The Borderland Soccer Association’s annual “Ball Blast” tournament is set to kick off this Friday (Aug. 10), with the first games at 6 p.m. featuring one of the top local men’s teams and the women’s regular-season champions.
“It’s shaping up pretty good,” said association president Timea Fleury.
“Usually tournaments [feature] pretty good soccer—the energy is pretty high, the intensity is pretty high . . . hopefully the weather holds up and we just have a lot of fun.”
Action will kick off Friday afternoon with the men’s Dominos team—one in the running for top of the league—against a competitive Pharmasave squad on centre field.
On the south field, the 7-2-1 Taggs squad will face off against a rival in the Curves team.
The tournament will see a strong contingent of league teams (all but the Gillons’ men’s team will be playing this weekend), as well as two women’s teams from Thunder Bay, one from Kenora, and one men’s team from Dryden.
Fleury also noted members from a women’s team in Dryden will be joining her Taggs’ roster for the weekend, and that a few members of the Gillons’ men’s team will do likewise with teams competing in “Ball Blast.”
“It should be great,” she enthused. “It’s a lot of fun having out-of-town players.”
The long-running round-robin tournament separates the Borderland regular season (which wraps up with its final rainout game tonight) and the playoffs, which are set to begin next Monday (Aug. 13).
Games are held throughout the weekend. As well, there’s a social on Saturday night and an awards presentation Sunday, when the top teams from each division will receive $1,000.
Fleury said while the out-of-town competition is exciting, the players also appreciate the added fan support during “Ball Blast.”
“Typically our tournaments are when we really get the stands kind of packed, and they bring lawn chairs and spend the day out there, so we’re looking forward to that,” she said.
There will be something else that sets the tournament apart from regular Borderland games—the influx of women’s teams.
There will be one more team in the women’s half of the tournament than the men’s—a change from the five-three split in favour of the men in regular-season play.
Games will run at 6 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. on Friday, all day Saturday, and then late Sunday morning until early afternoon.
The league playoffs then will begin the following evening.
Anyone interested in taking in the action is encouraged to head to the St. Francis Sportsfields this weekend. The Saturday night social also is open to the public, and will begin at 8 p.m. at La Place Rendez-Vous.
A live DJ will be on hand and prizes will be given out. Admission is $5 each.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
