, "ultimately leading to increased intensity and frustration." At the 70th minute, an AEK attacker was recklessly fouled inside the St. Thomas box and Haris Cekic converted the penalty. St. Thomas pressed for the equalizer in the final 20 minutes and nearly scored off of set-piece crosses.
" We continued to take risks defensively to pressure for the equalizer, even going to man-to-man marking in our defence," said Day. "The risks did not pay off, however, as AEK managed a counter attack goal following one of our corner kicks." The game was tarnished toward the end when the referee issued a red card to Wes Vanderlinden for his second yellow card infraction, and then gave two red cards to St. Thomas players for disagreeing with his decisions. That left St. Thomas three players short for the final eight minutes of the game.
Day hit the cross bar off a free kick, while down three men, to nearly prevent a shutout victory for AEK.
"All in all we were disappointed with the loss and the ugly ending to the game, but pleased with our continued ability to give the second best team in Ontario an extremely competitive match," said the captain. "With most of the squad returning, along with some new additions in the works, we are hoping to improve upon our fourth-place finish and compete for the league title in 2010."We'll need a much better start to the season than this year, however, as we failed to score for five games. But with wins over AEK and Croatia, and three wins over White Eagles, all of whom finished ahead of us, we are confident that we can compete for the league title."
U-13 Boys Challenge Cup Champions
St. Thomas Pro Oil Change U-13 Boys captured the Challenge Cup on Sunday
with a convincing 6-3 victory over Tillsonburg Titans !!
St. Thomas teams in semi finals and finals of LDYSL Challenge Cup - Results
View/Download in MS Excel format.
Futsal Ottawa on YouTube
U11 Boys Team
The U11 Kinsmen Boy's team has advanced to the Challenge cup Semi-Final on Saturday Sept 19 against #1 Tillsonburg.
To cap off a very successful season where St. Thomas finished second overall in league play, won the Strathroy tournament and were finalists in the St. Thomas Tournament.
On Sunday in Woodstock St. Thomas Kinsmen faced a strong Ingersoll side for an exciting game. The Kinsmen went behind early when a foul outside the box was converted into a goal. Clay Tustanof and Drew Grantham provided offence and put the Kinsmen ahead 2 to 1 but a late penalty shot awarded to Ingersoll evened up the game with 5 minutes left. Both teams traded chances in the overtime with Drew Grantham scoring his second of the game with 2 minutes remaining in the overtime to seal the victory.
The league leading St. Thomas defence, who only allowed 12 goals during the regular season, will be tested against the potent Tillsonburg offence in Strathroy next Saturday.
PORTUGUESE WIN CUP IN TIGHT CONTEST
Read the rticle and view photo gallery from the Second Division Cup final game.
St. Thomas loses in OT
St. Thomas’s hopes and dreams for a Second Division cup title came to a sudden halt Wednesday as Portuguese won a 2-1 overtime decision in at the Hellenic Centre in London. For St. Thomas Coach Joe Filipovic, it was a cruel result to accept because his club had been so close to victory in the Western Ontario Soccer League matchup.
St. Thomas led 1-0 right up to the 75th minute, needing to hold off Portuguese for 15 minutes longer. Jared Kerr scored St. Thomas’s only goal. The tide turned against St. Thomas after the 75th minute, Filipovic said. Portuguese scored with just under 14 minutes remaining to force overtime.
Less than five minutes into extra time, Portuguese scored again to capture the Second Division Cup. “I was happy with the way the guys played,” Filipovic praised. With four players absent because they had returned to school, St. Thomas played with only two substitute players on the bench. Portuguese, on the other hand, had the bench manpower advantage with more substitutes available. " Our goalie, ( Mike Filipovic), played really well," the coach said.
Filipovic said he wished the game had been scheduled earlier in the season so that he would have had more players. The irony is that St. Thomas qualified for the cup final as early as July 28. St. Thomas now prepares to finish out the season with its last game against St. Columban. Win or lose, Filipovic said there is too much of a points differential between St. Thomas and teams above them to move up one place.
U-13 Girls Go Undefeated
St. Thomas SC Brian Wilsdon Photography went undefeated through the London District youth Soccer League intermediate under-13 class this season and also won the Stratford Festival Cup, the St. Thomas Select Tournament and the Middlesex invitational. The team, which won three of 27 games last year, compled a recored of 28 wins, four ties and four losses this season and contnue in Callenge Cup, play. Their next contest is Sunday, 10:30 a.m., in Woodstock. Members of the team, from left - Kayla Mayos, Hannah DeVries, Danielle Starcevic, Celina Lees,: middle - Sarah Meka, Makenzie McGugan, Leah Young, Natalie Hill, Megan Visscher, Courtney Rose, Emily Jennings: back - assistant coach Jenn McDonald, Rachael Dryfhout, Christina Timmons, Amanda Simpson, Rebecca Laemers, Abby Williamson, Jordin Higgs, Hillary Poyntz, Sarah Wheeler, coach Curtis Langley.
