Rocky Mountain Roundup - Week 10

The 2011-12 Rocky Mountain Division season ended in fitting fashion, with a doubleheader between the top two clubs.  After 2 postponements, the league leading Blizzard finally were able to play the Dynamite at their new home in Arvada.

Game one saw the Dynamite jump out to an early and impressive 2-0 lead.  This served as a wake up call for the Blizzard, who bounced back to tie the match by halftime 2-2, and dominated the second half to win 6-2.  Eric Goldberg would lead the Blizzard with two goals.

The now 7-0 Blizzard and 3-3-1 Dynamite would play one more time, and this time it would also count as the Division championship, due to financial and time issues preventing a separate final.  The Blizzard would prove yet again why they are the Division's best, picking up where they left off in game one and storming to a 3-0 lead.  The clubs would trade goals to go into the final break at 4-1.   The Blizzard would continue the onslaught in the second half, extending the lead to 7-1.  The Dynamite would have two nice goals to bring the final score to 7-3 Blizzard.  It was an impressive performance by Odobong Obetette, who had 3 goals and 2 assists, and a total of 4 goals and 3 assists on the night. 

The Blizzard are the first club to go undefeated and win the Rocky Mountain Division Title.  (The Colorado Predators went undefeated in the regular season in 2007-08, but were upset by Albuquerque in the Championship Final) 

A pleased Coach Wells had this to say, after the season ending performance:  "We came up here tonight expecting a battle, and the way the Dynamite came out with 2 quick goals it looked like we were in for a long night. As shifts were coming in and out of the bench, I was making my rounds telling each shift to calm down and play our game, work the patterns, read what they are giving you. It was our 3rd shift that calmed everything down and began to pressure as a group, and the 1st and 2nd shift followed by example. As soon as we started playing collectively as a group you could see the shift in momentum, and the guys started connecting passes that lead to goals. Once we took control of the game you could see the confidence building in the players and it was obvious they were focused from that point on. I'm very proud of the players and the effort they put forth over the course of the season, and we look forward to representing the Rocky Mountain Division in San Diego in March at Nationals. An 8-0 season is really tough with the quality of teams we have in the Rocky Mountain Division, and I hope that we can carry this momentum and good form into Nationals. Thanks to all the Teams in our Division."


The Final Standings look like this......

Rocky Mountain Division	GP	W	L	T	Pts
Colorado Blizzard	8	8	0	0	24			Undefeated and headed to San Diego
Denver Dynamite	8	3	4	1	10			With a strong core of players the future is bright.....
Ft. Collins Fury	8	3	4	1	10			Add some depth, and the Fury will be back among the Division elite...
Edwards Freedom	8	0	6	2	2			Perhaps the best winless team in PASL-Premier?

The domination by the Blizzard also showed in individual statistics.  In goalkeeping, Justin Dzuba led the Division with a 2.25 GAA in 4 starts, while his teammate Michael Archuleta had the second lowest GAA with 3.86 in 3 starts.  Eric Goldberg was the Division's goal leader, with 11 on the season.   Odobong Obetette tied Zach Speed of Fort Collins for second with 10 goals, but Obetette also led the Division with 12 assists.  Duane Pelz of Edwards came in 4th with 7 goals, and Tony Avery of Denver finished 5th with 6.  Jay Hamilton of the Dynamite finished 2nd in the Division in assists, with 8. 


The Blizzard will take the next 2 weekends off as they prepare for the PASL-Premier Nationals, March 9-10 in San Diego.  The Blizzard have depth at all positions, including two solid goalkeepers in Dzuba and Archuleta.  The defense (as well as goalkeeping) has always been a strong point for the Blizzard, with  players like Jimmy Wade, Kelly Robinson, and John Molet.  The five previously mentioned players all have PASL-Pro experience with the Dynamite, or the Colorado Lightning in the case of Archuleta.  If Obetette and Goldberg continue to produce on offense, this club will be a contender in San Diego.  Of course anything can happen at the PASL Nationals, but the Blizzard's depth should have them well prepared for a tournament where you could play as many as 6 games in 2 days. 


