News Archives 

12/13/03   Blaze was relegated from the CVSA Cup to Copa Bruce with a 3-1 loss to an always dangerous West End United side, while Battery survived a penalty kick shootout with Rage to remain in Copa Bruce competition.  Outdoor play will resume in February with the second round of Copa Bruce.  Both teams will spend the offseason playing indoor soccer at the new RISE facility in Chesterfield County.  A couple of spots are still available on both rosters, so contact me immediately if you're interested.

11/24/03   The regular season has drawn to a close.  The Second Division was tightly contested this year, to say the least.  No less than five teams (Blaze included) had a shot at the title going into the final day.  After running into a talented (and fully staffed for once) Kingston FC team, we were fortunate to come away with a draw.  That leaves Blaze finishing with a 6-2-1 record, only a half-game out of first but settling for fifth place in the end.  Meanwhile, Battery turned in a respectable first season in the Second Division with a 4-5 record and a sixth-place finish.  Good luck to both teams in the CVSA Cup and Copa Bruce!

10/22/03   Great showing to start off the CVSA Cup with authority.  After a scoreless first half, Blaze turned up the intensity and put 3 into the net in the second half to send First-Division Athletes for Christ down to Copa Bruce.  Next up in Cup play: Blaze vs. Battery.

10/20/03   Yesterday marked Blaze's biggest comeback.  Down 4-1 at the half, we scored 4 unanswered goals in the second half to win 5-4.  Oh, and thanks to injuries, we did it without any subs.  That was beautiful, guys.

10/15/03   Blaze's preliminary CVSA Cup match against Athletes for Christ has been scheduled for Wednesday, October 22, at 8:30 PM at Dorey Park #5.  AFC is a tough opponent, so be there if at all possible and be ready to play hard.  The winner will face Battery in the first round of the Cup on November 2.

10/12/03   Once again, Blaze vs. Battery was a close match, and once again, Blaze came out on the winning side of a 2-1 final.  The match was scoreless at halftime, with both sides taking a few chances and feeling out their opponent's defense.  Blaze opened the scoring around the 75th minute when Christian Jenski slotted home a nice header off a Christopher Delk throw-in, and we followed it up shortly thereafter when Jimmy James led Mike Palese with a nice through ball just past midfield.  Mike took it into the 18 and drilled it inside the near post.  A few minutes later, Jeff Bourne drew blood for Battery by tracking down a lob that keeper Dan Palese punched but didn't quite get all of.  The ball spun over Dan's head, and Jeff followed it past him for the open-netter.  Battery attacked the rest of the match, but Blaze was able to possess and clear deep often enough to minimize their chances.  Well played all around.

10/6/03   The CVSA cup drawing was tonight.  There are two play-in matches to even out the brackets, and the first one has Blaze facing Athletes for Christ.  The match will be sometime on a weeknight, sometime this month, probably the week of the 20th.  Stay tuned for more details.  As luck would have it, Battery will take on the winner of the Blaze v. AFC match on Nov. 2.

9/21/03   Thanks to Isabel, the games are once again canceled this weekend.  Downed trees are blocking both entrances to Bryan Park.  Good thing we canceled last weekend's games, too.  We certainly don't want to do anything crazy like finish the season before New Year's.

9/14/03   Believe it or not, all of today's games are cancelled due to wet field conditions.  Let's just hope we don't run out of weekends because of premature cancellations such as this like we did in the spring.

9/8/03   I finally have update access for the site again after a nasty virus attack.  Sorry for the delay.  The schedule through Oct. 5 is now posted.

Anyway, we played well overall Sunday against a shorthanded Arsenal team.  Sidewalk will be a lot tougher, so be ready.

8/15/03   Tough loss in the finals.  We started out ahead, but we just didn't have enough players to keep it up.  Good season, though.  Let's build on it in the fall.

8/12/03   Blaze advance to the finals, and the keg party is set for 8/23.  What more could you want?

8/5/03   Whew!  That was close.  Then again, what else should we expect from Galaxy?  Props out to Dan Palese for a game-saving performance in net.  Next up is the Chupacabras.  Let's put together two halves that resemble tonight's 2nd half more than the 1st.

