CRUSHERS ARE 7-A-SIDE QUEENS

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PRESS RELEASE – The dck Masters had some good ideas, but couldn’t find the winning formula to defeat the Doosan Lady Crushers in the 2012 Bud Light Women’s 7-A-Side League championship final.

The dck Masters’ Cara Walsh attempts a header on a corner kick play in front of Doosan Lady Crushers’ goalkeeper Shelby Kier (in blue) during the championship game of the 2012 Bud Light Women’s 7-A-Side Soccer League. (courtesy photo)

The perennial league leaders defeated their most recent competitors 4-2 behind a hat trick by Kristin Thompson to claim the crown. Despite the score, the Masters kept toe-to-toe with the Lady Crushers for more than half the game.

The Lady Crushers scored first when Simie Willter found Thompson looking toward the goal unmarked on the right side. Thompson drew out the Masters’ goalkeeper Rebecca Staben and sent her shot into the empty goal.

The Lady Crushers didn’t have much time to rest as five minutes later, the Masters’ Cara Walsh knotted the contest with tough shot from the left side.

With just ten minutes to go before the halftime whistle, Thompson took advantage of a Masters defensive miscommunication and finished a Willter pass for her second goal of the match.

The Masters were back in two minutes into the second half when Christine Simard found Rhoda Bamba with open space. Bamba sent in an arched shot that traveled over the Crushers’ goalkeeper Shelby Kier and into the net to equalize the game a second time.

Halfway through the deciding half, the Lady Crushers gained the upper hand again. With three Masters defenders converging on Willter sprinting toward the goal, Willter passed the ball to Thompson, who finished the eventual game-winning goal. Andrea Odell added an insurance goal for the Lady Crushers off a pass from Thompson with ten minutes left on the clock.

Instead of going into desperate defensive mode, both the Masters and Lady Crushers used the remaining time in an effort to score more goals. Both teams had a handful of opportunities but could not convert in the final minutes to post the final 4-2 score.

In the earlier consolation game, Hyundai claimed third place after defeating Quality Distributors 5-2. Hyundai was led by Olivia Flores’ two goals. Arisa Recella, Shana Spindel and Tanya Blas-Cruz added on to Hyundai’s tally. Paige Surber and April Talledo scored Quality’s two goals.

Hyundai’s goalkeeper Ashley Besagar stops a shot from Quality Distributors’ April Talledo (4) during the consolation game of the 2012 Bud Light Women’s 7-A-Side Soccer League. Talledo scored once in her team’s 4-2 loss to Hyundai. (courtesy photo)

Although the 7-A-Side league has concluded, most of the same teams will switch to futsal mode Sunday with the 2012 Bud Light Women’s Futsal League. Matches begin at 3 p.m. at the Guam Sports Complex Gym in Harmon.

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