Pinnacles hosting Khalsa in key matchup Saturday
The Penticton Tim Hortons Pinnacles will get their biggest test of the young season on Saturday.
Penticton (1-1-0), takes on Khalsa Sporting Club in Pacific Coast Soccer League Premier Men’s Division action at 6 p.m. at King’s Park.
The youthful Pinnacles squad is closing out a three-game homestand to start the season and coming off a 4-1 win over the Mid-Isle Mariners on May 26.
“We’re hoping to continue to grow every game,” said Pinnacles interim head coach Manuel Borba. “Teams like Khalsa, as well as Vancouver United, are going to give us an idea of where we’re at. The guys are looking forward to the challenge.”
Khalsa (2-1-0) bounced back from a seasonopening 4-0 homefield loss to Vancouver United to thump Abbotsford Athletes in Action Devils 5-0 on the road and Kamloops Wolfpack 3-1 at home.
“They’ve got quite a few really good players from SFU and Capilano College,” said Borba. “We know we’ve got our hands full, and it will be interesting to see how the young guys handle it.
“When we have possession of the ball, we’ve shown to be as good as anyone. It comes down to how we defend and match up physically against older and more experienced players.”
Borba said he is going largely with the same group that defeated Mid-Isle. Defender Josh Araujo is back into the fold after returning from university, while impressive midfielder Andre Perez from Nelson will play his second game for Penticton.
Midfielder Bjorn Borren, a key leader on
GOLF
Countback decided the outcome at the Twin Lakes Golf Resort senior men’s/ladies’ invitational “scramble” competition on Tuesday.
First place at 70 went to Bruce Anderson, Norm Boucher, Don Affleck, Bev Lintott and Crystal Traquair.
Settled for second place were Don Smith, Bob Cartwright, Paul Kennedy and Barb Laisi.
Third place, also by countback at 71, went to Glen Jolliffe, Mark Dodge, Darlene Gordon and Alex Wilson.
Closest-to-the-pin went to Paul Kennedy on No. 2, Lou-Ann Gowing had the putter going as she had the long putt on both No. 8 and No. 14, Traquair had closest-to-the-pin (2nd shot) on No. 15, while Anderson, Jolliffe, Smith, Kennedy and Sylvia Kruger carded deuces.
Reid Sutherland claimed low gross honours at the Twin Lakes Golf Resort men’s night outing Thursday.
Other low gross flight winners were Don Minto and Dave Myles.
Low net flight winners were Larry Thompson, Bob Biro and Ken Lintott.
Sutherland, James Bernique, Barry Sjolin, Mark Dodge, Red Bosscha and Ron English shared the deuce pot.
Gerry Nimchuk, however, got the weekly pie all to himself.
Ellen Clay topped the local participants at the Summerland Golf and Country Club the team along with James Fraser, missed a week of training while nursing an injury but Borba expects he should be good to go.
Brady Vanryswyk started the first two games in goal, but Borba is considering giving Michael Bohmer his first start.
“Tom McGill (goalkeeper coach) and I will discuss it and we’ll decide early on Saturday,” said Borba.
Borba said the Pinnacles are hoping to attract a big crowd to cheer on the team. Once again, there will be a beverage garden available at the park.
“A lot of the fans who watched the last game commented on the excellent brand of soccer being played,” said Borba. “We’ve got an exciting young team and a quality opponent in Khalsa. It should be a great game.”
Meanwhile, head coach Marinus Barendregt will return from Holland on June 23 to take over the reins of the Pinnacles for the second half of the season.
“He’s going to get all the long road trips,” quipped Borba, who plans to remain involved in an advisory role and help out where needed. “Marinus is communicating with us regularly about our guys, trying to get up to speed and hit the ground running. He is going to be training the guys several times each week which is really going to help their fitness and development.”
Barendregt has served as head coach of Holland’s Excelsior Rotterdam under-19 team since 2015.
Excelsior has a team in the Dutch Eridivisie — Holland’s top professional league — and a highly-regarded youth academy headed up by Marco Van Lochem.
Borba said six of his Pinnacles FC under-18 team players will be going to Holland from Aug. 2-12 to train at Excelsior’s academy. ladies’ Dorothy Olive Franklin Memorial annual provincial tournament.
The event is held to commemorate Dorothy Olive Franklin who gave many years to ladies’ golf both at the provincial and national level. Proceeds are used to help send promising junior girls to out-of-province or international tournaments.
The ladies also took part in a low net competition.
First flight winners were Pat Gartrell at 73 and Carol Mulligan at 78.
Clay topped the second flight at 69 followed by Helen Benallick at 73.
Maureen Bildfell fired an 88 to win the Penticton Golf and Country Club ladies’ Rose Bowl low gross title on Tuesday.
Marleen Tymofievich was second at 90 and Laura Mansell third at 91.
Jo-Anne Long logged a 65 to win the Colleen Gordon Memorial low net title. Bildfell was runner-up at 67 and Lynn Popoff third at 68.
Cy and Ron Gladish helped their team to victory at the Penticton Golf and Country Club senior men’s five-man scramble outing on Wednesday.
Other members of the squad, which carded a 60, were Rob Shirra, Allan Kregosky and Ernie Peaker.
Second place at 63 went to David Smith, Bill Grant, Rick Thorpe, Larry Badger and Ken Barron. A total of 128 players took part in the event.