Penalty burns Eddies in Minnesota
An early second-half penalty to FC Edmonton proved to be the difference in their North American Soccer League match Saturday against the host Minnesota United, as forward Simone Bracelello tapped in the only goal of the game past Eddies goalkeeper John Smits.
The 1-0 victory in front of 5,287 fans at the National Sports Center Stadium in Blaine, Minn. — undefeated Minnesota’s third of the season — puts United on top of the league table following Week 3 action, while Edmonton sits in last in the 10-team circuit.
And while the Eddies are still searching for their first NASL win of 2014 — they have one point from a draw in the season-opener two weeks ago against the Tampa Bay Rowdies — coach Colin Miller said he was pleased with his team’s performance.
“I thought the lads were terrific tonight.
“I don’t think we deserved to get beat,” Miller said in a media release.
“We missed a couple of very good chances and they didn’t seem to have as many as us.”
Edmonton returns home for a pair of games at Clarke Stadium this week — Wednesday’s return affair with Ottawa Fury FC in the Amway Canadian Championship followed by a league match Saturday, May 3, against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.
Saints lose rst two games at Western Canada Cup
The Spruce Grove Saints opened play at the Western Canada Cup in Dauphin, Man., with a pair of weekend losses.
Saturday’s tournament opener saw the Alberta Junior Hockey League champion Saints downed 4-2 by the host Kings, followed by a 3-1 loss Sunday to the British Columbia Hockey League’s best, the Coquitlam Express.
Also taking part in the fiveteam tourney are the Yorkton Terriers and the Winnipeg Blues, the champions of the Saskatchewan and Manitoba junior ‘A’ hockey leagues, respectively.
The round robin is followed by two semifinal games and a championship game. The Western Canada Cup winner and the runners-up will both represent the region at the RBC Cup, the national junior ‘A’ championship, next month in Vernon, B.C.
The Saints play again Tuesday against the Terriers.
Thunder edged in national women’s midget nal
Bailee Bourassa scored the eventual winner 1:50 into the second period as the Weyburn Gold Wings edged the Edmonton Thunder 2-1 for gold at the Esso Cup women’s midget hockey champion on Saturday in Stoney Creek, Ont.
Tessa Wilson opened the scoring for the Gold Wings with a goal off a pass from Caitlin Dempsey at 16:01 of the first.
Brett Campbell pulled the Thunder to within one goal, scoring on the power play at 7:01 of the second frame.
Weyburn goaltender Jane Kish made 29 saves for the victory. Edmonton’s Tracie Kikuchi turned aside 23 shots in the loss.
The Thunder reached the gold-medal final as the fourth and final playoff seed in the six-team tournament, downing the host and top-seeded Stoney Creek Sabres in a shootout in Friday’s semifinal courtesy a pair of goals by Jessica Healey.