Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Indoor Soccer Tournament

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jack Sanders
  • JBER PAO
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  Members of the 1st Squadron (Airborne), 40th Cavalry Regiment fought for and held onto their undefeated title after winning the indoor intramural soccer tournament Feb. 28.

The final game ended with a score of 7-6 against the 381st Intelligence Squadron team.
The intramural indoor soccer season started at Buckner Fitness Center in November, and all the practice and participation led up to the final game.

"It was a very well-played game," said Kyle Stetson, game referee. "Both teams played well and both were aggressive teams, which made a good game. I'm proud of both of them."

The game started off well for the 381st with the first goal, but it was answered quickly by the 1-40th. The point wasn't up long for the 1-40th since there was some dispute over the goal.

"The second goal shot bounced off the edge of the bar and it looked as if it went in and popped back out, so it became a controversial goal. That's why we reset it at the quarter line," Stetson said.

Both teams continued to fight for the lead and the championship.

The 381st's strength was their strong defense. The 381st goalie, Joseph Cerullo, stayed positive throughout the game despite having over 40 shots taken at him during the span of the game.

"I lost count after a while," the goalie said with a laugh.

With Cerullo as a defensive wall, the 381st was able to strike back against 1-40th, almost tying the game near the end.

The 1-40th team smashed through the 381st defense with an aggressive and relentless offensive.

They were able to keep the 381st on defense by utilizing their strong ball control. The 1-40th demonstrated their control with quick passes and a barrage of shots.

"We tried to just come out here and play together as a team and work hard like we've done all season," said Andrew Brinkman, 1-40th team captain and coach.

"It was a good game, we lost, but we all put 110 percent into it," Cerullo said. "We'll come back next year with the same group of guys, maybe a few more and who knows."