Staff
After a frustrating first half in their usual purple attire, Al’s Racquet Stringing went retro in the second half—with monumental results.
Sara Kellar and Hailey Beaudry each scored twice as Al’s doubled Taggs 6-3 yesterday evening in the Borderland Soccer League women’s division season-opener.
It looked like it was going to be a long night for Al’s during the first 40 minutes as Kellar hit the post twice while Beaudry nailed the crossbar twice behind Taggs’ starting keeper Katie Stearns.
Myan Miller then added to Al’s problems by rifling a one-hopper past keeper Phyllis Pierson in the 17th minutes for a 1-0 lead for Taggs.
But Al’s equipment manager Sherri Christiansen broke out the old-school black-and-white jerseys the team initially wore when it entered the league.
And the fashion change worked like magic.
Kellar intercepted Sara Roach’s goal kick at the top of the Taggs’ 18-yard box and stepped into a rocket from 15 yards away that beat Macey McMillen, who had taken over in goal for Stearns.
Then in the 59th minute, Angel McCormack sent the ball to Andrea Coyle, who fed Erin Gustafson, who proceeded to lay in a perfect through ball that Kellar outraced Jess Badiuk and Kerina Taylor to get to before skipping it past McMillen for a 2-1 edge.
Stearns went back in goal at that point as McMillen hurt her knee during the sequence and had to come off.
But Al’s smelled blood and came calling like a school of famished sharks.
Three minutes later, Kellar passed to McCormack, who busted loose down the left side and blasted a 10-yard strike past Stearns.
McCormack then turned into the play-maker, sending league rookie Cassandra Moffitt steaming past Taggs’ defender Suzie Sonnasinh and in on a breakaway, where she ripped home a shot from eight yards out for a 4-1 advantage.
Jess Badiuk took over between the pipes for the rest of the game.
But Al’s greeted her rudely just two minutes later as Jaymee Fiset’s pass sprung Beaudry loose on the left wing for a chance, which she deposited in the opposite corner of the net.
Roach tried to pull her team back into contention with a pair of tallies during a three-minute span.
But Al’s settled down after that, with Beaudry adding an insurance marker with two minutes to go.
The men’s season-opener last night said defending champs Manitou Forest Products beat Pharmasave 3-1.
Marlon Douglas led Manitou with a pair of goals while Carter Chorney notched the other goal.
James Pavier earned the win in goal.
Jamie Veldhuisen replied for Pharmasave, with Britt Greeen taking the loss between the pipes.
League action resumes Monday at 7 p.m., with Al’s facing defending league champion the La Place Rendez-Vous U18 Voyageurs in women’s play.
Manitou, meanwhile, will challenge the Vous Voyageurs in a rematch of last year’s men’s division final.
