Aalt Van den Hoorn saves his team

Jan Aalt van den Hoorn, started the season as he finished the last one, in excellent form. He was the main reason why Yukoninfo.com pulled off a 5-3 win over Pepsi, in the opening game of the 2021/22 Whitehorse Rapids soccer season.

Pepsi started the game well, and were aided by the earliest sending off in Rapids history as Gord Barker was sent for an early shower after a petulant challenge. Pepsi were bright early on passing the ball well with great movement, but after Aalt Van den Hoorn proved to be difficult to beat, Pepsi who were suffering from a small bench began to tire.

Matthias Hartmann the ace in any pack sensed this, and like a lion taking down a wildebeest went for the jugular. He scored two nice goals and was a menace for the Pepsi defence for the whole game.

Mark O Brien had a monster game back where he belongs, in the heart of the defence with debutants Tim Taylor and John May having impressive starts to their over 35’s career.

Other scorers were Andy Todd, Mark O Brien and Will Chetcuti for Yukoninfo.com, while Justin Carre , with two, and Danny Macdonald got the goals for Pepsi.

Brown and Gortari set Yukon Brewing on the winning trail

Jim ‘Bonanza’ Brown may be celebrating hitting the fifth level of life, but he is still a canny operator, scoring Yukon Brewings opening goal as he led his team to a 2-0 victory over Driving Force.

Brown, whose all round game hasn’t diminished over the years, was a key part of this victory. Another piece of the jigsaw was new skipper Marcelo Gortari, he looked like a man who was enjoying the responsibility of captaincy as his fearless shooting kept the legs of the opposition warm throughout the game.

Gortari addded the second and could have had a lot more if George Maratos in the Driving Force goal didn’t bring his A game.

The part time comedian was all business as he pulled off a string of world class saves.

This Driving Force team played with a lot of heart as they were under the cosh for large parts of the game, although JP Ladroue had a couple of good chances that would have made the match interesting had he hit the target.

Defending champions outdone by KBS

Last year’s winners Air North Rangers opened up their defence of the title with a 4-2 defeat against a slick looking Klondike Business Solutions.

Air North lacked cohesion early on and was exploited by a fine looking side, led for the first time by Greg Grady. Grady has picked a team of very talented soccer players who hit the ground running.

Goals by the Zuccarini brothers Michael and Pat and one for Creed ‘the Hunter’ Swan had Air North reeling. KBS also had Ash Jordan in their roster, and had a supreme game. His speed, soccer IQ and finishing are top draw and he got his name on the score sheet as well.

Air North supremo Iain Breckridge will have to go back to the drawing board to get his team back to winning ways, he does have Ciaran Connolly and Miles Hume (two goals) in his team, so there will be no games in which they will be outrun, but worryingly it was the defence that was prized open far too easily.

– Submitted by Andy Todd