Eye on the prize

The disappointment of losing the Premier Development League final is still fresh in Nolan Intermoia’s mind.

The Thunder Bay Chill midfielder is back in 2011 for a chance at redemption, joining a returning core that includes PDL leading scorer Brandon Swartzendruber, assist leader Gustavo Oliveira, defenders Zetroy Robertson and Wilson Neto and goalie Stephen Paterson.

The returnees automatically make the Chill a favourite to return to the final, especially with the addition of midfielder Anthony Putrus, a star on the 2008 championship team, and Intermoia said he wants to make the most of the situation.

“Obviously Portland still sticks in my head,” Intermoia said on Saturday, the first day of Chill training camp, recalling the loss to the Portand Timbers U23s in last summer’s championship final.

“I want to get back there and redeem the city of Thunder Bay and our program because we are a quality team and we want to show that.”

Intermoia said he likes the team’s chances, though he doesn’t want overconfidence to lead to complacency during what promises to be a tough regular season schedule.

“Honestly, I think with everybody coming in, our depth is going to be our strongest feature,” he said. “I think no matter what lineup (coach) Tony (Colistro) puts on, teams are going to have to watch out.”

Swartzendruber, the key striker up front, said the team has to be aware that anything can happen out on the pitch, but given whose back with the team, there’s no reason the Chill shouldn’t find their way back to the playoffs the final weekend in July.

Still, there are no second chances in such a short season.

“Each person has a job to do and collectively as a team we can’t do our jobs unless we all do our individual jobs,” he said. “As long as everybody is taking care of business, we should be all right,” said Swartzendruber, a Colorado native in his fourth year with the Chill.

The goal is simple: bring home nothing less than a championship banner, or they haven’t gotten the job done.

He’s knows that the team’s success means there’s a huge target on their backs. He wouldn’t have it any other way.

“We’ve been to the final twice in three years, but I’d rather be that team than any other team. I’d rather be the team that everyone’s coming two play their best against,” he said. “They expect the best out of us and we’ve got to respect them, whether they’re the top of the table, right behind us or ahead of us, or at the bottom of the table. We’ve got to take every game seriously.”

Swartzendruber, Intermoia and Colistro are all pumped at the possibilities afforded by the return of Putrus, a feisty player who year in and year out proves he’s the heart and soul of the Chill, an in-your-face type who won’t back down from any confrontation.

“Obviously we’re bringing Anthony Putrus in for a leadership role, not only on the field, but off the field to keep everybody in line and giving us a little more depth in the midfield. That’s obviously good for us,” Colistro said.

“He’s a player who lives and dies by the sword. But you want those players, obviously for so many reasons. And obviously he is a competitor.”

Colistro said the team’s depth is what he hopes to push the Chill past teams like Portland, who ran the table in an undefeated 2010 season, but who lost their season opener this season. The team’s only coach – who also owns the franchise – Colistro he thinks he’s bolstered his backfield to provide quality replacements in case injury strikes as it did in last year’s final when Neto and Robertston were unavailable.

“Not having Zetroy and Wislon in the final last year definitely hurt us. We made sure if that were to ever happen again this year that we’ve got the players now to come in,” Colistro said.

The Chill begin their quest for a second PDL banner on May 28 on the road against WSA Winnipeg. They play a pair of exhibitions against Winnipeg SOI the following weekend, and host Des Moines on June 10 and 11 in the home opening series.