It's hard to believe, but the team with no wins just beat the team with no losses!

1-0 for the Hope Choppers over the Valley Impact of Abbotsford.

Pre-game goals for/against: 50 to 8 for Abby. 9 wins and one tie (1-1 to Chwk City).

Our record before the game: 3 ties, 2 losses and a 5-for, 9-against scoring record. So we didn't have a hope in Hell... right?

Couple that with only 9 of of our 23-man roster being able to make the game.

Not a hope in Hell... except the Impact (thank Heaven) were also having trouble filling their roster.

I called my neighbour, Brenden Gillespie (U-18 midfielder last year) and Jeff and Ory Holgate and they were all willing. They all had excellent games and really contributed to our effort. Steve's brother Kevin was heading down from Kamloops to join us — but had to turn back, due to snow on the Coquihalla.


We both started with 10 players each. Scoring for Hope was Daniel Klop, in the first few minutes. From my position on the back line, it looked like Andrew Overbeek was fighting to stay onside — but Daniel kept the ball and went around the d-man and got a shot past the keeper, who was filling in for the regular keeper.

Soon after, their keeper and our 2 players (Daniel and Garry Arrowsmith) arrived.

Their #3 was especially speedy and dangerous in the first part of the game, but we were good some times and lucky other times — and Kyle cleaned up any errors. He was booting 50-60 yard clearing punts today, too.

No cards for either team, though Steve got a verbal warning for jostling with #7, who was getting a little physical and mouthy with Garry.

Daniel K and Andrew O were having a great time up front, wheeling around in the box. But for a split second delay, they would have two or three great shots.  The Abby defence got there just in time to deflect the shots.

Ory also had a shot to the top right corner, but the goalie had just enough reach for it.

I was hoping for some IMPACT, and I got it in the second half. I charged after a loose ball, knocked it forward and slammed into the approaching Impact player. If I'd had false teeth, they would have gone flying!

Garry absolutely crunched an attacker at the edge of the box, leaving a big divot.

Abby came on strong near the end — and we were running on fumes — but we controlled the clock well. Late in the game, Sitwalla was covering the post on a corner kick. The shot  blasted him in the chest and Steve cleaned up the rebound.

Very well done!