Chill stay perfect

Practice makes perfect.

For the Thunder Bay Chill, the old adage has never been truer. Missing strikers Sullivan Silva and Sunny Omeregie, both sidelined due to injury, the Chill have had to invent ways to win.

On Saturday, like it’s been all season, it’s been the set plays that have delivered the victory, Thunder Bay’s third in three games to start the Premier Development League season.

Pedro Adan headed home a Paul Dillon corner kick to get the offensive ball rolling in the 31st minute at a soggy Fort William Stadium.
Dillon was front and centre in the second half, blasting home a free kick that fooled Des Moines Menace goalie Scott Angevine, securing the 2-0 win for the 3-0-0 Chill.

“Set pieces win games,” Dillon said. “I’ve seen them in international competitions that win World Cups. That’s why you practice them. Those are the things you can control and those are the things you can be good at.”

Dillon, a Virginia native, said the play he scored his second-half goal on is one he’s been working on all week.

“I’ve hit it before and these guys have enough confidence in me … so I stepped up and did it. I’m just glad I can contribute to my team.”
Make no mistake. Coach Tony Colistro would much rather have his strikers in the lineup contributing goals. Silva, of course, led the PDL in scoring a year ago.

But the veteran coach said it’s about making due with what he’s got. Not a bad start, by any means.

“It shows depth on our team and the willingness to play and still show we can win games is definitely important. Those are just the added benefits,” Colistro said. “Credit to Gavin (Hoy) and (Sergio Campano) who are mobile and quick and doing the part and making the job difficult for defenders right now.”

Getting the win over Des Moines, a long-time division rival, and taking first place back at the same time made it that much sweeter.
“We don’t want to drop any points early, especially at home. We don’t lose at home either. It’s huge, because we get three points and we take three points from them.”

Not that the Menace (2-2-1) didn’t have their chances.

They buzzed the Thunder Bay zone for much of the opening half before Adan stole their thunder away.

Forward Karl Chester broke free on Chill netminder Stephen Paterson n the 37th, but fired wide of the mark.

In the 44th, after the Chill successfully defended a pair of Menace corners, defender Jamie Vollmer fired a rocket that appeared destined for the top corner, only to have it graze the crossbar and harmlessly come to rest atop the net.

Their best chance in the second half came in the 63rd minute, when Husref Jupic’s free kick sailed high and wide of Paterson, who picked up his first shutout of the campaign.

The Chill will host the St. Louis Lions for a pair next weekend, though where they’ll play remains up in the air, with Tbaytel Field at Chapples Park remaining partially under water.