On the social calendar, we've postponed this weekend's housewarming.  It's now multiple choice between 8/23, 9/13, and 9/20.  E-mail me if you haven't received an invite.

7/24/03   Two well-played games tonight.  Keep it rolling into the playoffs!

7/17/03   Great game tonight.  Way to stick it out and keep fighting.  Back-to-back comebacks?  Go figure.

7/16/03   Finally back up and running.   Again, sorry for the delay.  Summer pages are up and up-to-date except for a few assists on Campbell's goals (all four in Game 2 and one in Game 6).  All-time team stats have been updated as well.  Just use the team links on the left to get there.  And e-mail me if you can fill in those assists.

New photos will be going up within the week.  There's even a rumor that all-time individual stats will be calculated and posted sometime fairly soon.  Apologies to those who racked up numbers before we tracked stats, and those whose moments of glory were somehow not duly recorded in the record books.

6/27/03   Sorry the summer schedule & stats haven't been posted yet.  I'm in the middle of moving, so it'll be a few days before my PC is back up.   Thanks for your patience.

6/4/03   Well, the season's finally over.  Battery placed 2nd in the Third Division, so they've earned the right to move up in the fall.  Blaze struggled in the Second and ended up in 9th place, so we'll have to beg, borrow, and plead to stay up in the fall.  Given the CVSA's turnover rate from one season to the next, though, it's a fairly safe bet that you'll see a Blaze-Battery intradivision rivalry starting in September.

The summer season starts the week of June 22.  If you plan to play but haven't paid the $50 registration fee to Diskin or Claudio yet, do so ASAP, or your roster spot may disappear!

Finally, Blaze is throwing a going away party for Randy and Vags on Saturday, June 14, at 5:00 at Diskin's place.  Call him or check your e-mail for directions.  The team is providing a keg, so just bring something for the grill.

5/14/03   Hell of a Copa Bruce match tonight, gentlemen.   Battery poured the pressure on early, hit a couple of posts, and then tapered off a bit, while Blaze started off on their heels, then leveled out and maintain pressure afterward.   Blaze finally pulled it out late in the second Golden Goal period with a bending, far-post 25-yarder from (who else?) "Jimmy James" Hudson.   Well played all around.   Of special note were Jimmy for the gamewinner, Diskin for the opener, Randy for a game-saving performance in net, Jeff for a zero-angle masterpiece, and Bishop for embarassing me on a regular basis.

Wed., 5/14/03   Blaze vs. Battery

4/3/03   Our next CVSA Cup match has been rescheduled for Thursday, 4/10, at 6:15 PM at Elkhardt.  Several players have indicated that they can't play on Thursday nights, so I'll see what I can do to get it switched to Tuesday or Wednesday.  I have to get 3 other teams to agree to a switch, and I don't have much time to do that, so don't hold your breath.  Plan on playing Thursday, but keep an eye out for late-breaking updates.

Daylight Saving Time begins this Sunday morning at 2:00 AM.  Remember to "spring forward" one hour on Saturday night!

3/31/03   The schedule has changed around somewhat, so be sure to check it regularly for updates.  Speaking of which, we need to fit our CVSA Cup games in somewhere, so let me know whether you can play Saturday or Sunday of Easter weekend.  Also let me know your availability on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights from now through May 8.

2/21/03   On short notice, we’re trying to put together a scrimmage with Galaxy this Sunday at Brookland MS.  If you haven’t already done so, please contact me ASAP and let me know whether you can make it.

2/20/03   I’m sorry to say that Paul Purcell, Galaxy FU’s dedicated and talented photographer, passed away on February 4, 2003.  I don’t think any of us in Blaze FC knew Paul personally, but I know we all admire his work. In fact, we borrowed a fair amount of it for our own site; Paul was the artist behind every action shot in the Blaze FC Photo Gallery.  Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but Internet plagiarism is a close second. He will be missed not only by those who knew him, but also by those who have merely seen his work.

More on Paul’s life, including examples of his photography away from the pitch, can be found on Galaxy’s site.

