Hanover Kickers rolling at home

The Hanover Kickers have turned the Steinbach Soccer Park into a fortress to start their season in Division 2 of the Manitoba Major Soccer League.

The club’s top team has a perfect 4-0 record at home with a plus-22 goal differential after yet another blowout victory July 3. The Kickers made short work of Scorpions FC, scoring early and often en route to a 8-1 victory.

Head coach Andreas Bergen said taking control early was key when playing in hot and humid conditions.

“We always want to see if we can score first and build the game from there,” Bergen said.

“It was a hot one as well. Big credit to the group. They did exactly what they were asked to do.”

The Kickers forwards and midfielders were in perfect sync, with quick build up play between the lines leading to great transition chances throughout the night.

“The midfield is always crucial, that’s where the engine is, that’s where most stuff happens,” Bergen said.

“If we can control the midfield and get the balls to our forwards then we will score goals.”

The score-line was even more impressive coming against Scorpions FC, who were the second-place team in the division’s standings heading into the match. The Kickers are now three points out of first in the division with 12 points in six games, scoring the most goals of any team.

For a team who is aiming to finish in the top two and earn promotion back to Division 1, it’s a good, but not perfect start to the season.

“I think we have to get (our points pace) up a bit,” Bergen said.

“It’s still a long way to go, but it’s a good start. (We have) a lot of new faces, a lot of young players and we had some veterans coming back to play for us. That combination of youth and experience is coming together nicely.”

The Kickers play most of their home games of their season in July and will be in action this week when they take on Winnipeg FC’s B-squad July 10. They’ll also host CSSE Juventus July 13 in a match that was postponed due to smoke earlier in the season.

“We just have to stay consistent, keep chipping away the rough edges,” Bergen said.

“Keep building on the positive things and then we’ll be there at the end.”

The Niverville Force managed to bounce back in the standings in Division 1, nabbing a 2-2 draw against Northern United July 3 despite missing their starting goalkeeper. The team had five points from six games this season.

In Division 3, the Hanover Strikers are knocking on the door at the top of their conference, with 19 points from nine games, including a 3-2 win over Triumph July 2, thanks to a late free kick goal.

The Hanover Sting, in the other Division 3 conference, have seven points in nine games. The main SCU field at the Steinbach Soccer Park has been shut down for the season, with the three other fields at the park in better shape.