Hartland is home to soccer development
Soccer is not a beautiful game. It’s the beautiful game. It’s not a popular sport. It’s the most popular sport in the world.
Younes Bouida, northwest region technical director for Soccer New Brunswick, wants to help bring that popularity to the forefront in this neck of the woods.
“I came here to help develop soccer in northwest region. I know the region, I’ve been here before and I know what to expect. If we have a good program and we work hard on it we can bring soccer to a very good level.”
He knows the region because he came to Canada at the age of 18 from his native Morocco where soccer is a religion. He studied mechanical engineering at the Universite de Moncton and played soccer all the while.
In Morocco he played on a professional team in Casablanca. He describes this team as being the soccer equivalent in Morocco to the Montreal Canadiens in Canada.
He’s been playing soccer competitively since the age of 10 and he’s coached courses all over the world in France, Germany, Canada and his native Morocco. He’s seen the best soccer has to offer. He knows the game and he loves it with every fiber of his being.
“It went very fast, like a dream. When you go back to your home town to coach young players that go on to play at a professional level, it’s very exciting,” he says. “Four players I coached played in the U-20 semi-finals of the World Cup, so it’s good to see.”
Now he turns his sights on northwestern New Brunswick. Four localities have been chosen for the new regional development soccer program; Edmunston, Grand Falls, Saint Quentin and Hartland.
“There is a lot of potential here. There is a lot of space, as you can see, and that’s a big plus. In a lot of cities of the world and here in Canada, kids don’t have a lot of space to play in. Here we have all the space.”
Three age groups will be practising together. One group will involve youths under 10 and under 12. The second will be under 14 and the final group will be the under 16 and under 18.
“The kids here are very disciplined and energetic. They work very hard. If we can give them the opportunity to develop we will have a very good program. Good programs mean the organization, the technical aspects, everything and I expect good results.”
The autumn program starts in Hartland on October 20 and runs for 10 weeks. The winter program will run 15 weeks.
The Hartland Community School is opening its gym facilities to the program to provide young soccer stars- in-the-making an opportunity to continue playing even with heaps of snow on the ground.
“It educates them. It’s a part of education, sports, because not everyone is going to make it on professional teams but we can have some good players. We can have some players make it to provincial teams and hopefully have players make it on the national team. Why not?”
As soccer grows in popularity in Canada and specifically in New Brunswick, winter practising will help even the playing field with other countries that can practise year-round in warmer climates.
“The main purpose is to give young soccer players a chance to play on a year-round basis. Because everybody knows if we increase the volume of training it’s going to affect the abilities of the players (positively). It’s as simple as that.”
But like an aspiring musician, it’s not only about the practice in the presence of the coaches and teachers. To truly perfect the craft, it needs to be done on an individual basis.
“They can add to it. They have to practise by themselves. We’re going to give them goals and targets and they can practise to achieve these goals— like skills tests, physical tests. It’s two practices per week, but hopefully they’ll go and practise on their own with their friends,” Bouida said. “Every good musician practises by himself. It’s not about the classroom.”
The classroom aspect provides the basics and guidance necessary for the player to know what direction to take when practising when alone or with friends.
To determine how the kids are doing and what can be improved, Bouida will provide progress reports at the end of the autumn session so the students know what areas need work and what areas they have excelled at.
“It’s technique. The technique and to make it enjoyable. We want them to play a lot, increase the volume of playing. That’s the secret,” he says. “Every player in this program will have a report and see how he or she will develop in each aspect. It’s an evaluation. It’s still fun but it’s good to see how you can improve.”
Bouida says soccer is the most played sport in the country with approximately 900,000 people participating. The goal set by Canadian soccer organizations is 1 million by 2013.
He recognizes soccer will never overtake the popularity of hockey and he doesn’t think it should. Soccer is not here to compete with hockey; if anything they are complementary.
“In all other countries there are two or three popular sports. It’s a good sport to have to develop some other abilities you can use even in hockey. The level of fitness in soccer is very high and you can use that in hockey.”
Soccer maintains an international appeal unmatched by any other competitive sport. It forms a national identity in many pockets of the world.
While hockey may be the king in Canada, soccer could easily be its knight in shining armour. Especially considering how accessible it is for everyone.