In a more trivial matter, The Feb. 23 CVSA Cup matches have been postponed since the fields still have 2 inches of sleet on them. They will be rescheduled for later this spring. The first regular season game is now our next outdoor match: March 2 at noon at Dorey Park against Tyrants. Call Alex if you won’t be able to make it.

In lieu of actually playing soccer, the CVSA Field Maintenance Committee (i.e., Derek McCown, Cary Wright, and me) needs volunteers this Sunday to help hang new nets and lock up unused goals for the upcoming season.  We haven’t set a time yet; whenever we can get a few people out there is fine by us. Contact me if you can lend a hand. Please help!

2/15/03  The Feb. 16 CVSA Cup games have been postponed due to snow.  They will be played on Feb. 23 (hopefully).

2/7/03   The Feb. 9 CVSA Cup games have been postponed due to snow. They will be played on Feb. 16.

1/31/03  Sorry for the late post for the practice location. Anyway, it’s at TJ.  See the above link for directions & a map.

The Feb. 9 CVSA Cup games have been scheduled. Check the Blaze and Battery team pages for more details.

1/20/03  If you’re planning on playing in the spring but haven’t paid yet, your registration fee is now overdue.  Contact us immediately to make payment arrangements and reserve a roster spot.

Blaze and Battery will resume outdoor play with the second round of the CVSA Cup on February 9.

1/16/03  Blaze’s indoor schedule has been posted. We still have no idea who we’re playing, and we don’t know the schedule for March 1 and March 8 yet, but it’s better than nothing.

Both teams-- if you haven’t paid for spring yet, come to the organizational meeting on 1/19 at 2:00 at Out of Bounds.  If you haven’t paid by then, your roster spot will not be reserved, and you may incur a late fee if and when you do eventually get on a roster.

1/15/03  Blaze and Battery are both playing indoor at the Richmond JCC. Rosters are full.  The schedules haven’t come out yet (although the season has started), but I’ll post them once I have them.

12/12/02 The Blaze vs. Galaxy match has been moved to Montrose.

12/7/02 All matches scheduled for Dec. 8 have been postponed due to snow.

11/25/02 VCU is playing Furman in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Wednesday, 11/27, at 7:00 PM at Sports Backers Stadium.  Tickets are $7.00. Come by Jimmy’s house before the game for a little tailgating; he lives right around the corner.  Check your e-mail for more info.

11/15/02 Blaze’s match vs. Galaxy has been moved to Montrose.

10/24/02 Battery’s 10/27 match vs. Allstar is a 2-0 fofeit win for Battery.

10/20/02 All matches scheduled for Oct. 20 have been postponed due to the sniper attack in Ashland.

10/2/02   You may have noticed that the old bulletin board service went belly-up.  I finally replaced it with another one that’s pretty simplistic. Enjoy.

9/18/02   The full regular season schedule has been posted. Be aware; games may change, and the CVSA Cup & Copa Bruce matches have not yet been added.

Registration fees are now overdue. If you haven’t settled up for the fall, do so as soon as possible.

8/14/02 The Fall 2002 season starts September 8. If you haven’t gotten in touch with your team captain recently, please do so now. Each team must pay a deposit of $300 this Saturday, so get those checks in the mail.

We’ll hold scrimmages the next 3 Sundays in a row (8/18, 8/25, and 9/1) at 5:00 PM at Elizabeth Redd Elementary School.  Attendance will be a factor in determining playing time during the fall season, so please show up and be ready to play. If you can’t make it, let your team captain know ahead of time.

I’d like to take this time to welcome two veteran Battery players, James Hudson and Landon Gibbs, as the newest members of the Blaze team.  We wish them both the best of luck with their new team in the fall season.

6/30/02  Please note that the time and opponent for Blaze’s next game have changed. We’re now playing Metro Sting African FC at 7:15.  The match is still at Gillie’s Creek.

6/26/02  Claudio & Kate are having a pot-luck World Cup Finals brunch early Sunday morning.  If you haven’t already done so, contact me if you plan on coming.  Check your e-mail for details & directions.

6/25/02  Summer t-shirts haven’t come in yet. Be sure to bring your spring jersey to all games until further notice.