White Eagles shut out 2:0
Photo: Patrick Brennan - Times Journal
White Eagles Mark Magier, strikes a penalty kick against St. Thomas defenders in a men's premier division game Wednesday at Athletic Park. St. Thomas shut out the White Eagles 2-0 on two goals by Matt Aristone in the first half.
Matt Aristone provided all the offensive firepower Wednesday as the St. Thomas Soccer Club defeated White Eagles 2-0 in a Western Ontario Soccer League premier division game at Athletic Park. Aristone scored at the 35th minute of the first half . Less than three minutes later at the 37th minute, he took a pass from Jason Andrews to score his second goal.
St. Thomas held on to blank the White Eagles for the remainder of the first half and the second. The game moves St. Thomas closer to the end of this year’s premier division league season.
The last remaining league games are Saturday against Portuguese in London and a final home game against Sarnia next week.
After that, the season climaxes with a premier division cup final against AEK Sept. 23 at the Marconi Club in London.
Richard Andrews, soccer player & sponsor and father of soccer players honours Paul Schleusner
Photo: Eric Bunnel - Times Journal
Richard Andrews stands in his field of 30,000 sunflowers on Water Tower Line just east
of Wellington Road, which he invites the public to pick for free. "They're very cheery,"
Andrews says. His invitation is a tribute to late Port Stanley artist Paul Schleusner, who regularly
painted Andrews' sunflower patch.
The new player benches at Athletic Park
U16 girls team members, from left to right:
Justine Proctor, Deanna Barrow, Sidney Lockwood, Rebecca Liberatore, Randi-Jo Francis, Aryn Visscher
Profile of Jose Bento Vieira, Brazilian Coach residing in St. Thomas
http://bentovieira.wordpress.com/bento-cv/
Bento was born on August 15, 1960. He had been living in Sao Paulo, Brazil with his wife, Eliane, and his daughter, Natalie. Realizing this man’s experience, ability, and talent, one would be forgiven for imagining this man as arrogant or overbearing. This description couldn’t be further from the truth. Bento is unbelievably humble and down to earth. With a typical Brazilian outlook on life, he is always looking to enjoy himself. He loves his family, and is loyal to his friends. In short, Bento is a man of the highest quality.
As with most Brazilians, Bento was immersed in soccer at a young age. His talent was noticeable early, and at the tender age of 12, Bento was signed by Portuguesa. Portuguesa has a long, proud history, and at that time was one of the top clubs in Bento’s home city of Sao Paulo. He, still an amateur at the time, was then purchased by Corinthians at 17. Corinthians is arguably Brazil’s greatest club. Also located in Sao Paulo, the club has a worldwide following, especially in light of the four Brazilian league titles, as well as the first edition of the FIFA Club Championship in their trophy cabinet. During his stay at Corinthians, Bento participated in the all-Brazil u-19 championships. He starred in the tournament racking up enough goals to be presented with the “golden boot.”
In 1979 at the age of 19, the inevitable happened, and Bento turned professional. Soon after, his exploits caught the eye of the greatest player to grace the fields of the “beautiful game”, Pele. When Bento was 22, the legend tried to bring him to the New York Cosmos.
However, Bento’s mother would not allow it. She did not trust the agent that was handling the transaction, and vetoed the process. And so Bento, reluctantly yet obediently, remained in Brazil. (Years later, Bento met up with Marinho Chagas (as pictured) who would have been his teammate at Cosmos) In 1984, Belgium’s most successful team, Anderlecht, showed the same interest in Bento. They were coming off their European success in 1982, where they beat Benfica in the final of the UEFA Cup to lift their fifth European trophy in seven years. And so when they came knocking at Bento’s door, it was an opportunity the young Brazilian could not turn down. And so, at the age of 24, Bento signed for Europe’s top club. At a time when international transfers were few and far between, the world sat up to see how this young, talented Paulista would fair in the era of professionalism in Europe.
However, tragedy struck just a week later. A car accident broke both of Bento’s legs. Due to Anderlecht’s voracity for his signing, they were prepared to wait for Bento’s recovery. Two years came and went, and Bento could not regain the same capabilities that had won over the then-European dynasty. Little could be rescued from the circumstances and he was released from his contract. In evidence of his character, Bento did not give up. He joined Guaratingueta, a team from Sau Paulo in the third tier of the Brazilian league. From there, Bento joined and moved on from various clubs such as Jose Bonifacio Esporte Clube, America Esporte Clube, Alfenas Esporte Clube, Araguari Esporte Clube, Tres Coracoes Atletico Clube, Barretos Esporte Clube, and Sao Jose Esporte Clube. After 12 operations on his knees and ankles, he was never able to reach the heights he had once achieved. Some people never recover from such a tragedy. Bento’s reaction emphasized his humility and maturity that so many professional athletes lack. He analyzed the situation deeply and realistically. In 1993 Bento turned his efforts towards coaching.
It had been nine years since the tragedy when Bento attained the final level of the “International Training Course for Football Coaches.” This program is the Brazilian equivalent of the FIFA “A” license, the highest coaching license in the world. It was done through Sao Paulo FC, which is another of the top clubs in the world having won the FIFA Club Championship no less than three times. The course was taught by Bento’s mentor, Tele Santana. Santana had been head coach of the Brazilian side in the World Cups of 1982 and 1986.