“It’s also a game where everyone can start. Everyone can kick a ball. There are different ways of course but it’s not like skating. I never skated before so if I go to an arena and I want to play hockey it’s going to be hard. Plus the equipment isn’t that expensive.”
This article originally appeared in the October 10 edition of the Carleton FreePress
Slammers retire Dan Dooley’s jersey then they command the Commandos
The Woodstock Slammers welcomed home a familiar face Friday night prior to the start of the second home game of the season, against the Dieppe Commandos. Former captain Dan Dooley was honored as the team hung his number 6 from the rafters, the first number the Slammers have retired in team history.
Dooley played three seasons for the Slammers before enrolling at Brock University this September.
“It’s nothing I’ve ever really dreamt about. I’m almost a loss for words but it’s a great honour. It was a blast playing here for three years and it’s great to see hard work paying off.”
Coach Jason Tatarnic was all smiles talking about his former captain and what he meant to the Slammers franchise.
“He’s a special person. I’m not going to lie, I’m a big Dan Dooley fan. He’s done a tremendous amount for our organization and he’s done a tremendous amount for me. I’m not going to lie or fake it, he’s been a big part of our success.”
It was an emotional evening, spirits were high and it translated into the play on the ice. Brogan Bailey scored just 32 seconds into the opening frame on assists from Brad Jackson and Todd Cusack to give the Slammers an early lead.
Following the goal, Peter MacIntosh was called for a hooking penalty opening the door for the Commandos to get back into the game, and they capitalized.
Defenseman Mike Ford and forward Kelan Herr set up Captain Ryan Stoddard who scored the equalizer at 2:16 setting the tone for a high energy contest.
Mike Connolly put the Slammers on top at 6:19 from Shane Innes and Mitch Flynn.
Heading to the locker room the Slammers clung to a 2-1 lead after a tight first period; two shots separated the teams as momentum didn’t seem to slide in either team’s favour.
The Slammers applied pressure, looking for blood in the second period. With an early power play, Kyle Chagnon ripped a point-shot off the post. He beat goalie Wendell Vye but couldn’t fool the metal.
The Slammers kept possession inside the Commandos zone, cycling the puck efficiently and it paid off at 3:44 when Peter MacIntosh made up for his first period penalty on a cross-net pass from Brad Jackson.
The Commandos got into penalty trouble again later in the period. With a man already in the box for a too-many-men-on-the-ice infraction, Stoddard was called for hooking.
Todd Cusack took advantage with a rifling shot, tipped by John Chayka past Vye’s right side with two seconds remaining on the first penalty to keep the power play alive.
Up 4-1 with a minute left to play in the second period, the game seemed eerily similar to the home opener, when the Slammers had the Summerside Western Capitals on the brink of defeat only to allow a momentum-changing goal in the final seconds of the second period.
Woodstock goalie Curtis Black didn’t let history repeat itself. He
dropped to his side and flipped his legs up in the air with the ease of a skilled breakdancer.
“There was one in the second (period) on a rebound where I got flopping around and somehow got it with my skate. A little luck doesn’t hurt once in a while,” Black said after the game.
Black continued his stellar play into the third period stopping all ten shots to secure the victory for the Slammers and earning him first star honours.
“I felt really good today. The guys helped out around the net with rebounds, clearing them out or put them in the corner so it makes it a lot easier for me,” he said.
The Commandos were visibly frustrated. Donnie Churchill planted Patrick Ryder face-first into the boards for a cross-checking penalty. Jackie Ray Bernard followed it up by fighting Bobby Christie in a short-lived tussle that went to the ice almost immediately.
“We just didn’t compete hard enough,” Commandos coach Troy Dumville said. “Sometimes guys try to rely on (individual) skill too much and tonight was one of those nights. We got beat to a lot of loose pucks.”
The frustration didn’t help. The Commandos lost cohesion and couldn’t generate many legitimate scoring opportunities down the stretch as the game slowly went out of reach.
“We’re struggling a little bit with our chemistry on the ice and it starts to show, the frustration starts to grow. We’ve got a lot of work to do, we’re happy with where we’re at but we have a lot of work to do to get better.”
For the Slammers, the victory was a sort of vindication for the opener. Tatarnic
said the team played a full three periods Friday night and didn’t give the Commandos a chance to regroup.