6/10/02  The summer season is about to start. Blaze will compete in the Second Division on Tuesday and Thursday nights; Battery will play in the Third Division on Monday and Wednesday nights; and Inferno will be in the Fourth Division, also on Mondays and Wednesdays. Rosters are due early next week.

In preparation, we will practice this Wednesday, 6/12, at 6:00 PM at Thompson & Park, followed by a club meeting at Out of Bounds at approximately 8:00.  Everyone is encourage to attend; if you can’t make practice, come by OOB afterward. New players will need to bring a passport-sized photo of themselves for the player passes.  Feel free to download and fill out a player registration form in the meantime.  If you already have a pass and it’s in your possession, bring it on Wednesday so your team captain can have it renewed. A makeup practice and meeting will be scheduled early next week for those who can’t make it Wednesday.  Questions? Contact us.

5/28/02  Blaze and Battery will scrimmage on Sunday, June 9, at 1:00 at Brookland Middle School.  Contact James Hudson or me if you can’t make it.

The $50 summer registration fee is now overdue.  If you’re playing summer ball and haven’t paid yet, please do so at either Wednesday’s practice or Sunday’s game.

If you can get your hands on any Ukrop’s Golden Gift certificates, get them to me as soon as possible. We’ll receive a credit toward CVSA registration fees based on the dollar amount we collect.

Rob and Mandy Flowers’ housewarming party is this Saturday, June 1, at 7:00.  Save the directions; as long as we don’t do any permanent damage, you’ll probably need them again soon.

5/21/02 Alex, Christian, & Co. are moving soon, but they’re throwing one last bash this Sunday, May 26. We may turn this into an early end-of-season party as well, depending on how many players can make it.  The start time hasn’t been set yet, but I’ll post it as soon as it is.

5/12/02 Robb’s having a graduation party at Tiki Bob’s this Saturday from 7-10.  There will be free beer & food. The earlier you get there, the more you’ll get.

If you’re on the Challenge Cup team, Please come out to practice on Wednesday. Since we have a few people who haven’t played together, we need to get a little chemistry going before Sunday’s game.

5/7/02   I’ve set up a Bulletin Board from BeSeen for the site. There’s a link to it on the side bar. It’s pretty basic, and it’s not particularly fast since it’s running under a different domain. I might set up something a little slicker if it gets a lot of use.  Use it for good, not evil. If you post anything offensive (which includes the offensively stupid), I'll nuke your post and call your mother. Keep in mind that everyone on the Web has access to the site. Otherwise, have fun!

5/3/02   All are invited to Kate Heflin and Debbie Rose’s birthday party on Saturday.  It’s at Kate’s house (corner of Grace & 29th in Church Hill), and it starts at 4. A keg and snack food are provided. Feel free to bring something to throw on the grill.

4/28/02   Blaze, that was a fun freakin’ game!  Extra props to Long “The Asian Beckham” Nguyen and Randy “Barthez with Hair” Owen.  Next week is just as big-- vs. #3 Tyrants.  The schedule’s tough from here on out, so if you want a shot at Div. I, now is the time to step up.

Galaxy has posted photos from the match, and I’ve ripped off a few as usual. Go to the Photo Gallery to check them out.  I need to see if we can get their photographer, Paul Purcell, to work his magic at some of our games.

In Fourth Division action, Battery took care of the hapless Toros Rojos 4-0, while a shorthanded Inferno fell 10-3 to Infineon.

The Blaze FC vs. Renaissance preliminary match for the MDCVSA Challenge Cup has been scheduled for noon on Sunday, May 19, at Bryan Park ‘C’.  The full schedule and roster will be posted soon.

4/22/02  Practice has moved from Thursday night to Wednesday night in hopes of improving turnout.  Please don’t crush our hopes!

4/18/02   Blaze’s jerseys finally have Out of Bounds logos.  They look good.

4/16/02 The drawing for the preliminary round of the MDCVSA Challenge Cup was held this evening. Blaze FC will be hosting Renaissance of CASA.  Stay tuned for further Challenge Cup news.

4/9/02   Congratulations to all three teams on their victories this past weekend. Keep it up!

