[ SOCCER ]
DEAN SENSUI / DSENSUI@STARBULLETIN.COM
Christine Tilley helped her dad, Ryan, with a hamstring stretch before the match. His team, Aloha United, was the only Hawaii squad to win yesterday.
Soccer vets
dealing with
Waipio heatHawaii squads start slowly
in National Veteran's Cup tourney
The players here for the National Veteran's Cup soccer tournament were greeted by a hot and sunny Hawaiian day accompanied by welcomed trade winds yesterday when competition began at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park.
Finding shade in the white tents dotting the sidelines and staying hydrated were as much concerns as the pregame stretching and jogging endured by the over-40, over-50 and over-55 men and women who were getting ready for game time by passing, trapping, heading and kicking a soccer ball.
Larry Frisoli, coach of the Mass United team in the men's over-40 premier division, said, "Man for man, I think we're as good as anyone here, but the heat will kill us. We only have 15 players."
Early in Aloha United's midday over-55 men's match, coach Vic Peters said, "Look guys, we're only 20 minutes into the game and I've already subbed everyone."
One of his players, Tim Owens, responded, "Don't worry, we're a second-half team."
Not bothered by the heat was 14-year-old Archer Scherer of Boise, Idaho, who six years ago designed the Veteran's Cup logo just before the first tournament was held. The grandson of Region IV commissioner Paul Scherer, Archer heard about the contest to design a logo and said, "I can do that."
"I started doodling on a napkin in a restaurant. It took two or three days to get it right because there were several ways to do what I had in mind," said Archer, whose work, chosen from among 15 entries, adorns tournament merchandise for the sixth consecutive year.
The Hawaii teams got off to a slow start yesterday, with Aloha United claiming the only victory. The first United goal was scored by Wendell Staszkow. He took a cross from Brian Tilley, spun around a Puget Sound defender, and beat the goalkeeper with a low, 20-yard shot inside the left post.
"I just love it. You saw the goal. What more is there to life," said Staszkow, who had triple-bypass heart surgery six years ago.
The following year, not satisfied with the pace of his recovery, he returned to soccer in a seven-a-side recreational league accompanied by his doctor's advice to take it slow. By 2001 he was back playing matches on regulation fields and helping International S.C. win two of the first three MISO Master's League titles.
The only eligibility requirement in this tournament is proof of age. When Tilley -- a resident of Shrewsbury, Mass., and a player for the New England Over The Hill men's over-50 team -- knew he was coming to Hawaii, he wanted to make sure he played as much soccer as possible. He went on the Internet, found the Aloha United page and sent an e-mail asking if Peters needed more players. The answer was positive and Tilley's double duty allowed him to set up Staszkow's goal.
Local Girlz, an over-40 women's team put together for the tournament, could not hold on to a 1-0 halftime lead and lost 2-1 to Copa di Vida from Washington.
"We drew from all the local teams and we're the only team where everybody is from Hawaii, born and raised," said Napu Jaurequi. "We're all so happy to be able to play in this tournament and to have more than one Hawaii team competing. I'm so glad I started out as a teenager and still enjoy the game."
Jaurequi played for He Kini Popo last year when that team lost the national championship match to Camp Springs, Md.
He Kini Popo, a team Veteran's Cup commissioner Tim Bush said was good enough to win the over-40 women's title Sunday, had a very disappointing match yesterday, losing to Northwest Connection out of Seattle 2-0.
This is the first year Northwest Connection players have been together as a team, although several have Veteran's Cup experience.
Pool play continues today with the semifinal matches set for tomorrow and the seven division championship matches scheduled for Sunday.
Notes: Stella Allen (Castle), Cathy Carey (Punahou) and Napu Jaurequi (Kalani), all competing in the tournament, played on boys teams in high school before girls teams were formed. .... There are 60 game officials working the tournament, including six teenagers brought in because of their progress as youth referees.