In 1996, Bento was asked to run a multi-million dollar soccer school. The school was started by a director of the Brazilian club Palmeiras, who pulled together a number of famous Brazilian soccer players to help run the project. Among the superstars were Junior (pictured with Bento below left), who played for Brazil in the 1982 World Cup; Rosemiro, who played for World Cup team in 1974; and Zico (pictured with Bento below right), known as the “White Pele” and considered even by Pele to be almost as good as the legend himself.
A year later, FIFA ran its first ever elite youth coaches training program in Brazil. Bento was asked to head the program. He developed the tactical and course curriculum that was designed for players aged 7 to 17, focusing on character and professionalism. The session instructors included Tele Santana, Bento’s mentor who ironically now worked under him; Vanderlei Luxemburgo, ex-manager of Real Madrid and head coach of the Brazilian World Cup team of 1998 as well as many other honours in the Brazilian league; Nelson Batista, ex-manager of Corinthians; and Andy Rob Burgh, the FIFA Technical Director. At the end of the year, Bento joined up with Rolley Ball Soccer School. The school was associated with Portuguesa de Desportos, a second-division club in Sao Paulo. He stayed with the school for a couple of years before realizing a need to go global with his passion.
Bento’s connection with Canada started in 2000. He moved out to Vancouver and worked solely with Athletics Football Club’s u-20 team. The squad consisted of 18 players, who worked directly with Bento. From that group, a third of them turned professional. While two of them went on to play for the Vancouver Whitecaps, the rest went to the Portuguese Superliga and Polish second division. The rest of the original squad contained a majority of players who went on to get scholarships at various universities.
After his Canadian experience, Bento moved back to Brazil in 2001. After a stint as head coach of the under-23 squad in Esporte Clube Comercial, as well as the supervisor of the under-13 and -15 teams, Bento joined America Futebol Clube. The club was located in Rio de Janeiro, and he accepted the position of head coach of the under-20’s.
For two years, from 2002, Bento left the coaching world, and was welcomed by the media world. He joined the magazine “Segundona,” where he performed as Director of Sports. In 2004, he returned to his passion when he joined Sao Caetano Soccer School as head coach. Sao Caetano is a club that only started in 1989, but rose to prominence in 2000 with a number of impressive performances in the league, as well as a runner-up finish in the most important cup competition in South America, the Copa Libertadores. Besides their senior men’s success, Sao Caetano is renowned for their development program, Bento’s speciality. Many top clubs not only in Brazil but around the world have snapped up the talent coming out of Sao Caetano.
Just recently Bento received word that three of his players from Sao Caetano, two seventeen year olds and one nineteen year old, had just been signed by clubs in the Bundesliga.
Bento spent two years at Sao Caetano, before leaving Brazil again. In 2006, he was brought to Korea by wealthy Korean investors who realized his abilities. After spending several months at the Pung Saeng High School, Bento’s character intervened. He couldn’t accept the treatment of his players by their supervisors, and turned in his papers. It was not the first time Bento had left a job because of the treatment experienced by a colleague or associate.
He returned to Brazil, and coached at the training centre of Barcelona Futebol Clube. Last year, Bento became head coach at the Eleven Boys Football School. However, Bento’s lingering feeling that he needed to leave the corrupt, dangerous country came to fruition at the beginning of 2009. He arrived in south-western Ontario in February 2009.
Croatia 3 - St. Thomas 2
Photo: Kyle Rea, Times Journal
Greg Westra, left, of St. Thomas SC, vies with Croatia player for control during Western Ontario
Soccer League action Saturday at Athletic Park. The local side fell 3-2 in Premier Division match.
WOSL-2 Soccer - St. Thomas 3 - Chivas 1
Robert Chaulk - Times Journal
Moises Moraus, left, of Chivas Soccer Club, puts his arm out to block St. Thomas SC defender Greg Broer
during their Western Ontario Soccer League Second Division game Sunday evening at Athletic Park.
St. Thomas emerged as 3-1 winners. The win opens up a six-point gap in the WOSL standings between
sixth-place St. Thomas and seventh-place Chivas. It also moves St. Thomas to within two points of fifth-place Tillsonburg.
Next up for St. Thomas is a game Sunday at Marconi.
U-13 - St. Thomas 4 - North London 0
R. Mark Butterwick - Times Journal
Jordin Higgs, right, of St. Thomas SC, fights through the challenge of London North Laser Nicole Vivona
in first-half London District Youth Soccer League under-13 action Tuesday at Athletic Park.
St. Thomas won 4-0 on two goals by Courtney Rose and singles from Emily Jennings and Tina Timmons.
Sarah Meka and Armanda Simpson shared the shutout.
Diving header lifts St. Thomas in finale
R. Mark Butterwick - Times Journal
St. Thomas SC’s Sarah Winstein crashes the London Nor’West goal as keeper Shannon Martin comes out
to cut down the play in London and Area Women’s Soccer League action Tuesday at the Athletic Park.
St. Thomas won 2-1.
