CE wins third straight championship

  • Published
  • By Gary Rogers
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  The 100th Civil Engineer Squadron won their third straight RAF Mildenhall Intramural Indoor Soccer Championship with a resounding 8 -1 victory over the 352nd Special Operations Group at the North Side Fitness Center, May 20, in what was a repeat of last year's final.

Aaron Cooper, who scored the winning goal last year, was again the key player, this time scoring four stunning goals.

The game started slowly with both teams finding it difficult to create any openings, but on 7 minutes, Geoff Gough found himself alone at the far post to slide the ball home for CE's first goal. Then 3 minutes later, Aaron Cooper scored the best of his four goals with an unstoppable shot that flew past Kenneth King into the top corner. CE added a third when Gough's neat pass found Cooper, whose sweet strike with his left foot this time found the back of the net.

Jhonatan Cardenas did give SOG some hope of revival before half-time, when a nice show of individual skill gave him time and space to send the ball past Barry "The Cat" King.

Half time score: 100th CES 3 - 352nd SOG 1

The first chance of the second half fell to the 352nd SOG and this, as it turns out, was their last opportunity to get back in the game, as minutes later Gough latched onto a pass from George Lebeau to score CE's fourth goal.

Cooper completed his hat-trick on 10 minutes, with another sweet strike. Jack Quin piled on the misery for SOG when he too got on the score sheet as Kenneth King let the ball slip through his hands.

As CE continued to dominate the game, Cooper scored the seventh goal, with a powerful shot from near the half way line, giving the keeper no chance. With time running out, Quin added his second and CE's eighth and final goal with another superb finish.

So, CE won their third straight championship with ease, assistant coach Gough said, "That's the best we've played for ages." Even captain and coach Andrew Keogh admitted, "They gave us a harder game early in the season with fewer players."

Cardenas the SOG coach, was left frustrated. "We just don't have enough quality to match CE," he said. With the CE team possessing ex-Newmarket and Bury Town players you can see where he's coming from.