Strikers Win Challenge Cup
Chatham Strikers Champions – Submitted Photo
Chatham had finished the league in 2nd place, losing out by only 1 point to Oakridge, and were hoping to end their year with a successful showing in the Challenge Cup by winning the tournament.
Chatham’s 1st round draw on Saturday morning was against Middlesex and Chatham was focused on not looking past this game against the last place Spitfires. Chatham was slow to build momentum in the 1st half but once they got going, the route was on. Logan Kucera opened the scoring at the 25 minute mark, converting a pass from Jana Kucera. Allyson Huckle then scored minutes later, booming home a high free kick from 30 yards out. Paulina Maslak then turned her defender inside out and fired a low hard shot that eluded the Middlesex goalie for a 3 – 0 lead. Amber Lumley then buried a pretty left footed shot right at the end of the half for a dominating 4 – 0 Chatham half-time lead.
Chatham wanted to continue to build momentum for their next round match-up on Sunday and continued their goal onslaught when Jana Kucera joined the party only minutes into the half. Logan Kucera collected her 2nd goal of the match only minutes later. Alissa Burd took a great feed from Emily McFeat and bulged the twine for a 7 – 0 Chatham lead. Rhea VanHelden then rounded out the Chatham scoring as the Strikers cruised to their semi-final match-up with a one-sided 8 – 0 blow out. Brooke Foster and Kaylee Boulley shared the shut-out.
Chatham U-13 Strikers: 8 Goals : Logan Kucera (2), Allyson Huckle, Paulina Maslak, Amber Lumley, Jana Kucera, Alissa Burd, Rhea VanHelden. Shut-out: Brooke Foster, Kaylee Boulley
Middlesex Spitfires: 0
Chatham’s 2nd round semi-final match-up early Sunday morning was against the 1st place league winners Oakridge Hurricanes. Chatham beat Oakridge in their last meeting but lost to them in an early season game. They also split 2 tournament games with a win apiece, so this game would be their 5th meeting with the winner advancing to the Cup finals later that day.
Chatham was motivated to exact some revenge on Oakridge for the simple fact that Oakridge won the division title by 1 point. The strikers came out fired up as the Kucera twins struck again! This time it was Jana on the end of a great pass from Logan, and Jana smartly chipped a shot over the stranded Oakridge goalie to put Chatham up by 1 only 5 minutes into the game. Oakridge and Chatham battled back and forth for the rest of the half and Chatham was content to take their 1 goal lead into half-time.
Oakridge however was not going to roll over and die as they came right back at the start of the 2nd half as they scored 5 minutes in to tie the game. Chatham was not shaken but instead motivated to get the goal back and picked up the pace in order to hopefully win the game in regulation and avoid the dreaded penalty shoot out. With time winding down in the game, players were bracing for the looming penalty shoot out when Alissa Burd found an open Jana Kucera who again realized the Oakridge goalie was out of her net and chipped the winning goal up and over her into the open net. With little time remaining Chatham held off Oakridge and the 2 – 1 victory sent them into the finals later that afternoon.
Chatham U-13 Strikers: 2 Goals : Jana Kucera (2)
Oakridge Hurricanes: 1
Chatham was taking on the Dorchester Dynamite in the finals and were looking forward to this game as Chatham wanted payback for an early season tie in Dorchester that was one of the few blemishes on Chatham’s great season. Chatham made sure they came out fast and furious and pressured Dorchester all over the field right from the opening kick off. This forced Dorchester back deep into their own end and Jana Kucera found a wide open Kaylee Boulley in front of the Dorchester goal and Boulley made no mistake , giving Chatham a 1 – 0 lead only 3 minutes into the game. Dorchester did regroup however and kept Chatham at bay for the rest of the 1st half. Despite attacking into a stiff wind, Chatham had a few more great scoring chances and only some solid goaltending from Dorchester kept Chatham from increasing their lead.
The 2nd half saw Chatham ramp up their game with the wind at their backs, they kept Dorchester pinned in their own end the rest of the game. Allyson Huckle showed some great individual effort and strength by fending off a Dorchester midfielder draped all over her back as she still manager to fire an off balance low hard shot past the goalie. A 2 – 0 lead only minutes into the 2nd half would be all Chatham would need. But they were not done as Jana Kucera scored her 4th goal of the tournament as she took a pass from Huckle and fired a hard shot that slipped right through the Dorchester goalie’s hands and into the net. Amber Lumley finished up a great weekend for Chatham by scoring with only minutes left for decisive 4 – 0 victory.
The Challenge Cup championship was Chatham’s 1st in 3 trys, last year they were finalists to Oakridge.
Chatham U-13 Strikers: 4 Goals : Kaylle Boulley, Allyson Huckle, Jana Kucera, Amber Lumley Shut-out: Brooke Foster
Dorchester Dynamite: 0
Attached Photo of U-13 Strikers : Laying on Ground : Brooke Foster
Front Row, Left to Right : Ceara Travis, Brooke MacKinnon, Alissa Burd, Paulina Maslak, Rosina Cowan, Amber Lumley, Kristen Calabrese
Back Row, Left to Right : Coach John Foster, Allyson Huckle, Logan Kucera, Kaylee Boulley, Jana Kucera, Alyssa Broeders, Rhea VanHelden, Emily McFeat, Brianna Dawson, Coach Anne Cowan