Emma Curry’s diving header in the dying minutes gave St. Thomas SC a 2-1 victory over Nor’West in the local sides’ final game of the London and Area Women’s Soccer League season.
Curry’s buried the ball behind Nor’West goalkeeper Shannon Martin off a cross from Stephanie Foster to give St. Thomas its fifth win of the First Division campaign against four ties and seven loses. The visitors took the lead early in the contest on a goal by Kim Fleet and from then until the late going the majority of play was in the middle of the field.
St. Thomas was able to boost its pressure and got a break when Martin mishandled a corner kick by Foster to give St. Thomas the equalizer.
Once Curry’s header found its mark, St. Thomas continued to apply pressure as the hard-working Foster repeatedly forced the ball up the right flank to create scoring chances.
Referee of the month of OSRA London Branch - August - Rob Burns
Q1. Current Age? 39
Q2. First year as a referee? 1996
Q3. What is your most memorable experience as a referee? I would say in 2005 Cruziero (Brazil) vs Toronto Portuguese. The setting in downtown Toronto was electric and the game lived up to it. John Oliva was the referee and I was his assistant. It was a fantastic experience.
Q4. What is your least memorable experience as a referee? I don't really have one. I enjoy going to the park to referee every time.
Q5. If you had the ability to change any Law, what would it be? I love the game the way it is today. I believe the only change I would like to make would be in younger age groups to Law 3 regarding substitutions. I think they should be on the fly as long as there is a fourth official present to facilitate this. I believe it would speed up the kids games.
Q6. What advice would you give to those just starting out as a referee? The most important thing I could tell a new referee is to know the laws and be confident. Use man management whenever you can. If you are confident in your ability than it will work for you.
Q7. Any other comments? My career as a referee has been amazing and a lot of fun. I continue to learn every game. I had an excellent teacher and mentor for many years and he is a great friend. I owe him a lot. Congratulations goes out to John Oliva. You also have helped me along the way and it is great to see you realizing your dream.
Early Goal Outs St. Thomas
R. Mark Butterwick – Times Journal
AEK goalkeeper Paul Azevedo takes the ball back of St. Thomas SC’s David Day in second-half WOSL
League Cup action Wednesday at Athletic Park. AEK won the semifinal match 1-0 on a goal in the seventh minute.
A foot wide and a quarter inch too high. It didn’t take much of a difference for two glorious scoring chances to go awry and leave St. Thomas SC on the short side of a 1-0 decision Wednesday at Athletic Park.
At stake in the match between Western Ontario Soccer League Premier Division foes was a place in the League Cup final.
But it will be AEK moving on to the Sept. 30 finale, 8 p.m., at the Marconi Club in London. St. Thomas Generated a fine chance just three minutes into play last night when Bill Dickinson narrowly missed the right edge of the goal of a tight passing play.
Four minutes later Ree Sam found the net behind keeper Aaron Wiltsie on a flurry in front of the St. Thomas goal. St. Thomas best chance to score came in the59th minute when Matt Aristone penetrated down the tight flank and fired a shot that hit the cross bar and came straight down onto the goalie
The loss was St. Thomas’s first in six games to the division-leading AEK after three wins and two draws. “They’re a very good team” said St. Thomas coach John Twinem after the game. “And we seem to elevate our game when we play them. Last time at their home pitch we beat them 3-2.
St. Thomas has been successful by forcing the middle of the field and pushing the AEK attacks to the outside. And St. Thomas usually has the “outside speed to get around the back of them” to create scoring chances. But while there were quality chances last night, St. Thomas couldn’t bury a ball behind AEK keeper Paul Azevedo. St. Thomas gets another run at AEK on Wednesday, Sept. 23, when the two sides square off in the Premier Cup, 8 p.m., at the Marconi Club.
Boys u-13 Champions
The St. Thomas SFC U-13 Boys saved their best game for last. After 3 games on Saturday, the boys stood with 2 wins ,1 loss in record in pool play.
They knocked off West Toronto Santos 4-0, then lost a hard fought game to Ancaster 2-1. The third game, the boys came alive again and beat Mt. Hamilton 4-0. This put us second overall, and up against our league opponent Goderich on Sunday morning in the Semis.
Our guys came ready to play and won 5-0. Tillsonburg beat Ancaster in extra time to make the finals on the other side. It was another great game to watch. Tillsonburg scored first, and St. Thomas had to come back and they did!!. We scored 3 unanswered goals and were on our way to the championship and escaped with a 3-2 victory. In the heat and sun all weekend, our boys played amazing.
Well done!!
Premier Ladies sniffing at 10-win season
Photo: Natasha Marar Times Journal
Danielle Teeuwen, left, of St Thomas SC, breaks up a London Portuguese rush
with supprt of teammate Nicole Fitxgerald as the locals won 2-0 Sundain in
London and Area Womens's Soccer League Premier Division at Athletic Park
St. Thomas Doug Tarry Homes/Goodlife Fitness put themselves in a position for a 10th win this season by blanking London Portuguese 2-0 Sunday at Athletic Park. The win gives St. Thomas nine wins and two ties in 15 starts in the London and Area Women's Soccer League Premier Division.
