Results from the Rapids men’s Over-35 league on Saturday:

Lucky Jim topples KBS

Yukoninfo.com were down six players from their roster on Saturday, but were able to recruit Marcelo Gortari, Jim Brown and Dale Cheeseman, and all were instrumental in helping their adopted team pull off a 2-0 win.

Gortari, who scored the first goal, was majestic in midfield. His passing was so incisive that you would have thought he was a surgeon. Brown plays with the subtlety of an escaped rhino, but was effective in linking play from defence to offence. He got the vital second goal, while Cheeseman stood out like the Colossus of Rhodes, as he is a wonder of the Over-35’s league.

Klondike Business solutions had a bad day at the office, as they couldn’t quite play the flowing soccer they are so well known for. Passes went astray as they couldn’t manufacture many clear-cut chances. This may have had something to do with Iron Men Mark Obrien and Keith Maguire snuffing out any chances. Spare a thought for Gord Barker, who had three clear cut chances to score and managed to fluff them all. The last effort will haunt his dreams for many weeks to come.

Khalik like a phoenix
from the flames

Adil Khalik suffered what most amateur players dread, namely a concussion that not only knocked him out of playing soccer, but stopped him from working. His recovery has been slow, as he has undergone a lot of rehabilitation to ensure he is able to return to work and rejoin the league. This week was special, as he scored the winner to grab Pepsi three points in a 2-1 victory over Driving Force.

Both teams were very cautious, unwilling to let the other team have too much time on the ball, but the mercurial Justin Carre was able to break the deadlock for Pepsi before Huy Nguyen replied for Driving Force. With the game in the balance, Khalik was able to fire Pepsi into the lead. He celebrated with a bow to the crowd; nobody watching would begrudge him his moment.

The win takes Pepsi into second place. With half the season to go, they are well set for a push for the title.

Reixinger saves the day

Thomas Reixinger just returned to the team after a month on the sidelines, and his side were happy that he was back, as he pulled off a save in the dying seconds of the game to help Air North Rangers tie with Yukon Brewing 2-2 in the final game of the day.

Sub goalie Mike Evans was pushed into an auxiliary striker position and he was rewarded with the opening goal for Yukon Brewing. Then Craig Caldwell carried the ball the length of the pitch before finishing well to make it two. Phil Jackson pulled one back, before Miles Hume picked up his eleventh goal of the campaign to enhance his Golden Boot credentials.

The game then slowed down, as both teams tried to establish themselves, but it wasn’t until the last minute that Caldwell ran through with only Reixinger to beat, but the big German pulled off a world class save before the final whistle blew.

–Submitted by Andy Todd.