Menace PDL Takes Point In Canada
Des Moines Menace takes solace in the point earned.
With a daunting trip coming up to arch-rival Thunder Bay, the Des Moines Menace had a chance to find a scoring touch against Premier Development League expansion side Kokomo Mantis FC, but could only muster a 0-0 draw at home.
“Obviously, the mentality is to win,” second-half sub Thomas Barlow said. “Coming into the game, coach talked to us about how important this was, especially going to Canada next week and facing a good Thunder Bay team. It’s a bummer to only come away with one point and it puts us in a tough spot going forward.”
Des Moines met Kokomo for the first time ever. The gusty conditions made for an entertaining first half for the Menace.
The Menace, with a 12 mile per hour wind at its back and using it to its advantage, looked to have a goal bagged by Devyn Jambga in the 28th minute, but the assistant referee signaled Jambga started his run too early.
“We had the wind at our backs and some really fast players up top,” Jambga said. “Our initial game plan was to press them high and force them into turnovers and use our speed in behind, and it worked pretty well.”
The Menace and Thunder Bay Chill meet for two matches next weekend in the north country. The Menace’s last loss last year came while on the road in Thunder Bay. The Chill had become a constant contender for the PDL Heartland Division title with the Menace, but over the recent years, has fallen off the pace.
Des Moines has won the last two division titles, snapping a run of Thunder Bay winning the previous six of seven Heartland Division crowns. The only outlier in that bunch came in 2009, when the Menace won the Heartland and the Central Conference titles.
Game times for Thunder Bay start at 6:30 p.m. next Friday and Saturday, followed by a trip to Manitoba for WSA Winnipeg on Tuesday, June 14.
Menace WPSL earn it’s 25th club victory
The Des Moines Menace WPSL picked up its 25th club win Saturday at Valley Stadium, 4-0 over the Kansas City Courage.
The Menace had four different scorers in the win, getting goals from Danielle Puddlefoot, Chelsea Cline, Elise Reid and Camila Parra. The goals scored were the first for each.
Cline, a former U.S. Women’s National Team pool player and Shattuck-St. Mary’s product, cleaned up a cross that bounced around in the penalty area in the 27th minute, 19 minutes after Puddlefoot opened up the game’s scoring.
The Menace took a 2-0 lead into the locker room and came out firing in the first minute of the second half. Reid hit a screamer into the upper right-hand corner in the 46th minute.
Parra finished off the scoring in the 81st minute after the Courage goalkeeper parried a shot from Lindsey Bywater.
The Menace, coming off a 3-5-2 year – its first losing season in franchise history – is off to a 2-0-0 start. Last week, Des Moines notched win number 24 in Davenport with a 4-1 win over the Quad Cities Eagles.
Up next, Des Moines women will play just once in the next 19 days. Next week, the Menace will face the Minnesota TwinStars in Minnesota.
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