lednesday, October ‘Blues’ pressure too much for Cap College wins 4-1 GAME OF THE WEEK CAPILANO COLLEGE hammered out a 4-1 victory Saturday over Malaspina College as the top two teams in the BCCAA women’s soccer league met at Capilano College in the final game of the regular season. By A.P. McCredie Sports Reporter The league-leading Capilano Blues (5-1-0) had lost just one game going into the match against the strong, undefeated Malaspina College team (3-0-2). At stake was first place bragg- ing rights, and more importantly, the chance to face the fourth- place team in the opening round of the playoffs, beginning Nov. 6. The second-place team meets the third-place team in the playoffs. The first half of play showed why these two teams are ranked in the top five in the country (Capilano No. 3, Malaspina No. 4). Both showed consistent goalkeeping and strong midfield passing, though the edge in op- portunities around the goal was clearly in Capilano’s favor. The only good scoring chance in the first half for Malaspina came on a corner kick. The Malaspina cross evaded all the Capilano de- fenders, and only a mishit ball by a Malaspina player prevented what was a sure goal. The remainder of the offensive action in the first half belonged to the Blues, in particluar the skilled playmaking of forwards Silvana Burtini and Karen Davis (a former Handsworth secondary school player). Davis, the speedy left-winger, in BCCAA women’s soccer league season finale A i a Rew ante Bo NEWS photo Nail Lucente CAPILANO BLUES forward Silvana Burtini dekes a Malaspina College defender in BSCCAA senior womens’ soccer action fast Saturday at Capilano College. Burtini troubled Malspina players ali game, scoring one of Capilano’s geals in their season ending 4-1 victory. continually shock off would-be tackles and crossed balis to the equally fast Burtini. Some excellent play by the Malaspina keeper was all that kept the charging Blues off the scoreboard in the first half. Capilano midfielder Maria Grieco had the best scoring chance in the half, hitting a hard low shot from the 20-yard line, but a sprawling grab by the Malaspina goalie kept the ball out of the net. Malaspina was saved by a strong defensive showing in the first haif. Their offence, however, did not fare as well. Their defenders and midfielders controlled the ball and made long passes up the middle and both sides, but the Malaspina forwards had no luck in tracking down the passes. Also, covered well whenever came over midfield. As the whistle sounded to end the first half, the Blues were once again threatening, swarming the Malaspina defence. The Malaspina team were for- tunate to go into the second half the Capilano defence the ball with a scoreless tie. As the second half began, the Blues quickly re-established the pace and pressure they demon- strated in the opening 45 minutes. But as happens so often in spert, the team that seemed to be on the ropes stunned the dominating side. Five minutes into the second half, Malaspina forward Tanya Hughes took a pass at midfield in stride, deked one Capilano de- fender, outran another, then hit a low hard shot past Blues goalie Lisa Archer. ated 28, we Tiyt whee 1992 — North Shore News - 19 the the the FoNowing the goal, Malaspina team grabbed game’s momentum from deflated Capilano team. But a corner kick at the 15- minute mark put the teams even once again as Grieco headed the Capilano corner into the yawning Malaspina goal. Two minutes later, Blues mid- fielder Kim Bourbonais (a Handsworth graduate and a first team North Shore All-Star in 1992) took a pass from the right corner and one-timed a hard shot into the left corner of the Malaspina goal, putting the Blues up by a goal. The Blues’ two quick goals took any fight out of Malaspina, and the Bives continued to apply pressure on the Malaspina de- fenders. Capilano’s third goal came when forward Johanna Short played a good ball into the Malaspina goal area, and with de- fenders standing around, Burtini put one past the stingy Malaspina goaltender. In the dying minutes of the game, Natasha Budai (chosen to the first North Shore Al{-Star team in 1992 out of Argyle) skilfully chipped a shot over the Malaspina goalie to give the Blues a season-ending 4-1 victory over Malaspina. With the regular season over, the Blues are now preparing for the provincials, then the nationals at John Abbott Coilege in Quebec from Nov. 12 to 15. Capilano will face Douglas