Huron Expositor, 2006-06-07, Page 19•
ecta
for St. C
Jeff Heuchert
Playing with the "big boys" is
nothing new to the two St.
Columban men's soccer teams.
Made up .of almost all teams from
London, the Western Ontario Soccer
League's First division is always
going to be a difficult one to com-
pete in, and looks to be so again this
year.
Long-time member of the team
Steve Ryan says unlike previous
years, this year's team is a mix of
young and old talent.
"We've had guys play. with us for'
15 years but now they have bigger
commitments," says Ryan, who is
playing his 17th year with the team.
"We lost a lot of experience, but we
picked up some young guys with
speed and talent," he adds.
But, Ryan says it will take some
time to create relationships with all
of their new players, which might
explain their early season record.
Through the first four games, the
team is 0-2-2.
"We haven't come together with
the new guys just yet," says Ryan.
"Once we start to connect with the
new guys we'll be better."
Along with the five teams from
London, the WOSL's First division
houses teams from Woodstock,
Simcoe, Ingersoll and St. Thomas,
and is considered the second highest
level within the WOSL, just behind
the Premier division.
The WOSL runs their season from
mid-May until early October.
'Ryan says he hopes to finish in
their division's top two, which would
automatically bump them up to the
Premier division.
Likewise, the bottom two teams in
each division drop down a level
after each season.
"That's what makes every game so
important. You're always fighting,"
says Ryan.
"Even if you're at the bottom,
you're still fighting to win so you
don't drop a level."
Ryan says there is no reason to
worry, and that they have plenty of
time to turn things around.
"We've got a lot of speed now -
guys with experience up the field
and young guys up the sides," he
says.
"It's going to come really well
i-'
Sports
The Huron Expositor • June 7, 2006. Page 19
high early in seaso
an men's soccer teams
together," says Ryan.
"We're looking for a strong year."
The WOSL consists of a Premier,
First, Second and Third division.
The Third division is split
into East and West divi-
sions.
In the Third East divi-
sion, is St. Columban's
other men's team, which
is off to a decent start at
2-1-1.
Coach Sheila Murphy
says she's very happy
with her team's start
and says there's no rea-
son they can't keep it up.
Murphy, who's coached
the team for the past
five years, explains that
last year the team played
fast and have great ball skills," adds
Murphy.
But, there are visible weaknesses
as well, she points out.
"We're always slow to
start games. We usu-
ally don't pick up the
pace until the second
half."
The WOSL's Third
East division consists
of three teams from
London, and ones
from Ingersoll, Delhi,
St. Thomas, Forest
and Tillsonburg.
Murphy says she.
expects her team to
finish at least in the
top three of her divi-
/
sion, and possibly
'Once we start
to connect
with the new.
guys we'll be
better ,'--
St. Columban men's
First division soccer
team member
Steve Ryan
in an U-21 league, but moved up for
this season, after the U-21 league
folded.
She says most of the team has
stuck together.
"A lot of our team is intact from
last year, with a few additions and a
few new players that played in divi-
sion three last year," she says.
Murphy adds that over their pre-
vious two seasons, her team has
continued to improve and climb in
the standings, and hopes for the
trend to continue.
And most importantly, she says
the teams has what it's going to
take to achieve that.
"Goal keeping has always been a
strength of ours," she says.
"We have wingers that are really
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atop the division,
which would put
them in an divi-
sion East/West
Finals.
"If we can be
that team, that
would be great,"
she says.
Both St.
Columban men's
soccer teams
play their games on the weekend,
with their home games played
behind St. Columban Catholic
Church.
Statistics, standings and sched-
ules are all available at
www.wosl.net
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