There are 5 other divisions in the PASL-Premier, and the Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, and Great Lakes will decide their championships this coming weekend, punching 4 more tickets to the finals.  The South Central Division will play through the final weekend before Nationals.  The San Diego Sockers Reserves will likely be in as hosts, plus a few at large berths.  Stay tuned for a special PASL-Premier finals preview edition of the Roundup, where we will take a look at not only the Blizzard's group opponents, but the tournament in general.

Dynamite Close Season with Two Losses

The Dynamite season culminated with their largest challenge of all, a doubleheader against the undefeated, division leading Colorado Blizzard.   Both matches were played by PASL-Premier tournament standards, two 20 minute halves.

Game one would see the Dynamite jump out to an early lead.  With 15:20 left in the half, Tony Avery collected the rebound of a Justin Ferguson shot to put Denver ahead.  Jay Hamilton would score at 14:10 to give the Dynamite their largest lead at 2-0.  An Eric Goldberg goal with 8 minutes remaining would wake up the Blizzard, who followed this up with a breakaway goal by Greg Hubbard to even the score at 2-2 by halftime.

The 2-2 stalemate would hold 10 minutes into the second half, until the Dynamite could contain the Blizzard no longer.  A Jesse Black goal (assisted by Odobong Obetette) at 9:25 would get things started for the Blizzard.  A minute and a half later, Eric Goldberg would score his second goal for the Blizzard, off a rebound from a Kelly Robinson shot.  Obetette scored for the Blizzard with 3:23 remaining to put the Blizzard up 5-2.  The Dynamite then pulled Goalkeeper Brandyn Bumpas for 6th attacker Jay Hamilton, but it was the Blizzard who would capitalize with a Brian Contreras empty net goal to put the match away, 6-2.

 The teams would waste no time getting started with game two, with a 5 minute break.  Not only was this the final match of the regular season, but it would also double as the division championship game.  The Blizzard would pick up right where they left off, with a Eric Goldberg goal with 17:40 left in the first half.  At 14:53 a Jonathan Dzuba goal (assist by Jesse Black) would keep things going for the Blizzard.  With 5:50 left, Odobong Obetette would score his first in game two to give Colorado a 3-0 lead.  Denver would finally answer as Greg Borchers corralled the rebound off a Mike Ogletree shot and put it in the back of the net.  However the Blizzard would answer back with another Obetette goal with 28 seconds remaining to take a 4-1 lead into the half.

Obetette, who factored in on 5 of Colorado's 7 goals in game two, kept the Blizzard on a dominating pace in the second half by assisting Kelly Robinson at 15:50 and Jesse Black at 10:20.  At 9:30 Obetette would score his third goal (assisted by Yves Chinje), earning a hat trick to cap off a great night, giving the Blizzard a commanding 7-1 lead. Despite the 6 point gap, the Dynamite started to show signs of life, kick started by Tony Thomas who scored at 3:54 and then assisted on a Justin Ferguson goal at 3:35.  However it was too little too late as the Blizzard would win 7-3.  

Not only did the Blizzard earn the right to represent the Rocky Mountain Division at the PASL-Premier Nationals, they did so in an impressive fashion, finishing at 8-0.  The Dynamite played well, but could not stop a Blizzard squad that was firing on all cylinders.  While the Blizzard prepare for Nationals in San Diego, the 3-4-1 Dynamite look to build on an overall positive finish, and continue to improve next season.   

Rocky Mountain Roundup - Week 9

On the biggest weekend in the Rocky Mountain Division, only 2 teams were left standing by the end.

Friday night opened the action as the Dynamite hosted a Fort Collins Fury Club traveling with only 7 players.  An evenly played first half saw the Dynamite lead 4-3 at the break.  A three line attack by the Dynamite would eventually wear the Fury down, in a very clean and well played match by both squads.  The Dynamite won the match 11-5.  Tony Avery led the Dynamite with 3 goals while Jay Hamilton led with 4 assists.  Taylor Kendal, Travis Carey, and Jason Boyle each had 2 goals for the Dynamite; while Zach Cousins and Mark Kupter each had 2 goals for the Fury.  

