The school year is over, but soccer isn't going on vacation just yet. Men's, women's and youth teams will all be in action this weekend.
In adult play, eight men's St. Thomas Soccer Association teams will compete in a mini- league between Saturday and July 1. Games will be the regulation 60 minutes allowing unlimited substitutions but no re-entry into a game.
Play begins this weekend with two games Saturday and two more Sunday at the University of the Virgin Islands field. On Saturday the Antillean Strikers go up against the UWS Upsetters at 4:30 p.m., with the second game between SK United and Dadlie. On Sunday, it will be Waitikubali vs. Black Stars at 4:30, and Haitian Stars vs. MI Rock Masters in the second contest.
The mini-league champion team is to play the Garden Hotspurs, the second-ranked St. Kitts Premier Men's Division team, on St. Thomas on July 8. The following day, the Kittitian visitors will go up against an all-star St. Thomas team comprising at least 15 members from the eight teams taking part in the summer play.
Meantime, the St. Thomas Women's Soccer Association is continuing to hold practice at 5 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and at 4 p.m. Saturdays at the UVI field. The association plans to participate in a tournament on Tortola the weekend of June 17-18.
As for the younger set: The St. Thomas under-14 Peacemakers had planned to travel to St. Maarten this weekend for a tournament, but they received notice on Wednesday that the event has been postponed. Instead, publicist Tanya Ward Benjamin said, "they will attempt to use their energies" in a re-match with St. John's under-14 team in Cruz Bay Sunday at 3 p.m.
When the two teams met last Sunday, St. John emerged the victor, 4-3. The Peacemakers also played in a scoreless friendly game Wednesday at UVI.
Following Sunday's St. John contest, no further youth games are scheduled, although Benjamin said, "There may be some summer tournaments for particular age groups." Regular season practice is to resume at the end of the summer.