The season finale is on the road Aug. 19 against Corunna for second-place St. Thomas. The league is topped by London Galaxy with 13 wins and 39 points. St. Thomas has a firm hold on second with 29 points, while Chatham (7-3-4) and Marconi (8-0-7) are tied at 24.
Portuguese have five wins and two ties for 17 points. Playing in Sunday's extreme heat took its toll on both teams and though St. Thomas controlled the play for large portions of the first half they could not create many good scoring chances. But the chances opened up in the second half and St. Thomas started to create scoring opportunities.
Abbey Smyth was rewarded for her hard work by timing her run to the net and redirecting Nikki VanderWallen's shot for the first goal of the game. Jenny Graham rounded out the scoring with a shot from 20 yards out. St. Thomas goalkeeper Emily Gillet recorded her seventh shutout of the season.
Referee of the month - June - Arthur Korbiel
Q1. Current Age? 30
Q2. First year as a referee? 1994
Q3. What is your most memorable experience as a referee? I was invited to participate in the 2009 BMO U18 National Championships. This tournament is used to look at potential National List referees. I was able to work with officials and national assessors from across Canada. Daily clinics where conducted by the CSA Director & Supervisor of Officials. The learning experience was phenomenal - I learned more in a week at this tournament, then I have my entire refereeing career. The thing that topped off the entire week was that I was assigned to the Women's Gold Medal Game as an Assistant Referee, even though I was not being considered for the National Program going into the tournament.
Q4. What is your least memorable experience as a referee? My least memorable experience occurred when I was about 20 or 21 years old. I was officiating a local U14 Boys game in St. Thomas. I knew that the coaching staff for the home team would be an issue because they have caused trouble before.What was about to happen, I would of never expected. I was working alone, so I was responsible for calling offsides. I remember calling an offside on the opposite side of the field from the benches. The home team coach and assistant went crazy. They were yelling, cursing, and calling me every name in the book. They confronted me on the field, which caused me to walk away quickly - almost a light run. They kept coming after me. They broke my flag over their knee and threw it at me. Spectators and club officials had to step in to try to stop them. I ended up in the club house, and locked myself in the officials room. The coaches came after me, still yelling and cursing, and attempted to get at me in the officials room. I stayed in the room for about 20 min until things had settled down. The coaches were banned from the club, but only received a very mild suspension from the district.
Q5. If you had the ability to change any Law, what would it be? There is no single Law that comes to mind, if I had the ability to change it. The one thing I would like to change about the game itself is the lack of respect towards officials. There is no other sport were officials are treated so poorly by players, coaches, and parents. Becoming a referee is not an easy task, it takes years to learn the art, and to understand the game and how to apply the laws. There is too much dissent - almost on every decision the referee makes. Coaches and players should stick to their jobs, which is coaching and playing. When have you ever heard a referee complain to a coach or player complain about their decision in the game?
Q6. What advice would you give to those just starting out as a referee? If you are in refereeing for the money, don't expect to develop into a top notch referee. You will get into a routine that will give you bad habits. Refereeing has been quite a journey for me - I have had good times, and I have bad times. It can get quite frustrating at times when I just want to quit, but I am glad I stuck with it because I have worked FIFA's, Nationals, and other knowledgeable referees, and have learned a lot from everyone. Most importantly, I have made some good friends from refereeing, and working with these individuals makes it that much more enjoyable, knowing that we all challenge each other to advance to the next level.
Q7. Any other comments? If you are in refereeing for the money, don't expect to develop into a top notch referee. You will get into a routine that will give you bad habits. Refereeing has been quite a journey for me - I have had good times, and I have bad times. It can get quite frustrating at times when I just want to quit, but I am glad I stuck with it because I have worked with FIFA's, Nationals, and other knowledgeable referees, and have learned a lot from everyone. Most importantly, I have made some good friends from refereeing, and working with these individuals makes it that much more enjoyable, knowing that we all challenge each other to advance to the next level.
Referee of the month - April - Andrew Buttigieg
Q1. Current Age? 17
Q2. First year as a referee? I began refereeing my sisters Exhibition games in London in 2004/2005. Then I began to start refereeing House League in St. Thomas thanks to Glenn Sharkey in 2005/2006 (referee coordinator). I then became an official OSA referee the next year and the rest is history, reffing every day in St. Thomas for the years after that.
Q3. What is your most memorable experience as a referee? This is a tough question since it has been such a short career, but I would say being able to teach younger referees certain techniques and how to enforce different laws is my most memorable experience. I enjoy this the most since I am able to be a role model and a leader and it allows my own confidence in myself to grow.
Q4. What is your least memorable experience as a referee? I don’t think there is anything I regret happening during my time as a ref! I try to turn all my mistakes into something that I learn for next time! I’m still a young referee and I’m sure I haven’t seen the worst of situations yet.
Q5. If you had the ability to change any Law, what would it be? The laws are pretty straightforward and I wouldn’t change a law because they seem pretty simple and easy to remember and I wouldn’t want it to get any more difficult. I think though, if I had the power to change a DEFINITION, that I would change the definition of what is a direct free kick and what is a indirect free kick. This is mostly for the younger referees to understand more clearly how they will be dealing with each free kick and whether their hand should be up or down. I had that problem when I was younger, it took me a while to understand, but I think I have it almost perfected.