On Saturday the Dynamite traveled up to Edwards for a very important doubleheader, against a Freedom squad with only pride to play for.  The Freedom would defend their home field well, holding the Dynamite to a 5-5 tie in what amounted to a high scoring affair in the first of 2 shortened games.   The Dynamite jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first half, only to be outscored by the Freedom 5-2 in the second half.  Alex Zelaya led the Freedom with 2 goals, and Beto Hernandez led the the Dynamite with 2 goals and 2 assists. 


The teams settled down defensively in the second game.  The Freedom led 2-1 halfway through the second game, but the Dynamite would rally with 2 goals in the second half, capped off by Travis Carey's game winner to earn a huge 3-2 victory, collecting 4 points on the night and 7 points on the weekend.  Jay Hamilton assisted on 2 of the 3 Dynamite goals in game two, while no individual player scored more than one goal. 



For the last match of the night and weekend, the Division leading Colorado Blizzard hosted a Fort Collins Fury club who were fighting to stay in contention.  Because the Dynamite tied their first match in Edwards, the Blizzard could clinch first in the regular season with a victory.  Similar to the night before, the Fury had only 8 players travel, allowing for only 2 substitutes.  The Blizzard roared to a 4-0 lead by the end of the 1st quarter, only to see the Fury come back in the 2nd quarter to make it 4-3 at halftime.  The Blizzard would start to pull away in the second half, leading 6-3 after 3 quarters, and eventually winning 8-4.  It was truly a team effort for the Blizzard, with 8 different goalscorers.  One of the goal scorers, Odobong Obetette, led the Blizzard with 3 assists.  Cole Dudley led the Fury with two goals, while Devon Koncar had 27 saves in goal for the Fury.  Micheal Archuleta got the start in goal for the Blizzard, picking up the win and earning 20 saves.  


After Week 9, the standings look like this......

Rocky Mountain Division	GP	W	L	T	Pts
Colorado Blizzard	6	6	0	0	18			The regular season champs....
Denver Dynamite	6	3	2	1	10			7 points in one weekend, and the Dynamite pass the Fury!
Ft. Collins Fury	8	3	4	1	10			The Fury are out as the Dynamite hold the tiebreaker....
Edwards Freedom	8	0	6	2	2			The Freedom will now look to next season.....

All that remains in the regular season are two matches between the top two clubs, the Denver Dynamite and Colorado Blizzard.  Technically the Dynamite could fall into a tie with the Fury if they lost both regular season matches.  However, the Dynamite own the tiebreaker for second over the Fury whom they have a 1-1 record against, as they outscored the Fury 14-12 in those two matches.  The Dynamite host the Blizzard this Friday night in a Doubleheader that starts at 9:45pm.

Dynamite Outlast Fury

On Friday night, the Dynamite relied on depth and ball control to outlast the undermanned Fort Collins Fury, in their best result of the season.

The Dynamite opened the 1st quarter scoring with a Jay Hamilton goal (assist by Taylor Kendal) at 10:10.  Less than a minute later Fort Collins would strike back with a Mark Kupter goal (Assist by Noah Lenners).  The Dynamite would retake the lead with a Justin Ferguson goal, assisted by Tony Avery.  Two minutes later the Fury would even the score again at 2-2, on a Zach Cousins goal (assisted by Zach Speed).

Jason Boyle would open the 2nd quarter scoring for the Dynamite with 11:10 remaining.  The Fury's Zach Duo would answer back yet again, this time with Speed scoring.  With 50 seconds remaining in the half, Tony Avery would score (assisted by Beto Hernandez) to give the Dynamite a 4-3 lead going into the break, in an equally matched, see-saw affair.  

