Photo By Kristen Wong | Patrol Squadron 9 player Pete Dahlstrom (left) and Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII - In the midst of a busy Pop Warner Field filled with evening workouts, Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 24 and Patrol Squadron 9 players were a tangle of feet, frustrated “offsides” calls and constant runaway soccer balls flying into no man’s land beyond the dreaded yellow line.
The 101 Days of Summer Soccer Nine-Aside Tournament was originally intended to run Aug. 4 through 15, 2014, though due to the threat of Hurricanes Iselle and Julio last week, games were delayed. On Aug. 12, the tournament picked up again, beginning with MALS24’s win over VP-9, 1-1, with penalty kicks breaking the tie, 7-6.
More than a dozen teams registered for the tournament, though several had to forfeit due to operational commitments.
The single-elimination tournament included two games each day, and ends tonight at 6:15 p.m. at Pop Warner Field with the championship game.
The tournament is part of the Corps-wide 101 Days of Summer Program, which runs roughly from Memorial Day through Labor Day each year, and encourages service members to engage in healthy activity, avoiding drug and substance abuse.
Pedro Dominguez, an aircraft mechanic with MALS24, said the soccer tournament was good practice for his team, which also competes in the regular intramural season. The team has taken many opportunities to brush up on their soccer skills, even practicing while busy during Exercise Rim of the Pacific 2014.
Throughout much of the game, Dominguez hollered encouragement to forward Junius Ketter, an aviation supply Marine with MALS-24, who on many occasions charged downfield toward the goal like a madman.
“It’s a cool opportunity to show (soccer skills) and be a part of (the event) and to help my command win the soccer tournament,” said Ketter, of Trenton, N.J.
Ketter, who has only been in Hawaii for four months, has been playing soccer since childhood, and also plays with the intramural soccer team on base.
Tuesday’s game included no-nonsense referees screeching their whistles and enforcing rules to the letter. Players did their best to calm their fellow teammates as tension grew between the teams, lest they be ejected from the game.
Time and again, goal attempts were thwarted by VP-9 goalie Adel Mascorro, who deflected soccer balls like a solid wall. Likewise, MALS-24 goalie Alexis Perez dove several times and successfully stopped the ball in its tracks.
The game rounded out with five players from each team left on the field. One by one, each were afforded a penalty kick. By now, the teams scheduled to play in the next game were gathered near one goal, watching the last standoff. MALS-24 sunk one more goal than VP-9 and several members celebrated.
“I thought it was a pretty physical game,” said Jordan Harris, a Naval aircrewman in avionics for VP9, and native of Gloucester, Va. “(We had) lots of strong defensive tackles. (We) just didn’t get the results.”
The next event in the program is the Unit Field Meet Challenge, Aug. 22 at Riseley Field.
For more information about the 101 Days of Summer Program, visit www.mccshawaii.com/101Days or call the Health Promotion Office at 254-7636.
| Date Taken: | 08.15.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 08.15.2014 16:03 |
| Story ID: | 139496 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, HAWAII, US |
| Hometown: | GLOUCESTER, VIRGINIA, US |
| Hometown: | SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | TRENTON, NEW JERSEY, US |
| Web Views: | 44 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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