MATCH REPORT

Weekly Roundup - February 15th & 16th

By Marion F Dent
Press Associates

	Player of the Week Darren Villars VMSL Premier MWSL Premier 0-1 UBC Alumni February 9, Cloverdale Athletic Park Click here for multi-photo slideshow VMSL Premier 1-0 Indo FC February 9, Cloverdale Athletic Park Click here for multi-photo slideshow Photos by Richard Howes - BCFPB

Week number 20 saw five of our seven adult teams in league or cup play with both the Under 21 and division one squad both receiving a bye. We were able to secure 3 wins out of the five games with our Mens Premier, Division Two and Masters all gaining wins to progress in their respective cup competitions. In Ladies soccer action our Division one team were eliminated from their cup competition when they suffered another tough penalty shoot-out loss in round robin cup play. United had built up a two goal lead by the twenty fifth minute on goals by Kelly Koyanagi and Marcy Beggs and then suffered a severe blow when Nicki Smeltzer was unlucky to receive a red card. United’s ten players battled hard to defend their lead but surrendered one goal before half-time. They continued to display a tremendous resilience but five minutes before the end conceded the tying goal before and subsequently lost out in the dreaded shoot-out.

The womens premier team entertained UBC Sportstown at Cloverdale Athletic on Sunday in a game where everything was on the line as the winner would clinch the premier championship. Unfortunately United this time came up short in their bid to repeat as premier champions and lost the game 1-0 on an 85th minute goal where the unmarked UBC player scored from close range following a corner-kick. In a game with so much at stake everyone correctly anticipated that goal-scoring chances would be at a premium as both sets of defences dominated the opposing offences. Throughout the game the usually prolific free scoring United team were limited to a few chances which, has been an alarming familiar story in recent games, but on the three clear chances we created we failed to convert. We offer our congratulations to UBC Sportstown and to our own ladies for a great league season and who knows maybe this year we shall have better success in the Provincials.

The mens premier team came out the winners 1-0 over Indo FC on Saturday in a close fought affair at Cloverdale Athletic Park on Saturday in the second round of the Imperial Cup. In a similar manner, to the womens premier game, goal scoring opportunities were at a premium for both teams as both sets of defenders dominated the forwards. In the second half Indo were denied a goal when United midfielder and man of the match Darren Villars somehow managed to block a shot at the last second. Seven minutes later Darren showed his prowess at the other end of the park crowning at great individual performance when he broke through to square the ball for team mate Greg Brisbon to blast a low shot past Indo keeper Dietar Sandhu. It was the second successive week that Greg notched the game winner but he was beaten out of this week’s Player of the Week Award by Darren Villars. (This selection qualifies Darren with an automatic entry for the chance to win a trip for two to Mexico!!!!!). In the remaining eight minutes United’s experience denied the opposition any clear cut chances and for the second successive week United failed to notch a late insurance marker when Todd Stauber was denied on a breakaway by Sandhu.

In the Masters cup play United romped to a very comfortable 5-1 away victory at Mission Celtics to clinch a spot.