“There’s not too much we let slide here tonight,” Tatarnic said. “They’re big men, they know what cost them the game last week at home. They learned from their mistakes.”
Before the season one of the primary goals set by Tatarnic was to create a more explosive offensive attack. The Slammers have so far been able to do that scoring 11 goals in the first three games of the season.
“I think we have a nice hockey team here. It’s a very skilled team, it’s a fast team and they can create (chances). If you want offense you need to be creative. You’re not going create offense by dumping the puck in the corner every shift.”
The rest of the weekend wasn’t as favourable for the Slammers. They lost their second game against
Dieppe 4-3 in a shootout. Brogan Bailey scored twice as the Slammers again outshot its opponent 41-22.
The Slammers led half-way through the third period before Andrew Joudrey scored the equalizer with just over 12 minutes to play. Andrew Taylor and Willie Harvey scored in the shootout to give the Commandos the edge.
This article originally appeared in the September 23 edition of the Carleton FreePress
The undefeated Amherst Ramblers kept to its perfect record defeating the Slammers 3-1 on Sunday afternoon wrapping up a busy weekend for Woodstock. Brogan Bailey scored the lone Woodstock goal.
The Slammers return home to play the Summerside Western Capitals on Friday. Game time is 7:30.
2008 Maritime Cup was a windy affair Woodstock’s Gary Melanson was in it
Just be the ball, be the ball, be the ball. You’re not being the ball Danny.
(Ty Webb, Caddyshack)
It’s the annual Maritime Cup. Three teams representing Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick facing off for golf supremacy in the Maritime Provinces.
Last weekend, the Summerside Golf Club hosted the event and the home team prevailed.
Woodstock golfer Gary Melanson was on the New Brunswick team.
The P.E.I. team won its first Maritime Cup since the tournament began in 2000. The Island led after the opening 18 holes, receiving five points in best-ball play on Saturday morning.
Saturday afternoon wasn’t any different. The PEI golfers scored seven and a half points in alternate shot play to extend its lead. Nova Scotia scored six and a half after getting only a lowly single point in the morning action.
Sunday was singles match play day and Nova Scotia poured gasoline on the fire, scoring a whopping 16 points to finish the tournament at 23 and a half points. P.E.I. squeaked by with 11 and a half points in singles match play to win it all by just half a point.
New Brunswick finished a distant third with 15 and a half points.
“It’s (about) the camaraderie but also the competitiveness,” said Melanson. “It’s getting the players better prepared for national events, getting to play against different people than your own provincial guys.”
Melanson, 54, said the loss does not weigh on him because the tournament— and competitive golf in general—is about more than just winning.
“It’s a lot of fun. This year we had a little trouble getting our team organized. Part of it was miscommunication, our captains changed a couple times. With the passing of Mel Murray this year there was a bit of a down feeling in the province as it was so some of the guys didn’t get into it.”
Murray was one of the original organizers of the tournament on the New Brunswick side.
The New Brunswick team had trouble bringing a full roster to the tournament. Many would-be players had already committed to playing at the Estabrooks Cup in Edmunston in two weeks and could not dedicate the time to play in both.
The Estabrooks Cup, similar to the Ryder Cup and Maritime Cup, is a match play event pitting two teams of 12 made up of the best golfers from northern and southern New Brunswick.
At the tournament, Melanson will be playing and discussing with other participants ways to generate a more competitive field at the next Maritime Cup.
“Right now, we’re trying to revitalize interest in the Maritime Cup, get some sponsors and identify how to get the teams ready and what time of year to play. We’re thinking early in the season, June or so, before everybody gets into the competitions because everyone is eager to play after a long winter. It takes away from the September, iffy weather. We teed off one morning and it was pretty chilly.”
The weather started smoothly on the practice round, setting players up for a shell shock over the weekend.
“We played a practice round and it was dead calm,” said Melanson. It was easy, simple. A bunch of us went out and I shot under-par, which I hadn’t done in a while so I was feeling pretty good. Then you go out the next day and the wind is blowing at about 30 to 35 miles per hour and you’re thinking ‘oh boy, this ought to be fun’.”
Another goal is to get the younger players involved in the tournament. Melanson says there were three people over the age of 55 on the New Brunswick team.
