2006, March News Article

St. Charles 2006 3v3 Finals Report
The St. Charles 3v3 squad, St. Charles Celtics Club members, is delighted and excited to report a highly successful and entertaining tournament in the National 3v3 Championships at The Disney Wide World of Sports, Florida
 

The Team:
Forwards: Scott Sheen (coach), Brian Swindle, Anouar Shili, Kurt Tierney
Backs: Dominick Muzi, David Rout
 
The coaches’ planned strategy of acclimatization to the tournament conditions by arriving two days prior to the first game was welcomed and taken advantage of by the players who took their team preparation and camaraderie very seriously. This seemed to pay-off with the team achieving a more than respectable tournament final placing of 3rd in the nation.

Of all the teams entering the Championships Saint Charles had the lowest ranking. By the end of the competition St. Charles had disposed of the #1 ranked team in the group games and their only loss of the tournament was in the semi-final game at the hands of the #2 seed and eventual tournament winners, Kalts FC, WI.

The first day was a mixed affair with a comfortable 11-2 win against a very weak Kentucky side; St. Charles tournament top scorer Anouar opening his account with six. A disappointing casual 2-2 tie against Fusion, a team from Indiana which St. Charles had beaten comfortably beaten at the local and regional level, rounded off day one.

Having been woken up by dropping points to Fusion on the previous day, St. Charles set about the number one ranked team, in the nation, Terks from Texas, in a workman-like manner: Terks turned over the ball twice and St. Charles took full advantage with a 2-1 victory to leave the team top of the group and a quarter-final bye.

The buoyant St. Charles team, having beaten the #1 seed a day earlier, knew they could do the same against the #2 seed, Kalts FC in the semi-final on the third day. The team made their intentions known by taking and holding a 1-0 lead in the first half with a well worked goal from St. Charles’ player of the tournament, Kurt Tierney. Early in the second half Kalts came back with a good equalizing goal and then a few minutes later a very fortunate and apologetic second. St. Charles was now chasing the game and in doing so turned the ball over to allow the Kalts FC a decisive third.

The team rounded out the tournament by beating the tricky Pittsburg Utd. side, 6-4, for 3rd place. In the first half, five goals were shared between Sheen, Anouar, Tierney and Rout to take a 5-1 lead. However, St. Charles made heavy weather of the second half by conceding three unanswered goals and a penalty to Pittsburgh, before Anouar relieved the team’s anxiety with a late sixth goal to make the game safe.

Trophies in hand, which we will be added to the growing St. Charles trophy cabinet, the tired, but proud, veteran St. Charles players vowed to be back the following year for further 3v3 National Cup exploits.
 



Seated left to right, Anouar Shili, Kurt Tierney, Brian Swindle,
Dominick Muzi, Scott Sheen and David Rout
 

Game Results:
Group Games:
Result
Won 11-2
Drew 2-2
Won 2-1

Play-Off Bye
 
Opponent
Chaos 2, Winchester, KY
Fusion, Crown Point, IN
Terps, Frisco, TX
Goal Scorers
Swindle (2), Shili (6), Tierney (3)
Swindle, Shili
Shili (2)
Semi-Final:
Result
Lost 1-3
 
Opponent
Kalts FC, Milwaukee, WI
Goal Scorers
Tierney
3rd Place Game:
Result
Won 6-4
Opponent
Pittsburg United, PA
Goal Scorers
Sheen, Shili (3), Tierney, Rout


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