Battery is practicing Thursday evening at the soccer field at Dominion Resources’ Innsbrook Technical Center.  All 3 teams are welcome.  Once you’ve reached the parking area by following the directions in the link, keep going straight until you reach a stop sign.  Turn right at the sign, and the field will be directly in front of you.  Feel free to head to Tiki Bob’s afterward for happy hour!

The drawing for the preliminary round of the Challenge Cup is 1 week from today. After the drawing, we’ll know who we’re playing and where. The date for the match will be mutually agreed upon by both captains.

The games that were rained out on March 17 have been rescheduled for May 12 at the original times and locations.  Check your team’s schedule for details.

3/21/02 The Strikers U16 vs. Blaze match, previously scheduled for April 10, has been rescheduled for 6:30 on Wednesday, April 3, at Elkhardt.  The schedule has been updated. If you can’t make it, let me know immediately.

Blaze will practice at 1:00 on Sunday, March 24, at Thomas Jefferson.

Starting tonight, Inferno has a happy hour deal every Thursday at Tiki Bob’s from 7:00 until 9:00.  All three teams are welcome to come out for $2 drinks and wing specials. 

3/17/02  Blaze and Battery were rained out yesterday, and Inferno was forced to forfeit due to low turnout.  Speaking of rainouts and attendance, be sure to check the CVSA home page whenever weather is a concern.  If there is no cancellation or field closing info pertaining to your match there, your game is still on unless you’ve heard differently from your team captain. Head to the field.

The registration deadline for the MDCVSA Challenge Cup is less than two weeks away.  We need a head count before the deadline so we know how many teams to register.  If you haven’t already told your captain whether you’re interested, do so now.  Check out www.mdcvsa.org/statecup.html for more info.

3/10/02  Blaze chalked up a nice win today over DSC Masters to start their Division II career on the right note.  Keep it up!

The Richmond Blaze vs. Richmond Strikers U16 match, originally scheduled for Wednesday, April 3, has been changed to Wednesday, April 10. Let me know if you can’t make it.

I’ve added a bunch of action photos from last fall’s Galaxy FU game, which I stole from Galaxy’s site.  I don’t know who this Paul Purcell guy is, but that’s quality photography!  Also new to the site are all-time by opponent and all-time by field stats for the Blaze team, available in the archives section.

3/5/02   Blaze’s spring schedule is now set except for one match vs. Richmond Strikers U16.  Due to a number of logistical concerns, the game must be played on a weeknight. The CVSA Scheduling Coordinator, Mario Kepus, has asked whether we can play at 8:30 on Wednesday, April 3, at Elkhardt.  Please let me know whether you’re available ASAP.  Keep in mind that making Mario’s life easier will in turn make our lives easier, so don’t say no just because you feel like it.

3/4/02   Things have been busy, so I have a lot of catching up to do. Here goes...

Yesterday’s season openers were canceled due to rain.  No sense tearing up all the fields on the first weekend of the season. Blaze would have been very short-handed anyway, so I’m not complaining.

The last indoor games of the season are this week. Check the top of this page for dates and times.

The spring schedule has been posted, for the most part.  Blaze and Battery start the season this weekend. Inferno has a bye and will start play on 3/17. Use the team links on the side bar for more details.

The CVSA is hosting the MDCVSA State & Challenge Cup again this year.  Blaze FC has taken part in the Challenge Cup since the club’s inception. This year’s Final Eight weekend will be June 15 & 16 at Bryan Park.  Let your team’s captain know whether you’re interested as soon as possible. 

2/19/02 Blaze’s Copa Bruce match this weekend has been moved from noon to 10:00 AM.  It’s still at Elkhardt.

Great win over Metro Sting tonight, guys.  We finally strung two halves together, and we kept our heads in it despite a volatile situation.  Well played by everyone.

2/18/02  The Blaze starts outdoor play this Sunday, 2/24, with a Copa Bruce third round match against Rundi Aadme. The game is at noon at Elkhardt.  Contact us immediately if you won’t be able to make it.

2/13/02  The first two weeks of the Spring 2002 schedule have been posted.  Use the links on the sidebar to check on your team’s games.  The regular season starts March 3; Blaze will most likely play a Copa Bruce match on February 24. Cup details will be posted after the Round 3 drawing on Monday, Feb. 18.  