“That’s good, but we really want to target the younger players to get them more competitive,” he said. “Sean Kee and Wade Girdwood (who golf out of Hartland) were both invited to play but unfortunately they couldn’t make it. They’re both younger players and good players, both in their 30s.”
The three main deterrents to some invitees from taking part in the tournament are time, cost and travel. Melanson had the longest distance of the team to travel this past weekend, driving from Woodstock to Summerside. Because of the distance, he had to leave before the closing ceremonies.
Melanson said despite the struggles it was an enjoyable end to a productive golf season.
“It was in excellent shape, the golf course was just super,” he said. “(This year) I didn’t play quite as well as I did last year, but I didn’t play terrible either. I was 21st or so at the (New Brunswick) amateur. I came 20th in the player year points. I came second at the mid-amateur and I won the mid-masters, which is for the 40 and over group.”
For the veteran golfer, 2009 will bring a new set of challenges.
“Next year I turn 55 so I get to play in the Seniors and I think I can be pretty competitive Provincially and Nationally at the Senior level. My goal is to play the amateur, the mid-amateur, the Seniors and the Barrett (Amateur) in one year.”
The Barrett Amateur is sponsored by Barrett Corporation and fields competitors from all over the world. Melanson says he has played in the tournament each of the last seven years but says it will be harder to get a spot when he obtains his senior status.
The Estabrooks Cup will wrap up the New Brunswick season and golf will be in the hole until spring.
Tensions boil over at Slammers-Summerside rematch
That escalated quickly. I mean that really got out of hand fast!
-Ron Burgundy (Anchorman)
Tension built from before even the opening face-off and didn’t end until nearly everyone from both the Woodstock Slammers and Summerside Western Capitals had their gloves off.
Friday night’s rematch of the home-opener had the same sense of rivalry, but the tiniest thing would set a player off. If only the fans could hear what players say.
Scott Bragg and Steven Brazil were each given 10-minute misconducts to start the game, a bad omen.
The tempo picked up fast. Both teams were able to take the puck down the ice with very few shots on goal. At 3:56, Brad Smith scored to give the Capitals a 1-0 advantage, something coach Kenny MacDougall has been waiting for.
“We’re really trying to concentrate on getting off to better starts and I thought we did that here.”
Will Johnston nearly made it 2-0 a minute later, going across the net. Woodstock goalie Jordan Bent was able to deflect the puck and then dove out of the net on top of it to freeze play.
After the initial back-and-forth, the Slammers needed to regroup being outshot 8-2 less than halfway through the first period.
Defenseman Kyle Chagnon took matters into his own hands. He slapped a heavy point shot past the Summerside keeper to even the score and seemingly shift momentum going into intermission.
The momentum didn’t last. 2:13 into the second period, Western Cap Neil Sherren slid a power-play goal between the legs of Bent.
Under pressure, the Slammers again looked to Chagnon. Another point shot, same result. He lobbed a shot that floated like a grenade over the shoulder of the Summerside goalie.
The tie would not last.
The puck ended up in the Woodstock net after a confusing scramble. Too many bodies directly in front of the net, Bent couldn’t locate the puck in time to freeze it. After another soft goal, Curtis Black replaced him in net.
The Slammers played flat in the opening two frames and looked determined to make up for it in the opening minutes of the third. The Slammers dominated possession, rarely allowing the puck to be cleared.
John Chayka fired a one-timer into the chest of the goalie. Face-off in the Summerside zone. The puck went to Michel Querry and he bounced it in the net at 5:24. A one goal game.
At 9:41 the crowd came alive. ‘Go Slammers Go’ chants filled the stands.
Donovan gets a breakaway chance late, but couldn’t put the puck in the net. Shane Innes and Brad Jackson were robbed of goals in the final minutes before the ensuing brawl fiasco.
A solitary fight broke out in mid-ice. The rest of the players stood off to one side and watched, mouthing off at one another. Then one of the Western Capitals skated by the Slammers bench and spiked one of Woodstock’s players with the butt end of his stick.
Benches cleared. Helmets flew. Suspensions were levied.
“I think both teams are full of highly competitive players playing close games. It’s Junior hockey. From time to time emotions are going to spill over and you just hope no one gets hurt in something like that and hopefully no one did,” Capitals coach MacDougall said.
MacDougall didn’t see what started the brawl.