Q6. What advice would you give to those just starting out as a referee? Two Words . . . TAKE CONTROL . . . there is nothing more important then taking control of a game when your in the middle. I made that mistake when I was just starting out, but the faster you take control of the pitch and enforce the rules to the best of your ability the rest of the memorizing of the rules is simple. If you don’t take control you allow coaches and players to get on your nerves far too easily and it makes you doubt the calls you are making on the field. If you take control there is no doubting and you stand behind you style of refereeing 100%.
Q7. Any other comments? NEVER give up on yourself! Stay confident, stay calm and have fun! Keep the game and the traditions alive!
Fighting for possession
Mikaela Green, left, of St. Thomas Ansell's Awards, battles Nicole Flanagan, of London Southwest Optimists, for possession in their London District Youth Soccer League under-14 contest at Athletic Park on Thursday. The visitors won 5-0.
Battling through check
St. Thomas SC's Emma Currie, left, battles through the check of Ingersoll's Katie Bidwell in London Area Women's Soccer League First Division play Thursday at Athletic Park.
Brantford Classic Tournament August 7-9 2009
Tournament Champions! St.Thomas u14 boy’s team competed in the Brantford Soccer Classic this past weekend against some top notch competition. During the round robin St. Thomas won against Brampton Blast 2-1, Stratford Strikers 3-0 and lost to Erin Mills 4-1 finishing with a record of 2 wins and 1 loss. Advancing into the semi’s as 2nd place from pool b facing the host club Brantford BICS Sunday morning. A very tight, hard fought battle against Brantford, St.Thomas advanced with a 1-0 win, facing Erin Mills for the second time in the finals. After a lengthy rain delay the finals were played with St.Thomas prevailing 2-1 to capture the tournament. Our team was a pleasure to watch, playing an exciting style of possession soccer the entire tournament. Our coaching staff is extremely proud of their efforts. Pain is temporary…Pride is forever! Well done Team.
St. Thomas U16 girls clip Simcoe 3-1
Sydney Lockwood, right, of St. Thomas SC, gets a pass away against the attempted tackled of Simcoe's Heather Malouin on Wednesday in London District Youth Soccer League under-16 action at Athletic Park. Lockwood scored one of the goals in St. Thomas's 3-1 victory, with Randi-Jo Francis and Rebecca Liberatore rounding out the count.
Burger King 3 – The Viruses 1
Photo: R. Mark Butterwick, Times-Journal
Erin Campbell, left, of Burger King, tries to make the turn against the defence of
Alex Kalar and Justin Vandermaarel, of The Viruses, in St. Thomas Soccer Club
under-14 co-ed house league action Tuesday at Cowan Park. Burger King won 3-1
Wise, Kirby spark win over Marconi
Photo: Patrick Brennan, Times-Journal
David Day, right of St. Thomas SC, moves the ball upfield as a Marconi player defends in a WOSL
Premier Division game Saturday at the Athletic Park. St. Thomas won 5-1
A pair of two-goal performances powered St. Thomas SC to a 5-1 victory over Marconi Saturday in a Western Ontario Soccer League Premier Division game at Athletic Park. Ryan Wise and Kyle Kirby each scored twice for St. Thomas.
After a scoreless first half, Wise opened the scoring with a goal in 47th minute. He made it 2-0 with another goal in the 56th minute. Nick Zymberi made it 3-0 for St. Thomas, in the 62nd minute.
Marconi, playing with only 10 players, made it close briefly when Adam Suchard scored in the 656h minute. St. Thomas put the game out of reach late in the second half with goals by Kirby at the 81st and 88th minute.
St. Thomas now has four wins and three ties in 11 games and is tied with White Eagles for fifth place.
The club is now preparing for its next game Friday, on the road against Sarnia Fury
St. Thomas Premier Women win 3-0
Nikki VanderWallen (3), of St. Thomas SC, leaves a fallen London Scottish defender behind as she works for a shot Thursday in London and Area Women's Soccer League action at Athletic Park. VanderWallen scored one of the St. Thomas goals in a 3-0 Premier Division victory. Also scoring were Kristi Vanduyvandyk and Nicole Fitzgerald.
Chammpions in St. Thomas and Strathroy
St. Thomas Energy under-16 girls won the St. Thomas Select Soccer Tournament last weekend at the Athletic Park. The team also won the Middlesex United Invitational tournament in Strathroy in early June, beating teams from Simcoe, Chatham, Sarnia and Wallaceburg before defeating London Oakridge 2-0 in the final. In the round robin portion of the Select tournament, the team beat Middlesex United 2-1, Wasaga Beach 3-0 and Brampton United 3-0, and lost to Unionville 1-0, before defeating Middlesex United 2-0 in the final. Members of the team from left, are: front – Kaitlyn Poyntz; middle row – Andi Jackson, Aisling Laverty, Randi-Jo Francis, Rebecca Liberatore, Justine Proctor, Rebecca Greenside, Deanna Barrow; back – assistant coach Steve Churchill, Rebecca Laverty, Kaylie Buck, Sydney Lockwook, Aryn Visscher, Sam Maloney, Allyson Payler, Becca Churchill, Taylor Feick, assistant coach Ken Jackson, and coach John Laverty.