Don’t forget-- we have a club-wide practice this Sunday, Feb. 17, at 1:00 at Thomas Jefferson.

2/11/02  Thanks to those of you who came to practice yesterday. I think it’s safe to say that we all got a workout.  We’ll do it again this Sunday (same time, same place).

2/9/02   Congratulations to Battery and Inferno on convincing wins last week.  It’s a little over halfway through the season, and the club has a combined record of 8-3-4.  Not too shabby.

Don’t forget-- practice at 1:00 this Sunday at TJ!

1/31/02  The CVSA Spring 2002 season is right around the corner.  The regular season starts on March 3rd, but Copa Bruce play could begin as early as Feb. 17.  The divisions are not yet finalized, but it looks like they will be within a week.

On that note, we’ll practice at Thomas Jefferson High on Sunday, 2/10, at 1:00.  All three teams-- and their friends, for that matter-- are welcome.

1/30/02  Robb is having a birthday party at Tiki Bob’s next Wednesday night. It starts at 10 PM.  He claims there may even be a few women there, but don’t hold your breath.  So if you have Thursday morning off (or a sick day to burn), feel free to stop by for a cocktail or ten.

The Inferno stats are finally up-to-date.

1/29/02  Blaze tanked in the second half tonight and lost 8-4 to SC Horizon.  Welcome to Division I, folks.  If you let up, you’re beat.

If you’re planning to play spring ball for the Blaze and haven’t been in touch, contact me immediately.  Your registration is overdue. Just let me know you’re still in.

1/23/02 Blaze wound up with a tie last night against the Tyrants.  We led most of the game but couldn’t quite hold off their attack at the end.

The Spring 2002 season is right around the corner! The regular season starts March 3, but we’ll have a Copa Bruce match or two before that. The registration fee of $60 is due to me by this Sunday, Jan. 27. 

Blaze finally picked up a sponsor! Out of Bounds cut us a check for $400 on Sunday. We need to use part of it to put logos on the jerseys, but we should have nearly $300 left after that. The team council will decide what to do with it.

1/16/02  Hell of a game between Battery and Inferno.  Battery led pretty much the whole game, but Inferno came on strong at the end and came away with a tie after a late PK. Plenty of hustle on both sides.

If you’re looking for a place to drink a lot of beer and watch a little football, come out to Mulligan’s in the Fan on Saturday and watch Da Bears take care of the Eagles. Kickoff is at 4:30, but getting there a little early will probably get us better seats. The Patriots vs. Raiders game follows it at 8:00, just in case three and a half hours isn’t enough drinking time for you.

1/15/02  Blaze played a solid, consistent game to take out the Diplomats 9-6 and remain on top of the Division I standings. Don’t get too comfortable, guys: we haven’t played any of the top teams yet.

1/10/02 Inferno held off a late push by Mystix II to come away with a 6-5 victory. Battery lost a heartbreaker to DSC on a late goal. Both teams played well for the first game, especially considering that a lot of guys had never played together before.  Next week’s Battery vs. Inferno match should be a great one.

1/9/02   The Blaze won easily over Chaos last night, largely because of attendance.  Chaos played the first half a man down and had exactly 5 players for the second half. If the rest of that team is as good as the players who showed up, we’re lucky not to have faced them at full strength.  Hopefully, Battery and Inferno will have a little more challenge tonight (although not too much)!

12/28/01   The indoor schedules have been posted. Use the links on the sidebar to check them out.

Don’t forget-- practice on Saturday, Jan. 5 at 1:00 at Thompson Field.

12/26/01   I finally have some news on indoor. The Blaze are in fact playing Division I on Tuesdays nights, while Battery and Inferno play Division II on Wednesday nights. The season starts the week of 1/8. Schedules should be posted sometime this week.

All 3 teams will practice on Saturday, 1/5, at 1:00 at Thompson Field.

12/17/01 The Blaze advanced to the third round of Copa Bruce with a 3-0 win over the Pink Panthers.  Our next tournament match will be in February, 2002.  Congratulations on a well-played season, guys.  We’re moving up to Division II in the spring, and we’ve shown we deserve it.