“I missed it too,” he said. “I saw two guys fighting on the ice and then between the benches something (happened) between their goalie and one of our players involving a physical incident.”
Slammers coach Jason Tatarnic was looking at the positives after the ice was finally cleared.
“Yeah, I thought our guys played real well. We had a terrible start and then played real well. We had some chances to score, the puck was bouncing here and there looking for a break.”
Some bad luck can go a long way as none of the goals against the Slammers seemed to be clean shots. Each ended after a cluster of players in front of goalie Jordan Bent bounced the puck around eventually converting.
“We turned the puck over in the wrong areas and that always comes back to haunt you. It did for four goals,” Tatarnic said.
Adam Donovan, Bruno Gosselin, Peter MacIntosh and Scott Bragg are all indefinitely suspended until review of the video of the game. Capitals players Brendan Wright, Daniel Whelan, Greg Paynter, Josh McKinnon and Will Johnston are also suspended.
The final score was 4-3.
Fighting is part of hockey bench-clearing brawls are not
Fighting is a part of hockey. It always as been and it always will be.
It’s a celebrated feature in hockey video games and the fans in the stadiums cheer when their hometown boy knocks his opponent to the ice.
Last Friday, a line was crossed.
At the end of the Slammers home game against the Summerside Western Capitals one fight escalated into a brawl at the drop of a hat and nine suspensions were levied as a result.
This should not be a part of hockey.
Blame could be laid somewhere, but unless you’re a player involved with the fracas the exact cause is impossible to determine. What was apparent is that a player of the Capitals jabbed his stick under the ribs of a Slammers player and the benches emptied. That is exactly what happened. I am an eye witness.
The game was over. The players should have been on their way to the dressing room but instead it turned into a melee.
Someone could have been seriously hurt—and for what? How did this brawl make it a better hockey game?
It didn’t.
It was an embarrassing event for everyone involved and the suspensions are deserved.
It was the second meeting between the Slammers and the Capitals in Woodstock this season. The first game was full of trash talk from both sides and it wasn’t simply forgotten after the heat of the moment. It spilled over to last Friday night.
These teams hate each other and it should be a great rivalry. Instead it turned into a bush-league farce where no one came out smelling like roses.
Instead of pummeling opponents with fists after the final score has been tallied, move on. Prepare for the next game. Be professional.
This brawl did not solve a thing, it only escalated the animosity these teams feel for each other. The only way to really come out on top is to win the next game and keep your mouth shut.
Hockey is an emotional game, but it’s not an exception in the sports world.
Football is a violent game. There is pushing and shoving, but how often does it come to blows?
The only time a fight happens in baseball is when a pitcher hits a few batters, is accused of headhunting and the batter charges the mound.
That doesn’t happen every game or even every week.
Fighting is a staple of hockey and within the right context it can be accepted. When two players agree to the fight during the game, a fight can be understandable.
After the whistle it loses any context where a fight can be acceptable. And a brawl never belongs in hockey or any sport.
In boxing and mixed martial arts, the fights are arranged with a set of rules. It is not a free-for-all. It is one-on-one. And, oddly, the combatants are rarely mad at each other.
Hockey is a great game, and the Slammers are a solid team. The players came back the next night, held their heads high and proved that winning is the only priority. Sure the Restigouche Tigers are winless and can’t score goals, but the Slammers needed to make a statement.
The fans got into it last Friday.
Several people were yelling at the Summerside assistant coach as he left the ice. Profanity spewed from their lips, accusing his team of taking cheap shots. Someone even threw an empty French-fry box at him.
That’s wrong, too.
Yes you love your team, but draw the line between fan and fanatic. Do not get involved with the opposing side as the players and coaches leave the ice. It never looks good.
A professional code of conduct is not only necessary for coaches and players; it should apply to fans as well. You are all representatives of your community. Act with pride.
The brawl was one of those freak occurrences that will likely not happen and certainly should not happen again any time soon at the Carleton Civic Centre.
The Slammers play the Capitals in Summerside on November 2 and again in Woodstock on November 29. The aftermath should make for an interesting series of games as long as both teams focus on the game and not on the trash talk and cheap shots.
These are young men still growing up. The maturing process should not be absent from the game.
This column originally appeared in the October 3 edition of the Carleton FreePress