House League Select Champions U13 Girls St. Thomas Storm
Colombia 2 St. Thomas 1
Photo: Kyle Rea, Times-Journal
Ryan Wise, left, of St. Thomas SC, vies with a Colombia player in Western Ontario Soccer League
Second Division play Sunday. Colombia stormed out of the gate to take a two-goal lead
and held on to down the locals 2-1.
On the Attack
Photo: R. Mark Butterwick, Times-Journal
Stephanie Foster, left, of St. Thomas SC, rips a shot past London United defender Kelly McCall
in London Area Women's Soccer League First Division play Monday at Athletic Park.
Foster scored for St. Thomas in a 5-1 loss.
Tough 1-0 setback to 1st-place Galaxy
Photo: Robert Chaulk, Times-Journal
St. Thomas SC's Nikki Vanderwallen (3) leaps over North London Galaxy goalkeeper Lesia Bandura
as she snags the ball during a London and Area Women's Soccer League match up Sunday at the
Athletic Park. Undefeated Galaxy scored in the Premier Division contest to win 1-0.
St. Thomas Doug Tarry Homes/Goodlife Fitness gave North London Galaxy all they could handle Sunday afternoon before falling 1-0 to the defending Ontario Cup champions and National silver medallists.
The match between the top two teams in the London Area Women's Soccer League Premier Division gave fans at Athletic Park all they could hope for as St. Thomas defended well and goalkeeper Emily Gillet made some big saves to keep the game scoreless at the half.
St. Thomas's best chance in the first half came as Nikki Vanderwallen beat her defender and crossed the ball to Abbey Smyth who just failed to connect on the open net.
The second half again saw St. Thomas defend well and create several good scoring chances, but with four minutes left in the game North London would get the only goal of the contest off of Samantha McGowan's foot.
Galaxy is now unbeaten and untied in 10 starts, while St. Thomas has six wins and two ties in 10. The loss dropped St. Thomas into third place as Marconi won to post its seventh win against five losses.
"It was a tough loss for St. Thomas but a hard-fought, well-played game by both teams," said coach Gerry Safadi.
St. Thomas will host London Scottish on Thursday , 6:30 p.m., at Athletic Park.
2009 - Select Tournament Girls - Results
2009 Select Tournament Boys - Results
Boys U18 Soccerfest Report
Front Row: From Left to right. Mathew Vanderspank Mike Barraco Shawn Barrow Greg Kishimoto Cam Oegema
Mathew Limbrick Alonzo Flores Back Row: Ben Moniz Andrew Fulford Drew Vanderhorst Greg Lyle Nick Hicknel
Mark Fletcher Coach: Gerry Moniz Absent: Peter Kavcic, Mark Jackson, Travis Waite, Eric Berry, Shane McNeil
The Tommy White’s U18 Boys soccer team won their home Soccerfest tournament in dramatic fashion beating Windsor Coboto in the fourth round of sudden death penalty shootout at Athletic Park.
St Thomas began the tournament with a 3-0 victory over London America SC with Alonzo Flores scoring 2 and Greg Lyle adding a single. In their second game St.Thomas defeated Woodbridge 3-0 with Ben Moniz, Alonzo Flores, and Drew Vanderhorst scoring. St Thomas kept their winning streak going in their third game winning 1-0 against Windsor Coboto in a hard fought game with Flores scoring on a 25 yard free kick to seal the win. Cam Oegema had shutouts in all three games. With a birth in the final secured St. Thomas dropped their final round robin game 1-0 to West Middlesex on a penalty kick.
In the final St. Thomas again played Windsor in a high tempo, entertaining game. Both teams had several good scoring chances but after 60 minutes of play there was no score.After two tense overtime periods with both teams exchanging scoring opportunities the game remained scoreless and the teams went to a penalty kick shootout. Both teams went 4 for 5 in the first round of shooters and once again the score remained tied. In sudden death shootout St.Thomas missed three penalty kicks forcing goalie Cam Oegema to stop three straight Windsor shooters with the game on the line. Greg Kishimoto buried his final shot and Oegema made one final save to lead St.Thomas to victory.
St. Thomas Premier Women Soccer in Montreal
St Thomas Doug Tarry Homes/Goodlife Fitness travelled to Montreal to compete in the Laval Cup Soccer Tournament. The women's division had sixteen teams competing for the championship. St Thomas defeated Mistral Laurentien 4-0, LCS Express 1-0 and Pierrefonds Cobras 1-0 to give them first place in their pool. St Thomas then went on to defeat FC Unidos 2-0 in the semifinals. St Thomas would then play Optimum Victoriaville in the final. Victoriaville would take a 1-0 lead going into the half. St Thomas came out in the second half and pressured for the entire half but could not get the equalizer losing a hard fought final 1-0. Goal scorers for the tournament were Nikki Vanderwallen with four, Char Passmore with two and Jenny Graham and Alan Cornet added singles. Emily Gillet recorded 4 shutouts in the tournament for St Thomas.
