NEWS
PRESS RELEASE: Xtreme Get 2009 Off to Good Start
CMFSC women pick up four wins in first week of season.
Monday, May 18, 2009 - The Coquitlam Metro-Ford SC Xtreme got the 2009 Pacific Coast Soccer League season off to a good start, as their Premier and Reserve squads combined for four wins out of five games over eight days. The Premier women won their two games over the long weekend, while the Reserves went 2-1 in their early week action.
The Reserves got things started last Saturday taking on Richmond SC away. The Xtreme overcame some early nerves and rust to take command in the second half to win by a convincing 4-1 margin. Marti Dumas (Surrey) led the way with a pair of goals, while Michelle Francis (Port Coquitlam) and Lauren Hendricks (Maple Ridge) added the singles.
On Tuesday evening the Reserves continued the early season roll with a solid 3-1 victory over North Shore Stars at Carson Graham in North Vancouver. Again, the Xtreme were slow to get going but sorted themselves out soon enough to get control of the match. Veteran striker Sarah Boulton (Pitt Meadows) accounted for all of the scoring, registering the hat trick.
The Xtreme machine derailed on Thursday night, however, as CMFSC faced their third straight road game, this time in Langley against the always tough Fraser Valley Action. Three games in less than a week appeared to have taken its toll on the group, as the Xtreme were disjointed and a step off from the opening whistle. This allowed the physical Action side to take control, and scored the only goal they would need early in the second half. The final score holding at 1-0 for Fraser Valley.
With the Reserve slate of games out of the way, the Premier group took centre stage with a pair of games on the long weekend. First, the Xtreme hosted North Shore Eagles. CMFSC showed surprisingly good form given it was their first match as a group. Despite some obvious rust on some players who hadn't played competitive match in weeks or months, the Xtreme played a tremendously effective team game, and were well deserving of the convincing 3-1 win. North Shore actually opened the scoring midway through the first half, but the Xtreme replied in the half's closing minutes when Lauren Lachlan (Port Moody) headed home a cross from Coquitlam's Jessica Fleming. In the second half, Deanna Palmieri (Burnaby) scored the winner, and Ari Adams (Maple Ridge) added the insurance.
On Saturday, the Xtreme welcomed first-year Premier side, Chilliwack SC, to the confines of Charles Best. This was a much tougher match, as the expansion Chilliwack group played with good intensity and were ready to work for the full 90 minutes. Both teams had quality scoring chances, as well as few near-misses in their own ends, but the difference was a single tally from first year player Marti Dumas, leading the Xtreme to a hard-earned 1-0 result.
CMFSC Xtreme general manager Scott Fletcher was pleased with the results over the week. "We wanted to get off to a good start, but we knew it would difficult. It was alot of games to play in the first week, particularly given the light training camp we had. I felt the coaching staff did a tremendous job of preparing the players, some of whom played in all five games, and the players as a whole did a good job responding to the challenge."
The CMFSC Xtreme continue play this coming weekend with a trifecta of games featuring the two squads. On Friday the Premier Xtreme will host the always tough and bitter rival, Fraser Valley Action (Friday May 22 - 7:30pm @ Charles Best). Then on Saturday afternoon, they travel to South Surrey to take on Semiahmoo SC (Saturday May 23 - 2:30pm @ South Surrey Athletic). Meanwhile, also on Saturday, the Reserve squads of the same two clubs will kickoff against each other at Charles Best (Saturday May 23 - 2:30pm @ Charles Best).
PRESS RELEASE: New Era for Xtreme Women
New club, new colours, new coach, same goals.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009 - The familiar red shirts are gone. Replaced by the even more familiar black and blue vertical stripes. The Pacific Coast Soccer League begins its 2009 campaign in earnest this weekend. And that means the beginning of a new era in local women's soccer, as the Tri-Cities Xtreme have become the Coquitlam Metro-Ford Xtreme.
Xtreme founder and long time manager Scott Fletcher returns as General Manager of the Xtreme. Fletcher also held the head coach post for the past two seasons, but has stepped aside in favour of local product and former Whitecap Alex Barnetson. Barnetson is a long time coach in the community, with CMFSC and the Whitecaps' Super-Y program. Barnetson will be assisted by former Xtreme captain Kristine Jack, who will move into the role as coach of the Reserve squad, as well as highly respected goalkeeper coach Dennis Kindel, who will serve as first-team assistant.
Fletcher is excited about the new relationship with CMFSC, and the potential this partnership has in terms of on field success, as well as promoting women's soccer in the community. "Coquitlam Metro-Ford represents one of the most progressive soccer clubs in British Columbia. Their youth teams are among the most successful on a year in, year out basis. And they consistently field senior teams that perform at an equally high level. That kind of commitment, combined with the legacy built by the Xtreme over the past half dozen years, will create an environment in which players and staff alike are more likely to be successful."
With regards to the coming season, Fletcher admits this season may be a challenging one, as the Xtreme are in their own version of a rebuilding year. "We're awfully young this year. We have lost a number of veteran players. Impact players such as Phebe Trotman, Sara Maglio and Rachael Pelat, to name just a few. But we're now counting on the next wave to step up out of their roles as up-and-comers and really grab those leadership roles. We're going to be looking at players like Lauren Lachlan (Port Moody) and Jackie Gant (Burnaby) to lead by example, to set the standard."
"Having said all that, I would put our player development over the past few years up against any other club," said Fletcher, who feels that there are a number of players from last year's "double" winning Reserve side who are ready to make the leap to the top flight. "I can see a number of players from last year's Reserve group taking on full time roles with the first team this year, and it won't be a step backwards. I can also see us bringing in a number of the younger players throughout the season."
