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Awakeri Soccer Club... the Greatest Junior Soccer Club in New Zealand
Report on games played April 29th 1999.
The brilliant weather on Saturday matched the joy of Awakeri’s soccer players as they kicked off their season in the first round of Eastern Bay Leagues.
Awakeri Draintech Diggers were very eager to play their first games in the 6th grade and came away with a 6 - 2 win against HGM Kawerau. Matthew Orr/McKeown was named their player-of-the-match.
Awakeri Hurricanes played Ohope Two, also in the 6th grade. They played well in losing 2 - 1. Jemma Shaw and Nathan Hudson played very well in their turns as goalkeeper. Jayden Haddock earned player-of-the-match through his hard running and determination. He also scored the goal for Hurricanes.
The 7th graders Peter Clarke Ltd Awakeri played very well in their game against Whakatane Bigimons. Brent Gurran’s play saw him named player-of-the-match . He made one specially good tackle that prevented a goal, to see Awakeri through to a 1 - 0 win. Madison Constantine was Awakeri’s scorer. In goal, Matthew Richmond threw himself down on the ball a number of times to gather the ball safely.
Awakeri Blues met Credit Union Central Kawerau in the 7th grade. They showed very good ball skills against larger opponents, and secured a 2 - 1 win. Devon Swart did well to knock in both goals, while Jordan Panasewych was named player-of-the-match for his all-round play.
Total Power Services Awakeri lived up to their name with a strong performance against Dallisons Kawerau in the 8th grade. Brechtsje Tacoma managed a top performance despite wearing shorts that were oversized! She also came close to scoring and was player-of-the-match . Joshua McCormick made a good impact with his play and he scored twice, as did Chris Stanton. Nicholas Schuler also got on the scoresheet.
Awakeri Magic had a good battle with Whakatane One in the 8th grade. Player-of-the-match Paul Haslam was solid in the midfield and made some good tackles. Steven Law made some very good saves in his turn in goal, while Vincent Sheather covered a lot of ground and was unlucky not to score. Jade Cossey did well up front, scoring Magic’s goal to earn a 1 - 1 draw.
In the 9th grade, David da Silva Awakeri Autos had an even game against their larger opponents, Opotiki Magpies. It was a good team effort from Autos, with all players working hard. James Wilson was named player-of-the-match for his second half effort in goal. Magpies took the game 3 - 0.
Gould Contracting Awakeri Hotshots started their 11th grade division A season with a flourish. They found themselves 3 - 1 down at half time against Otakiri, but turned in an awesome second half to come back for a 5 - 5 draw! Ian Sisam showed plenty of grit to play well with bad blisters, he put way two goals. Lance Robison also scored twice and Darren Groom complete the scoring. Player-of-the-match was Melanie Hancox. She did her positional job very well, marking her opponent determinedly.
Adamson’s Amcal Pharmacy Awakeri Athletic had a smart game in the 11th grade B division, against Otakiri Stormers. They came away with a 3 - 1 win. Ben McPherson impressed with plenty of running, he also scored a goal and earned player-of-the-match. The tactic of pushing through balls for Mark Ernest to run on to paid off, as he put away two as well. Athletic's defensive line of Myron Rowlands, Jordan Macdonald and Simon Barr was outstanding, while midfielder Christine Scott showed good determination in her first ever game of soccer.
In the 13th grade, Awakeri Store Strikers worked very hard and competed much more than the final scoreline suggests. They were away to Allandale, and eventually went down 6 - 0. In the end tiredness finally got to Strikers, as their hosts scored three times in the last ten minutes. Strikers are a new combination, and will get better as the season goes on. Kate Ernest had a sound game in defence in the first half, and then a good run on the wing in the second. She was player-of-the-match. Matthew Gwynne impressed with his work rate. He was always prepared to take on the opposition, making some good runs and going close with a couple of shots. Jeremy Hawkes and Cody Hancox did well in their turns in goal.