The Howe Sound Men's Soccer League (HSMSL) is back and a familiar team will be back on the pitch after a one-year hiatus.
Mount Currie is rejoining the league after not participating last season. The squad will replace the departing Zephyr club and league statistician Dan Ellis said he's looking forward to the return of the club.
"They've got the numbers this year and are ready to join, which is just fantastic for the league," he said. "They're always exciting to play against and watch because they're all about offence and not so much about defence. But they usually have a bunch of strong and fast kids, who should bring a lot of excitement to our league."
Mount Currie will rejoin Automind, the Ellis Moving Eagles, Galileo, Sikh Temple and defending champion Khalsa in this year's league, which kicks off at Brennan Park on Sunday (Sept. 9).
"It's going to be a super competitive league as usual," Ellis said. "Khalsa was the champion, but last year they almost lost in the semifinals to Automind. Sikh Temple was a new team last year, but they have some fantastic players. It should be a great year."
Ellis said the league continues to get stronger with all of the new people moving to Squamish.
"The league is always getting better each year," he said. "We have new people coming into town that have a lot of talent to offer to the league. And with 麻豆社国产FC folding last year, all of those players are looking to play soccer and have really beefed up some of the men's league teams."
Another thing for HSMSL players to look forward to is the arrival of the artificial turf field. Ellis said it will be a great addition to the local soccer scene.
"We're super excited about the new turf field but we won't be playing on it this fall," he said. "It likely won't be ready until the spring but it's a great thing for Squamish."
Ellis pointed out that players often dread playing on the gravel all-weather fields.
"People wouldn't show up to games and there's too many injuries," he said.
He added that it's never too late to sign up for the league and that organizers plan to accept new players throughout the season.
"We're always accepting new players," he said. "We're planning on creating a spare list of players not attached to any team and then teams will get a chance to pick up players when they need to in order to fill out their roster."
Those interested in joining the league can contact Jose Oreamuno at (604) 898-5579 or via e-mail [email protected].
Games take place on Sundays, usually with a pair of games scheduled for 10 a.m. and another at noon. The league starts up this Sunday and continues until late November, when a winter break is scheduled. Play resumes in mid-February and continues until the middle of March.
Teams play 20 games before the playoffs, which every squad automatically qualifies for - stronger teams often get byes or easier paths to the final.
For more information on the league, visit www.howesoundmens.snappages.com.
