K-W United FC bracing for big Chill
Face Thunder Bay in conference semifinal Friday
WATERLOO — They have admired each other from afar, but now K-W United FC and the Thunder Bay Chill will finally get a chance to clash in the post-season.
The Premier Development League clubs will meet for the first time when they hit the pitch for the Central Conference semifinals at the Ultimate Soccer Arenas in Pontiac, Mich., on Friday at 5 p.m.
The Michigan Bucks take on the Des Moines Menace in the other semifinal later in the day, with the winners meeting in the conference championship Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
The Chill “are well-coached, organized and a good team,” said United boss Martin Painter, whose club finished second in the Great Lakes Division during the regular season, with a record of 9-1-4.
“They have kind of been a perennial playoff team. We just have never met up with them.”
United is playoff-bound for the fourth straight season. The black and blue were bounced twice in the conference semis and won the PDL crown two years back.
Thunder Bay captured the Heartland Division title recently for the first time in four years, with a regular season record of 9-2-3. The Chill has qualified for the post-season party in 11 of the past dozen campaigns and last hoisted the league title in 2008.
“They have a very good reputation, so we’re going to play the game with a big respect for them,” said Chill skipper Giovanni Petraglia. “We know it’s going to be a tough game.”
Thunder Bay finished the season on a high, by going 6-1-1 in its last eight games, a stretch that included five clean sheets.
“We’re very strong defensively and that’s the main reason we won our division,” said Petraglia. “We improved daily and we work. We try to be as organized as possible.”
Keeper David Elias and centre backs Luca Mastrantonio and Mitch Osmond have been key in defensive zone coverage, while forward Adam Abdellaoui led the squad with five goals.
The club could receive a big boost for Friday’s tilt if injured Brazilian striker Sullivan Silva returns. The 2012 PDL most valuable player has been bothered by a nagging leg injury for most of this season.
United has also been hit by the injury bug. German brothers Janos and Jannik Loebe are out with ankle and knee issues, while solid defender Mathieu Laurent is sidelined with a broken thumb.
“Depth is probably not our strength right now, but we’re happy with how the players we do have look and we’ll be prepared,” said Painter.
The short bench took a toll down the stretch as United limped to the finish line with a 2-1-3 record over its final six games, after enjoying a blistering first half that included a seven-game win streak.
But rearguard Justin Springer isn’t worried. “We’re tough, young and fit,” he said. “We just hate to lose. It’s a new season starting. Four wins gets us another national championship and we all know that.
“The resiliency of this group is going to be a big factor in our success,” he added.