Front Row ( L to R ) - Meghan Trainor, Nikki Vanderwallen, Dakota Abram, Michelle Fric,
Emily Jones, Katelyn Doyle, Danielle Teeuwen, Abbey Smyth Back Row ( L to R ) - Gerry Safadi,
Char Passmore, Tara Collier, Lauren Emrich, Emily Gillet, Nicole Fitzgerald, Sarah Boyer,
Alana Cornet, Jenny Graham, Paul Jeffery
Premier Men win cup game
Mark Butterwick Tumes-Journal
St Thomas SC captain David Day delivers the only goal of the game as the home side ousted Simcoe from WOSL League Cup play Tuesdeay at Alhletic Park.
LAWSL SOCCER: St. Thomas 2 Corunna
Robert Chaulk Times-Journal
Jenny Graham (17) of St. Thomas SC maintains ball contorl against Morgan Mastronardi of the Corunna Wildcats during their London Area Women's Soccer League match Sunday at Athletic Park St.Thomas won 2-0
Women blank Corunna
Times-Journal St.
Thomas Doug Tarry Homes/Goodlife Fitness improved their record to five wins in six starts sunday with a 2-0 win over Corunna at Athletic Park in London and Area Women's Soccer League action.
The first half ended 0-0, but early in the second half Lauren Emrich's longrange shot found the back of the net for a 1-0 lead. Minutes later Jenny Graham's pass found the foot of Danielle Teeuwen who scored her first goal of the season. Emily Gillet recorded the shutout as the home team improved their hold on second place in the Premier Division standings.
Robert Chaulk Times-Journal
Corunna Wildcat Jessie Bartelen (27, airborne) bupmps into St. Thomas SC goalkeeper Emily Gillet, right, with fellow Wildcats crowding in during their LAWSL Premier Division contest Sunday at Athletic Park. Cillet come up with the ball, making the save and preserving the shoutout in 2-0 victory.
Middlesex United Tournament Champions
St. Thomas Kinsmen under-11 boys won the Middlesex United soccer tournament title with goalkeeper
Dawson Cook posting three shutouts. St Thomas defeated IIderton 2-0 in the final on a pair of goals by
Clay Tustanoff. Members of the team, from left, are: front - Graham Vaughan, Ben Groulx, Drew Grantham,
Dawson Cook, David Ostojic, Brody Massecar, Travis Bridgman; back - Mike Barry, Cole Spiring, Noah Payler,
Clay Tustanoff, Brody Bell, Aidan Barry, Zach Langley, Connor Hingly, Tristan Honsinger, Stive Langley.
St. Thomas U-13s win Middlesex United tournament
St. Thomas Times-Journal, 12 Jun 2009.
St. Thomas Storm won the under-13 side of the Middlesex United Invitational soccer Tournament on the weekend. Members of the team. From left are:front - Celia Lees, Danielle Starcevic; second row - Sarah Wheeler, Emily Jennings, Kayla Mayos, Mackenzie Mcgugan, Leah Young, Megan Visscher, Natalie Hill; third row - Rebecca Laemers, Hilary Pointz, Hannah DeVries, Rachael Dryfhout, Christina Timmons, Courtney Rose; back - coach Jenn McDonald, coach Curtis Langley, Jordin Higgs, Abbey Williamson, Amanda Simpson, Sarah Meka.
LAWSL: St. Thomas falls 3:1 to Taxandria
Robert Chaulk Times-Journal
Mandy Boreskie, left of the St. Thomas Soccer Club, passes the ball to teammate Sara Travis as Taxandria Falcon Anita Verberk, midle, tries to break up the rush during their London Area Women's Soccer League Second Division West game Sunday at Athletic Park. The visitors prevailed 3-1.
WOSL league play: Colombia 1:5 St. Thomas 2nd Div Men
WOSL league play: St. Thomas 3rd division vs London Serbia
WOSL league play: St. Thomas vs London Portuguese
East Elgin Boys, St. Joe's Boys and Girls OFSAA bound
AYLMER — Th e East Elgin Eagles are OFSAA bound. The host side for the WOSSAA AAA soccer tournament Tuesday punched their own ticket to the provincial showcase with a 3-2 victory over the Regina Mundi Titans in the gold medal game.
Premier women with the olympic torch taken at the clubhouse on May 14, 2009.
St Thomas Premier Women Team Pamphlet - PDF Format
Coaching Session for the House League Divisions
Joyce Rose, right, chairwomen of the St. Thomas SC HL division, hands out a players' list and schedule to Leanne MacKenzie, U7 Girls team coach, during a coaching session at the Athletic Park.The House League divisions U8 to U18 for girls and boys will start the week of May 4.
LONDON ST. THOMAS FUTSAL LEAGUE - PLAY OFF RESULTS FOR MEN AND YOUTH COED LEAGUES
Download Results in PDF Format Here
History of the St. Thomas Soccer Club
St. Thomas Soccer Club High School Awards
Previous Soccerfest Results