The Yorkton United U14 Core Real Estate Fury kicked off the 2012 Regina Soccer League season with two games in Regina.
To cut down on travel costs the team agreed to play two games in a day when they travel to Regina, a tough task in the summer heat, but luckily the cloud cover in Regina made perfect soccer weather.
With the weather in check it was up to the boys and girls, Kendra Varjassy and Allison Berge have joined the team for the Regina League, to showcase their skills on the pitch.
Although the team has only had three practices before the start of the season the Fury played very well and showed a lot of chemistry. "Most of the team played together all winter but have had a bit of a break while waiting for the snow to melt and with the addition of a few new players including the two girls wasn't sure what to expect," says coach Chad Grodzinski.
The first game of the afternoon was against the Moose Jaw Storm. Yorkton controlled the ball very well in the midfield but just couldn't mount much of an attack in the first half.
In the second half it was more of the same but a defensive break down lead to a Moose Jaw goal. Although the chances started to come the Fury just couldn't find the back of the net on all their scoring chances but one. Austin Thomas was able to hammer the ball into the mesh after a missed clearing attempt off a corner kick which tied the game.
Moose Jaw answered back with only a few minutes remaining to steal the 2-1 win. "Even though it was a loss I was very happy the way we played and played together. I told the players before the game to play smart out there because we had two games to play and only two substitutes on the bench and I think they did that very well and looked like dominant team out there. I think as the season wears on we will be able to find the scoring that we need," Grodzinski states.
The second game was against the UCT Lightning from Regina. The second game is always a test of the team's endurance and with only two substitutes to draw from the team was hoping that the smart play could continue. It was a little shaky at the start but soon the Fury found their pace and started to control the game.
Yorkton led 2-1 at half with goals from Henry Thomas and Zach Kostersky. The YUFC Fury continued to play well in the second half.
Thomas was able to add one more goal to give Yorkton the 3-1 win. "It was good to see Thomas perform well. Not just because he was able to score two goals but because he is the newest addition to the team and he fit in real well. Actually all of the new additions like Varjassy and Berge played well in their positions.
Scott Popoff who hasn't played with the team since last summer set up the second goal so I was very happy with that. Also this was the first time playing 11 versus 11 on a full size field for many of the players and I thought they adjusted well," Grodzinski reports.
The next action for the Yorkton United Core Real Estate Fury is Saturday at 1 p.m. in Yorkton at Sacred Heart field.