Still waiting for details on the indoor season.  I’ll post them as soon as I hear something.

12/6/01  I thought I’d posted the 12/4 update, but somehow it didn’t take.  Whatever.  Here it is...

12/4/01  The outdoor season may well have come to a fairly sudden halt. I should have foreseen this, but the team we drew for the next round of cup play is unavailable on Saturday, 12/8. As a result, we are checking players’ availability on Sunday, 12/16. If that date doesn’t work out, we won’t play the next round of Copa Bruce until February. Oh, well.  I guess it’s better to be ready for a game you don’t play than to not be ready for a game you do play.

The CASA Indoor 2002 season will begin the first week in January.  We’ll have 3 teams.  Richmond Blaze FC will be run by yours truly (Kent Vaughan), James Hudson will captain Richmond Battery, and Robb Crocker will resurrect the Richmond Inferno. Blaze will most likely play Division I on Tuesday nights while Battery and Inferno will probably play Division II on Wednesdays; however, none of that is set in stone yet.  A few roster spots are still available, so contact us if you’re interested and have not yet signed up. This is an open invitation; you need not be a veteran of the club. 

The 11/18 Battery vs. Allstar regular season match was finally ruled a forfeit due to ineligible Allstar players. As a result, Battery moves from 9th place to 7th place in Division IV. That doesn’t sound like much until you realize that 9th place in Division IV means last in the league.  That dubious honor now belongs to some of my co-workers (and a former teammate) on Capital One Strikers.  Not that I have much room to talk; the Blaze’s illustrious first season left us last in the league. Our problem then was the same as Battery’s now-- horrible turnout.  We recovered from it, and so will the Battery.  The bad news about the forfeit is that Allstar drops from 2nd to 3rd, which means they won’t be promoted next season.  I have a feeling they’ll be ready for a rematch in the spring....

11/25/01 Sorry it’s been a while since the last update. Hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving.  Here’s what’s new:

The $60 indoor registration fee for all players is due in to either James Hudson or myself this Wednesday, 11/28. Get moving.

The times and fields for the Blaze’s CVSA Cup game and Battery’s Copa Bruce game have been posted. See above for details.

The stats for the Blaze’s last match aren’t quite complete.  I’m still looking for assists on Long’s and Rose’s goals.  The last Battery match is still posted as a 7-0 Allstar win but should be ruled a forfeit in the very near future.

11/14/01 Indoor registration is coming soon.  We’ll run 2 teams, and we have a few roster spots left, so contact me immediately if you’re interested and haven’t spoken up yet. The registration fee of $60 is due Wed., November 28. Make checks payable to me (Kent Vaughan).  Both James Hudson and myself are collecting it. For more info on the indoor facility and the league, check out www.casasoccer.org/indoor00.html.

Congratulations to Christian Jenski for being elected to the team council!

The archives section of the web site has finally been updated to the new format.  Sorry it took so long.

11/5/01    Wow! Busy week. First, the roster deadline was this past Friday. Blaze added founder Robb Crocker back to the roster, and the Flowers Brothers will be coming down from DC whenever possible to cause mayhem in Battery matches.

In CVSA Cup action, the Blaze took care of Richmond United 4-0 (despite what the ref reported) and will face Dynamo in the second round of the CVSA Cup.  We’ve never played Dynamo before, but they’re currently neck-and-neck with the Stars and DSC Masters for the Division II lead. The Battery suffered from a poor turnout (again) and was beaten soundly by the Internationals.  They’ll play in the first round of Copa Bruce against Allstar, currently second in the Division IV standings.

Last but not least, the CVSA annual meeting took place this evening, and much was accomplished despite the low turnout. In addition to drawing the CVSA Cup and Copa Bruce matchups, the elections were held for all CVSA offices. Your new CVSA Board is:

There is one more at-large position open.  Basically, you get to vote on administrative and disciplinary matters, your $25 per-player registration fee is waived, and you get to participate in some of the grunt work (getting nets out to the proper fields, harassing deadbeat teams for money, etc.). If anyone’s interested, let me know.