Amongst the younger players who are expected to go to the next level is striker Michelle Francis (Port Coquitlam). The Terry Fox grad was the leading scorer in the PCSL Reserve Division last summer, and then followed that up with the same achievement in the BCCAA college ranks playing for Langara College. "Michelle is one of the quickest players in the League," said Fletcher. "But she's more than just quick. She has good touch on the ball, and a good sense of the game off it. She's also got a striker's mentality. She knows how to put the ball in the next. Michelle's a pretty quiet kid, but she's ruthless in the attacking third. I think last year we just saw a glimmer of what she has to offer. I am confident we'll see good things out of her this year."
Amongst the younger players who are expected to go to the next level is striker Michelle Francis (Port Coquitlam). The Terry Fox grad was the leading scorer in the PCSL Reserve Division last summer, and then followed that up with the same achievement in the BCCAA college ranks playing for Langara College. "Michelle is one of the quickest players in the League," said Fletcher. "But she's more than just quick. She has good touch on the ball, and a good sense of the game off it. She's also got a striker's mentality. She knows how to put the ball in the next. Michelle's a pretty quiet kid, but she's ruthless in the attacking third. I think last year we just saw a glimmer of what she has to offer. I am confident we'll see good things out of her this year."
Despite the changes, the focus on youth and the apparent rebuilding process underway, Fletcher says that one constant remains, and that is the goal is to win. "We go into this season with the same goals we've had every season. And that is League and Cup wins at both levels. Last year we pulled off the 'double' in the Reserve Division, but came up short with the Premier women (3rd place in League; losing Cup final in penalties to Victoria). We expect there to be considerable opposition from the likes of Victoria and the Whitecaps, and the PCSL is arguably the most competitive women's league in the province, top to bottom. It certainly will be a challenge, but it also should make for an exciting time as we move from game to game throughout the season."
The CMFSC Xtreme premier women begin the 2009 season when they play Surrey United on Wednesday May 13, at Cloverdale Athletic Park. The Reserves also open on the road, with a 2:30pm kickoff this Saturday May 9, at Minoru Park against Richmond. As for home openers, the Premier women host North Shore Eagles on Friday May 15, 7:30pm at Charles Best. The Reserves don't play at home until Saturday May 23, when they welcome Semiahmoo to Charles Best for a 2:30pm kickoff.
PRESS RELEASE: CMFSC Announce Head Coaches for 2009 PCSL Season
Plenty of experience in the trio chosen to lead CMFSC into new era for the club.
Sunday, February 8, 2009 - As a new era in Coquitlam soccer fast approaches with the coming 2009 Pacific Coast Soccer League season, Coquitlam Metro-Ford SC is pleased to announce the head coaches for our inaugural PCSL campaign. In 2009, CMFSC will field a trio of squads - two women's teams which will carry on the winning tradition of the Tri-Cities Xtreme, as well as new U21 Men's team that will represent Coquitlam's first entry into the historic PCSL men's circuit in decades.
For the two CMFSC Xtreme women's teams, there will be new faces running the show, as Scott Fletcher steps down after two years in charge of the Premier team, and one year with the Reserves. Fletcher will go back to his work behind the scenes as Coquitlam Metro-Ford's new coordinator for Premier Women's soccer, which will similar to the role he's performed for the Xtreme since their inception in 2003. Meanwhile, the new Under-21 men's team, which will play in the PCSL Reserve Division, will launch their inaugural season under the watchful eye of a coach who has been a fixture in the Coquitlam soccer community for almost two decades.
The three head coaches for the 2009 season are:
Xtreme Premier Women - Alex Barnetson
Alex Barnetson is a lifelong member of the Coquitlam soccer community, and for the last several years has been a dedicated member of CMFSC, both as a coach and an executive member. Barnetson brings a wealth of playing and coaching experience to the role of head coach. As a player, he played for Simon Fraser University, helping them to an NAIA National Championship in 1982. Then in 1983, Barnetson played professionally as a member of the Vancouver Whitecaps in the North American Soccer League. In his coaching career, Barnetson has several years experience with metro-level girls teams, including his current duties with the Under-15 CMFSC Kaos. He was also a coach in the Whitecaps youth development program, primarily with the Super-Y League teams. For the past three years, Barnetson has been a valuable part of the Tri-Cities Xtreme coaching staff, working mainly with the Reserve (U21) team.
Xtreme Reserve (U21) Women - Kristine Jack
Kristine Jack takes over the reins of the Women's Reserve (U21) team after three years as an on-field leader with the Xtreme's Premier squad. Jack is one of the up-and-coming women in the BC coaching ranks. If there was one word that could be used to define Jack's long playing career it would be "winner." As a player, she won National Championships with Capilano College (CCAA), UBC (CIS), Burnaby Girls (CSA Youth) and Burnaby Canadians (CSA Senior). She has continued that trend of championships in her coaching career, having spent the past five seasons as an assistant with Langara College, during which time the powerhouse program has won three CCAA National Championships.
Reserve (U21) Men - Garry Ayre
Coquitlam Metro-Ford's first PCSL men's team will be coached by one of the club's most successful coaches, Garry Ayre. He has coached 19 years with the club, having guided teams in men's premier, women's and boys' selects. Currently, Ayre is the head coach of the U18 Select Dynamo, and an assistant with the Premier Wolves. As a player, Ayre represented Canada at the Montreal Olympic Games in 1976, before beginning a professional career that started in Vancouver with the Whitecaps, followed by a stint with the famous New York Cosmos before finishing with Portland Timbers. With the Cosmos, he was part of the Soccer Bowl winning team in 1978, playing alongside the likes of Beckenbauer, Chinaglia and Alberto. His playing career also included stops with the Wichita Wings and Baltimore Blast of the Major Indoor Soccer League.