Pink Panthers off to 2-0-1 record in WSSL action

Pink Panthers off to 2-0-1 record in WSSL action

April 26, 2001

STAFF REPORT

The U-14 Pink Panthers, the Tri-City Soccer Association’s entry into the Western Slope Soccer League and the defending champions in that division, are 2-0-1 on the young season.

"We are off to a slow start offensively this spring," head coach Marc Meyer commented.

The opening game was Montrose here on April 7.

"Montrose has a big strong powerful team that can hurt you in a hurry. We dominated the first half of play but were never able to put the ball in the net," he remarked.

Montrose drew first blood scoring off a corner from a nice crossing ball that a Montrose forward beat goalie Rand Olson with a hard header. The Panthers came right back in the next five minutes scoring off a corner kick from Maddy Stephens. She bent the ball into the net untouched. The rest of the game was up and down the field with neither team taking charge. Both the Montrose goalie and the Panther goalies were outstanding. The game ended in a tie at 1-1.

On April 14 the Panthers traveled to Grand Junction, winning 1-0.

"It was a dominating performance except in the scoring column," he reported.

The Panthers allowed Grand Junction no shots on goal while taking 47 of their own. Goalie Olson touched the ball only twice the first half of the game and zero times in the second half.

"They were very pretty. Everyone was on, crosses were great, corner play was great, passes were paced and perfect, slide tackles were on, and direct kicks looked good. There was even an attempt to bend the ball around a wall ending in the ball hitting the post," he noted.

Darshina Benally had the lone goal in the first half, a nice arching long ball from outside the penalty

area.

"I'll give the Grand Junction goalie a high mark, she was super, stopping shot after shot. I'll also give Grand Junction credit for not allowing any unmarked shots. It was a very physical game with the Panthers drawing about 20 cautions," Meyer recalled.

This past Sunday, April 22, the Panthers played Palisade (Thunder Mountain) in the rain, snow and wind at home, winning 1-0.

"It was a very closely contested game," he said. "The Panthers’ game is ball control, with crisp passes and speed. With those conditions, the field was evened for Palisades’ more physical game. It was not a pretty game. Balls and bodies were sprayed all over the field. I guess all wins are good wins though even if they are ugly," Meyer added.

Gina Franchini provided the only scoring of the game in the first half with a long, left-footed shot from outside the penalty area.

Again the Panthers appeared to be off time just a half step and numerous crossing balls just missed their intended targets for easy goals. They never let up though and played hard through out the contest, according to Meyer.

This weekend the Pink Panthers are off to Eagle for a 1:30 Saturday, April 28, game and will not play at home again until May 13 when they host Glenwood Springs at 1 pm at Parque de Vida.

The Panthers have 16 ladies this spring, losing one ( Danielle Knisley) to a move to Missouri. Cliff Stephens is assisting Meyer. The players are Katie Meyer, Maddy Stephens, Lisa Ehmke, Elizabeth Powell, Karlyn Franchini, Gina Franchini, Amy Johnson, Piedra Lightfoot, Jenae McCarroll, Esther Harclerode, Savanah Tanner, Goalie Randa Olson, Emelia Allee-Jumbo, Jessica Love-Nichols, Darshina Benally and Amanda Graffis.

The U-14 Girls A League WSSL teams include the Pink Panthers, Montrose Avalanche, Grand Mesa Inferno, Glenwood Ice, Thunder Mountain Breakers, Eagle Cyclones, and the Vail Crush. The league also operates a U-14 Girls competitive B league with 8 teams and a developmental U-14 Girls league along with the other ages and from U-10 through U-18.

The Western Slope State League (WSSL) was originally organized in 1994 by Montrose soccer enthusiasts and reorganized by Cindy Eskwith of Vail and Nick McGrath of Basalt in 1996. At that time, the purpose was to create a league for advanced youth players in the central and western counties of Colorado. For advanced teams, the only alternative was to travel to the Front Range which, for many of the towns, required as much as six to eight hours of travel for one game. In addition, the spring season for CSYSA traditionally begins the second weekend in March, a time when the mountain towns are precluded from playing out of doors due to the snowpack on the fields. Furthermore, many of the athletes are still in the middle of the season for ski racing or hockey. Therefore, the league adopted a season which begins in mid-April instead of March.