John Wilmshurst | Special to the Fitzhugh
In a year when we don’t recognize people unless they are wearing a mask and our body temperature is the cover charge to buy groceries, it is fitting that the Jasper Minor Sports soccer brain trust of Geoff Danks and Janice Branch inadvertently hosted some surreal soccer competitions at Commemoration Park as this shorted season drew to a close. I took in the U11 boys Death Muffins versus the U11 girls Thunder Bolts last Tuesday and was not disappointed. But somewhat bewildered.
The Bolts started strong, with Mila Given advancing the ball off the opening kickoff to Isabella Tassoni and Katie Doyle deep in the Muffins’ end. The Bolts passed it around, but were unable to convert apparently because Ash Habib, the Muffins’ first half keeper, was intimidating. Playing shorthanded at the start of the game, the Girls borrowed a hero from the Muffins team to fill in between the pipes. Hugh Kiro Lee Bulos — his team calls him Kiro — was unbelievable in goal for the Bolts, but Max Lescard was able to find the back of the net to open the scoring for the Muffins at the five-minute mark. The next 10 minutes were the Max and Arlo show, as Arlo Kennedy got warmed up, and found the back of the net with a corner kick and again on an onside feed from Max.
The Muffins kept the pressure on for the first half, an effort eased by the defensive brick wall that stifled every Bolt effort to spill into the other half. Liam Danks and Calvin Argument were standouts back on defense for the Muffins. At the other end of the field, Sarah Pearson and Emilie Oxley were doing what they could to undermine Muffin relentless attacks. At the end of the first half, it was Muffins: six, Bolts: zero.
In the second half, reinforcements showed up for the Bolts as Georgia Bell and Sophie O’Mahony stepped out from behind the looking glass to turn the tide of play. This gave the Bolts’ fleet forwards, Katie Doyle and Mila a chance to go on the offense as Bell boomed goalie kicks the length of the field. Muffins’ coaches, Shelby Bordeleau and Megan Foley had to react, activating midfielders Braiden Stonehouse and Bryce Garner in a brave attempt to stop the Bolts’ attacks. And although in a normal year this would have been successful, in a surreal year such as we were having, the Bolts took a 10-to-six lead to the end of the second half without scoring a goal.
In the third half, the Muffins turned up the heat. Or perhaps that was the sun; it was hard to tell from the shelter-less sidelines. Bolts’ coaches Varenka Gorontzy-Slack and Skylar Shepherd instructed their players to get the ball to the speedy Evita Conte to create time and space — normally impossible, but not this year. Without Liam Danks in net for the Muffins, both Evita and Isabella would have added to the Bolts’ lead in the early going. But Liam was sharp, directing hot shots to the sidelines. Despite the obvious exhaustion, both teams left it all on the field in the third half. Ash had innumerable chances to be turned away time and again by Bell. Sarah and Katie were relentless in the Bolts’ offensive zone and Arlo kept his first half form going in the third with Kiro also activated at forward. This match was destined to be a nail biter to the end.
When the final whistle blew (two short, one long), the score was one to nothing for the fans who were treated to the first soccer match in a year to be played on a Jasper pitch. The important things that happened on the field were reflected in the smiling, red faces and promises of ice cream. We’ve had to give up a lot in this past, surreal year and this informal game reminded us a bit of what we’ve missed. But more of what we have to look forward to — more fantastic efforts from kids at play. Can’t wait for next season.