Col- lege, and Malaspina will piay Vancouver Community College in the opening round of provincial playoff action. The Capilano team is sponsored by Curtis Lumber, but desperately needs more sponsorship to help defer travel and accommodation expenses for the provincial and national competitions... If you would like ic help this hard-play- ing team, call team manager Karen Smith at 669-7111, ext. 275. Winning atmosphere big part of Blue Jays’ success BCTV’S JOWN McKeachie wasn’t surprised that Toronto Blue Jays’ vice-president and general manager Pat Gillick returned his phone call last Sunday night and went ‘“‘live’’ for a couple of minutes to talk about the previous even- ing’s success in Atlanta. Think about it: Gillick, the ar- chitect behind the Blue Jays’ phe- nomenal achievernents, wouldn’t have managed any more sleep than his players who celebrated their World Series victory into the small hours of Sunday. Then there was the long and painful (as in hangover) trip home from Georgia before getting ready for Monday’s downtown ticker- tape parade. Yet, even with the three hours difference in time zones, Gillick made himself available to chat with McKeachie for the benefit of a television audience 3,000 miles away. **] knew he’d come through,” McKeachie said after the show. “Be did the same thing for me after Toronto won the American League championship against Oakiand. Pat’s just that kind of a Greg S The very words ‘‘consistency’’ and ‘‘continuity’® are a big part of Gillick’s vocabulary ... a big part of the reason the Blue Jays are the only team in major league baseball that has won more games than it has lost for 10 consecutive seasons. Gillick and Canadian-born Paul Beeston, president and chief exec- utive officer of the Blue Jays, were hired in 1976, the year be- fore Torento and Seattie joined the American League. Today they are still surrounded by original employees that include Bob Prentice, the club’s director of Canadian scouting; Howard Starkman, public relations direc- tor; George Holm, director of stadium and ticket operations; and Len Freilich, manager of field operations. “We treat our people well so they'll stay, take pride in their jobs and be motivated to work hard,’ Gillick says. At. least once a season every member of the Jays’ front office full-time staff travels to games in another city on the team’s chartered airplane. This year the staff, with wives and/or husbands or mates, travel- led to Oakiand for the AL cham- pionship series, then to Atlanta for the World Series. Not only has Gillick established an atmosphere of stability at field level, the same applies throughout the entire organization. Where the Mariners have strug- gled through changes in owner- ship, presidents, general managers and field managers — not to men- tion playing personnel — con- sistency and continuity have worked magic for the Blue Jays machine that has sold more than four million tickets for baseball at the SkyDome two years in a row. Neil A. Campbell of The Globe and Mail recently wrote: ‘*Ob- viously, it is the players who have achieved this winning atmosphere. The on-field heroes include mil- licnaires such as outfielder Joe Carter, designated hitter Dave Winfield, infielders Roberto Alomar and pitcher Jack Morsis. “But they are the mercenaries in this battle for baseball ex- cellence, a gradually changing east. It is men such as Mr. Gillick and Mr. Beeston who have created the relaxed climate that has allow- ed everyone — from scouts to coaches, from ticket seilers io marketers — to do their jobs with confidence.”” A lady friend of mine, with ties in Eastern Canada, tells the delightful story of how the Blue Jays romanced their original season ticket holders back in those early years of the late 1970s. “Before the start of each season,’ she recalls, ‘‘someone from the Jays’ front office would phone the season ticket subscrider and make an appointment for the delivery of their tickets. “Incredibly enough, the delivery would be made by two Blue Jays players, whe not only dropped off the tickets but also a beautifully gift-wrapped package of the team’s souvenir items that includ- ed things like baseball caps, T- shirts, player posters and a per- sonalized schedule. “At every level of business, it was the talk of Toronto.”’ The Blue Jays, who incidentally will play a coupie of exhibition games early next April at B.C. Place Stadium, are a class act. Chalk it up to consistency. And continuity.