Looking back

Sicelo Buthelzi says he’s still in denial.

The Thunder Bay Chill fullback said Friday’s loss in the semi-final Premier Development League game to the eventual championship winning Kitsap Pumas was a hard loss for the team.

"It was a really tough game," Buthelzi said Monday at Chapples Soccer Park. "We just couldn’t hold it up."

Even though the Pumas were both technical and physical on the pitch, the Chill took the lead in the 34th minute from a penalty kick goal from Gustavo Oliveira. The goal gave the team reason to be excited, as it was only the third allowed by the Pumas at home this season.

But the lead couldn’t be sustained. The Thunder Bay club missed some golden opportunities, including a shot off the cross bar that could have helped the Chill inch their way toward victory. But the Pumas were eventually able to finish their chances, which led to the Chill losing 3-1.

Watching strikers miss chances like that in a do-or-die game can be upsetting, but sometimes luck is just not on your team’s side, Buthelzi said.

"It’s just unlucky that it happens like that."

Still, Buthelzi said the team is lucky to have had the success it’s had.

Since its beginnings a decade ago, the team has reached the semifinals three times and in 2008 won the championship. Some teams have been in the PDL for 20 years and have yet to make the playoffs.

The Chill should be proud of its accomplishments to date and understand that the season was still a success despite the playoff loss, Buthelzi said. He wants to come back next year.

We have a good spirit in the team. Thunder Bay is a good place to be as well," he said. "It just brings you back here. You just always want to come back."

Head coach Tony Colistro said its players like Buthelzi who have made the club so successful. While it’s disappointing that the team didn’t win the championship, it’s because the team had such a successful year that everyone expects them to win.

"We didn’t get that this year so that’s where the disappointment comes," Colistro said.
Colistro believes the Chill gave the Pumas a good match. And the fact that the Pumas went on to win the PDL championship the next day showed that the better team won on Friday.

"We knew we were in for a tough match," Colistro said.

But the coach added that he hopes the league changes the final-four system for next season. Giving players less than 24 hours to recover between games makes for tired matches, and the Pumas did appear exhausted when they faced the Laredo Heat.

Colistro said he didn’t believe it was the same team the Chill faced the night before. And with the Chill travelling for 16 hours or more to get to the quarter-finals one weekend and then the west coast the next, their legs weren’t in top shape either.

"It’s one of the things that needs to be addressed with the league."