10/30/01 It’s nice (and easy) to pad the stats in an 11-on-9 match. Momentum is huge in this league, so we kept pressing like it was 0-0.

No more byes.  Both teams play for at least 4 weeks straight, starting with the first round of the CVSA Cup this weekend.  Let’s keep it rolling.

Indoor 2002-- are you in or out? It’s about 10 games, played from early January through mid-March, at the Chesterfield County Fairgrounds. The facility has a hard rubber court, walls, and netting.  It’s a little small, so it’s 5-on-5 including the keepers.  For more info, click here.  Let us know by November 11 whether you want to play.

10/21/01 Well done, gentlemen.  Blaze FC chalked up a 5-1 victory over Richmond United to move within 2 points of the division lead.  The Delk-Jenski combo was in full effect again-- you just never know which ones it’ll be....

Cookout at my place after next Sunday’s game.  We’ll have a keg and a few other odds & ends. You bring food and/or liquor.  Like Mulligan’s, only cheaper.

10/15/01 The Blaze pulled out an ugly win last Sunday, while Battery won convincingly over Cap One Strikers.

The first-round matchups for the CVSA Cup have been announced. Blaze will face Richmond United, and Battery drew the Internationals.  Both games will take place on November 4; times and fields have not yet been finalized.

10/1/01   This past weekend certainly showed that attendance affects performance. Battery had the dubious honor of being on the short end of a 9-on-11 match. You can imagine the results.   The Blaze fared somewhat better with 13 players; several people were out of town and gave notice, but a no-show or two didn’t help matters much. Between the lack of subs and the incompetent officiating (as usual) , we were fortunate to come away with a 2-2 draw against an inferior team.

Anyway, no games this week.  Instead, we’ll practice on Sunday at 1:00.  Matches will resume on Sunday, 10/14.

9/26/01 The jerseys are finally in, and Eurosport got everything right; they even delivered a day earlier than their original estimate! Pick them up at the scrimmage tomorrow or at the game on Sunday (assuming you’ve paid, of course)..

9/19/01  I ordered the jerseys today, but Eurosport has a 5-day backlog right now, so we won’t get them until Thursday, 9/27.  Looks like we’re stuck with the old jerseys for 1 more game.  Speaking of Sunday’s game, we will be shorthanded, so if you won’t be there, let Diskin and me know ASAP if you haven’t already done so.

9/18/01  Payment for jerseys is now overdue.  Those of you who haven’t paid can take the heat from everyone else if we don’t get them in time for Sunday’s game. Contact me to make payment arrangements.

9/14/01  We’re now ready to order the new jerseys.  They’ll be the red & white San Remos with white tri-line numbers and a white team logo on the front. The per-player cost is $27, payable to Kent Vaughan. The money is due Monday, 9/17.  Either bring it to Sunday’s scrimmage or contact me ASAP.  If we can get the money together quickly, we can break them out for our next match on 9/23.  For more info, check your e-mail.

9/12/01   Please note that Sunday’s scrimmage has been moved from Short Pump to J. Sargeant Reynolds’ Parham campus.  This is the same field where we scrimmaged Galaxy. 

In other news, the votes are in, and we’re going with the San Remo jersey (white with a wide, vertical red stripe).  The per-player cost and the collection deadline will be communicated via e-mail and this web site by Friday, 9/14.

9/11/01  Please do what you can (give blood, time, and/or money) to help the survivors of today’s atrocities. Keep the families of all those involved in your thoughts, and know that true justice knows no boundaries, be they political or spiritual.

9/10/01   Don’t you just hate ties? Well, both teams ended up with a no-decision to start the fall season.  For more details on the Blaze match, check out the roster and schedule links.  Battery folks, e-mail your stats to me & I’ll get them posted. An updated roster would be good, too.

9/7/01   Fairly decent scrimmage last night, folks. We definitely picked it up in the second half.  Glad we could shake the rust off some, because Sunday’s game is huge.

9/6/01   This is the first draft of a fairly major site redesign (obviously). The archives will be converted sometime in the next few days.  E-mail me and let me know what you think.  Expect some design changes from time to time as we refine the site.  A new logo and additional pages are forthcoming.