Lucas Punkari
With neither team giving an inch on the pitch, it looked as if it would come down to one shot to separate Manitou Forest Products and International Travel Services in the Borderland Soccer League men’s final last Thursday evening at St. Francis Field.
In the end, it was a single attempt that proved to be the difference as a first-half goal by Mike Sande gave Manitou a narrow 1-0 victory and their second-straight league crown.
“It’s always a great feeling to take part in a championship game, and to win it just feels awesome,” Sande enthused.
“No matter how many times you win a championship, it’s always a special feeling,” he added.
“And to do it again is a real honour.”
ITS was able to get a few chances on net in the opening minutes, but Sande made a couple of nifty moves in the midfield on a counter-attack and took a shot on goal that found the back of the net.
“That play all started after I got a real nice pass from Chris Sinclair, I believe,” Sande recalled.
“Once I got the ball, I was able to run in and take a shot, and I was just able to sneak it in off of the post.”
After Sande’s goal, ITS began to turn up the heat in order to tie the score.
But Manitou keeper Jameson Shortreed made sure his team would hold onto the lead, including a pair of diving saves just before halftime.
“I just try to stop anything that comes my way because that’s what I’m here to do,” he smiled.
“Both halves were really tight out there,” he noted. “But in the second half, there was a lot more run-and-gun it looked like, and it felt as if it was a little bit less controlled.
“But we were able to hold our own out there.
“And we have a solid back line that allowed us to keep them out of our half for the most part,” Shortreed added.
“He [Shortreed] has been awesome for us all year,” Sande said.
“I played with him in high school for the Muskies and he was awesome then, and he’s just as good now.
“It’s been nice to have him on our team this year,” Sande remarked.
While both Shortreed and Sande felt ITS played them tough following the lone goal of match, Gavin Moorhouse felt as though their opponents took control of the game after they moved out in front.
“I think we kind of died down out there, actually,” he admitted.
“We started playing in the air and not on the ground, and you can’t play in the air against these guys because they all have about an extra five inches in the height department.
“They dominated the possession and they made the one shot that counted, which you have to give Sande a lot of kudos for because that was a great shot,” Moorhouse added.
Although the conclusion to the season left a bitter taste in Moorhouse’s mouth, the season as a whole for ITS was one he was very pleased about.
“It was a fantastic year,” Moorhouse said. “I had a good time whenever we played, and the guys that are on this team are all great to be around.
“Sure, it sucks that we didn’t win but there is always next year,” he reasoned.
Meanwhile, Manitou Forest Products will be preparing for the district championships here Aug. 25-26, when they’ll be going up against the men’s league winners from Kenora, Dryden, and Sioux Lookout.
While they’ll have a bit of a layoff before those games, Shortreed believes the momentum he and his teammates are riding should continue heading into the districts.
“As the year went on, we started to know each other a little bit better out there,” he noted.
“We started to play a lot better and we really became a team, so we I think it should all work out really well.”
Following the championship game, the league also handed out its year-end awards:
•Golden Boot (top goal scorer)—Ahamadou Idrissou (Manitou Forest Products);
•Goalie of the Year—Jameson Shortreed (Manitou Forest Products);
•Most Sportsmanlike—Morey Green (International Travel Services);
•Best Defensive Player—Chris Sinclair (Manitou Forest Products);
•Rookie of the Year—Kevin Metke (La Place Rendez-Vous Voyageurs);
•Heart & Soul Award—Jeff Gustafson (La Place Rendez-Vous Voyageurs); and
•Most Valuable Player—Garnett Cornell (International Travel Services).
