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For the week of August 16 through 22, 2000

Park City collects Ketchum Classic title

Nips Lefty’s 3-2 OT in semi, Bayern 3-1 in finale


Park City (Utah) knocked off two challengers with dramatic, one-goal triumphs and swept unbeaten to the championship of last weekend’s 12-team Ketchum Classic men’s soccer tournament at Atkinson Park.

After beating Boise Blast 4-3 in a round-robin clash Saturday, Park City contained dangerous striker Dom Conti and ousted defending champ Lefty’s F.C. of Ketchum 3-2 in a sudden death overtime semi-final classic Sunday morning.

Park City (4-0 overall, 17-6 goals differential) saved one final rally for Sunday’s championship game, scoring three unanswered goals in the second half to outlast F.C. Bayern of Utah 3-1 for the Ketchum title.

Tournament organizer Kurt Funkhouser of Lefty’s said, "Park City deserved to win."

Lefty’s certainly deserved its two round-robin victories Saturday. The local team, youthful and talented and filled with confidence after winning the Jackson Hole tournament July 30, handled the Logan (Utah) Strokers 5-3 and dashed past The Attic from Seattle 5-1.

Conti, a scoring threat from the left or the right, scored five of Lefty’s 10 goals Saturday.

Against Logan, Lefty’s spotted the Strokers a 2-0 lead on a pair of James Johnsen goals in a two-minute span midway through the first half.

Lefty’s midfielder Scotty Jackson converted a header at 27 minutes, then Matt Brinker made a run through the Strokers defense and passed off to Victor Vandenberg, who finished in the box at 33 minutes and made it 2-2 at the half.

"We were unlucky several times in the first half," said Vandenberg. "We knew it was just a matter of time. Matt (Brinker) and Dom are so dangerous, all I have to do is get in position. That’s what happened on the tying goal."

Conti, sprung free along the right wing via passes from Brinker and Jackson, scored an amazing goal two minutes into the second half. Bearing down on the Logan keeper from the right, he had absolutely no angle—but Conti went to his left foot and hit net for a 3-2 lead.

Simon Brading scored the fourth goal on a Vandenberg pass at 53 minutes. After a Buddy Young direct kick brought Logan to within a goal at 4-3, Conti deked a Stroker defender and punched the ball past the near post for his second goal and the 5-3 final.

Later Saturday, Conti scored three goals and Lefty’s exploded from a 1-1 halftime game for a 5-1 win over The Attic. Michael Reed set up Conti’s first goal. Conti added two more after the half, while Brinker and Robin Sarchett accounted for the other goals.

The Ketchum defense spearheaded by sweeper Dave Skillman did a good job. Dates Fryberger and Ryan Bahoshy alertly cleared loose balls in the box to keep The Attic scoreless after intermission, and keeper Olin Glenne did the rest.

Saturday’s outcomes put Pool A winner Lefty’s up against Pool B champion Park City in Sunday’s semi-final. Park City had breezed past Portola Valley (Ca.) 6-1 prior to its 4-3 nailbiter over Boise Blast.

In the other two pools, F.C. Bayern won 3-0 over Fast Eddy (Utah) and 3-1 over The Rock of Utah to earn the Pool D distinction, while Pocatello won Pool C with a 2-1 triumph over Forest of Utah and 2-0 victory over Jackson Hole (Wyo.).

The Lefty’s-Park City meeting was a rematch of the recent semi-final contest at Jackson Hole that Lefty’s barely won 4-3—after building a 4-0 lead. This time, Conti scored in the first half, and Brinker’s second-half goal made it 2-1 Lefty’s.

But resilient Park City tied it 2-2 and won the game on a kind of "own goal" in sudden-death overtime—a long goal kick that somehow found its way into the Ketchum net and erased the Lefty’s title hope.

F.C. Bayern eliminated Pocatello 4-1 in the other semi-final to set up the all-Utah title clash. Winning Sunday’s consolation games were Boise Blast, Portola Valley and Fast Eddy.

Other Lefty’s players included Mike Stevens, Steve Fostvedt, Randall Usery and Scott McGrew.

The tournament was sponsored by Lefty’s Bar & Grill, Schoffel, Johnny G’s Subshack and Sun Valley Insurance.

 

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