The 3rd quarter saw the Hamilton/Kendal Duo strike again, this time with Taylor Kendal scoring the goal to put the Dynamite up 5-3 at 9:38.  Fort Collins would strike back again, this time under a minute later with Mark Kupter's second goal.  Less than two minutes later at 7:05, Jason Boyle would score his second goal (assisted by Tony Avery) to restore the Dynamite lead to two.  At 5:30 Jay Hamilton would dish out another assist, this time on a Travis Carey goal, giving the Dynamite their largest lead at 7-4 which they took into the 4th.

Early in the 4th a tired but determined Fury club cut the lead back to 7-5 at 11:35 with a second goal by Zach Cousins.  Tony Avery put the Dynamite up 8-5 at 8:50, and Denver was starting to show signs of pulling away.  Tony Thomas would assist on Taylor Kendal's second goal at 4:05, Tony Avery scored his third at 2:49, and Travis Carey would score his second at 2:22 (off Hamilton's 4th assist) to finish out the scoring and secure an 11-5 victory for Denver.  

The depth of the Dynamite roster showed with breakthrough performances for Taylor Kendal, Travis Carey, and Jason Boyle; who each scored two goals (plus an assist for Kendal).  The Dynamite were missing early season contributors Poncho Puente and Mike Ogletree.   The three line attack employed by Coach Estrada proved very effective against a Fury club with only one substitute, eventually wearing them down.  Estrada's specific line pairings also seemed to work very well, with some of the best possession and ball movement seen by a Dynamite club since their PASL-Pro days. 

Tony Avery led the Dynamite with 3 goals, and Jay Hamilton led with 4 assists.  Despite the loss, Goalkeeper Devin Koncar delivered 26 saves for the Fury.   

Rocky Mountain Roundup - Week 8

Week 8 in the Rocky Mountain Division saw no action as the Dynamite home opener on Friday was postponed yet again, this time due to a snowstorm.  The Blizzard-Dynamite match will be moved to a later date, not yet announced. 


After Week 8, the standings still look like this......

Rocky Mountain Division	GP	W	L	T	Pts
Colorado Blizzard	5	5	0	0	15			Still one win away from clinching first
Ft. Collins Fury	6	3	2	1	10			The Fury can clinch a playoff spot this weekend if they win 2
Denver Dynamite	3	1	2	0	3			3 games in a huge weekend for the Dynamite
Edwards Freedom	6	0	5	1	1			A doubleheader on Saturday to end the season

     The upcoming weekend is huge, with 4 games.  Friday night at 9:30pm, The Denver Dynamite will finally host their league home opener against the second place Fort Collins Fury.  This match could very well decide who finishes second in the Division, although both clubs are still mathematically alive for first. 

     On Saturday night at 7pm in Edwards, the Freedom close their season with a home doubleheader vs. the Dynamite.  The two matches pose a huge opportunity for Denver, with the possibility of collecting 6 points in one night.  If Edwards earn a sweep, it could end the Dynamite's playoff hopes!  Both matches will be shorter than regulation, with the second match slated for approximately 7:45 pm. 


     On Saturday night at 8pm in Monument, the Colorado Blizzard host the Fort Collins Fury in another huge match.  This match will no doubt be important for the Fury's playoff hopes, while the Blizzard hope to clinch first place in their final home match.  


     After the smoke clears from this weekend we should have a much clearer playoff picture, with only two matches remaining between the Dynamite and Blizzard. 

Dynamite Look to Finish the 2011-12 Season with Heart

February is going to be a big month for the Dynamite.  Not only is it the biggest home stand of the season for them with 3 of the last five games at Apex, but February is also National Heart month! And in appreciation for our Head Coach, the Dynamite want to honor all of those who have suffered or have had friends or family dealing with this deadly disease at each and every match in our final home stand this month.  We will play with Heart!

