(Back, from left) Coach Diego Sztejman, Travis Hanns, Enzo Sztejman, Jonathon Moorse, Finn Bult, Riccis Ricon, Daniel Burn and team manager Peter Thompson; (front) Aadi Patel, Ollie Dellwo, Harvey Campbell, Jordyn Brain, Rocky Sztejman, Jack McGrillen, Nivedh Manuprasad Nair and Mitchell Thompson.
Adorned in their shiny new green and white striped uniforms, the first-ever Deniliquin District Soccer Club Under-12 representative team showed stamina, skill and sportsmanship at the Shepparton Cup at the weekend.
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Saturday morning started with tenacity as DDSC took on Oakleigh’s Twelfth Player Academy.
Two goals down at half-time, the team fought back, and Rocky Sztejman kicked two consecutive goals to tie the game.
Deni then came up against Keilor SC - and extremely well organised and experienced side.
Deni’s youngest players, including Aadi Patel and Harvey Campbell, showed fighting spirit, and despite some close scoring opportunities, the team came away with a hard loss, 0 to 6.
The third game was very even and showed off some incredible goalkeeping by Riccis Ricon (Red). It was 0 to 1 at half-time.
Deni came back in the second half, and it was looking like a celebratory draw until 10 seconds before the final whistle, Cobram managed to sink a goal and take the win.
Deniliquin needed a win on the second day to progress to the quarter finals.
A windy 9am start blew in some fantastic teamwork and strong defence against Berwick SC.
At halftime, the score stood at 0-0.
The boys found their mojo and smashed five goals in 15 minutes.
Rocky scored a hattrick, and Jordyn Brain scored two!
There was absolute elation from spectators and a well-deserved celebration for the boys, coach, manager and parents as Deni moved into the quarter-finals.
A fast-paced start against Keilor SC’s second U12s team kept the Deni players on their toes.
Down 0-1 at halftime, Jordyn scored a goal to even the board.
Unfortunately, the Purples out-powered Deni with a tactical goal, which Deni couldn’t answer.
Coach Diego Sztejman and team manager Pete Thompson would like to thank all the parents who went above and beyond to make it a smooth and memorable experience.
They not only prepared healthy food and transported equipment, but also showed up bright and early with high spirits and supported all the kids - on and off the field.
They are very proud of the players’ performances and know that the weekend was a good sign for things to come for the club’s youth players.
The array of emotions experienced through a draw, loss and a win gave the team members - who had only trained together for six weeks - a real taste of competitive soccer, and motivation to strive for more.
DDSC’s intention for 2024 is to set up more opportunities for representative soccer.
Players of all ages and genders are encouraged to stay tuned for upcoming try out opportunities, or to get in touch with the club to register interest.
Contact denijuniorsoccer@gmail.com or find Deniliquin District Soccer Club on Facebook for more information.