As a few of our fans know, Chuck Estrada has been suffering from a Congenital Heart Disorder that has ended his playing career and until this season his coaching career.  Chuck is currently on the Heart Transplant List and has gathered strength from his players to keep him going on the sideline.  This along with the Mended Little Hearts, has helped him with a new found purpose to succeed. "I've known, worked and even played with Coach Estrada for many years.  He has always been not only focused but a fighter; never a quitter.  Ad that is exactly why I asked Chuck to come back into the league with the Dynamite because I knew he would bring that level of competition to the floor.  Which is what the fans want and the pool of talented players in Denver need." Mac Howell, Rocky Mountain Regional Manager for the PASL-Premier.

Before taking an 18 month leave from coaching, Estrada led the Denver Dynamite (at the time in the Professional Area Soccer League) to an appearance in the PASL-Pro playoffs and 2 quarterfinal appearances in the US Arena Open Cup.  Since his return to coaching, he again has led the Dynamite to another quarterfinal appearance in that same open cup, but under the semi-pro/amateur status the Premier Arena Soccer League holds (PASL-Premier).

"We have been able to regroup and for the first time in a month will have a full squad to compete against all the quality teams in the Rocky Mountain Division. I decided to come back and head up this team because I have unfinished business.  I feel that I let these guys down in 2010 when I had to step away from the team because of my ailing health.  Now, no matter what I want to give these guys a fighting chance to do something good for themselves and the city!" Coach Estrada

Now the Dynamite are looking to close out the season with a run to the PASL-Premier National Championships.  Denver can still take the Division title by winning each of their final 5 games, but need only to either win 3 with either a pair of Fury ties/losses, win 3 (including Ft. Collins) and tie at least 1 if the Fury should defeat the Blizzard, or win 4 as long as the Fury fail to win both their final 2 matches to qualify.

The fact that its heart month and the chance that the Dynamite can finish the season in 1st shows the spirit that Coach Estrada brings to the table.  "I think what Chuck has done for this team and players have showed his true character.  He has done everything in his power to try to make us succeed and give us a place to play.  We understand what he is going through and praying everyday that he gets that phone call he rightfully deserves.  As for the remainder of the season and playoffs, as a team we have to take it one game at a time.  All we can control is ourselves.  We can't worry about what the other three teams are doing.  If we win our games that are left on our schedule then it will give us a good chance to compete for the league title.  If you put our fate into other teams hands it usually doesn't turn out so good.  We have a good squad and if we play at our best ability we know we can get the job done." Captain Jay Hamilton.

The Dynamite return to league action at 9:30PM this Friday at their new home, Apex Field House, 10664 W 58th Ave, Arvada, CO 80002, for what will be a heated match with newly formed rival, the Colorado Blizzard as they continue to look at capturing their first Rocky Mountain Division, and PASL-Premier championship titles.   Single game tickets are just $5 at the door for general admission, or $15 to get a group of 4 over the age of 8 in the door.  Also, Family4Life season ticket packages are still available for just a $40 donation.

Rocky Mountain Roundup - Week 7

 A Week 7 that was light in action with only one match was light in goals as well....

On Saturday night in Monument, the Colorado Blizzard faced the Edwards Freedom for the second straight game.   The first half saw impressive defensive play on both sides, with the home team scoring one goal in each quarter.  With a 2-0 lead at the half, the Blizzard started to pick it up on offense in the 3rd Quarter, scoring 2 more goals for a 4-0 lead.  In the final Quarter, a 6th foul penalty by Edwards gave the Blizzard a power play, which they took full advantage of to take a 5-0 lead.  Edwards would not give up, and in the process took risks resulting in another goal, losing 6-0.  The one constant was the Blizzard defense and Goaltender Justin Dzuba, who made 16 saves in his first shutout of the season.  Dzuba has 5 career shutouts in the PASL, a very impressive statistic.  Ryan Creager led the Blizzard attack with 2 goals. 

Blizzard Coach John Wells had this to say: "With the great crowd we had tonight Dzuba picked a good night to have a shutout, the crowd was yelling and cheering every time he made a save, and the rest of the team fed off that energy. Overall it was a good performance by the players as we look forward to our return leg against the Dynamite next weekend. I will also be glad to have back several of our first choice players who have been away at Pro Combines trying to apply their trade at the next level. Thanks to all who came out and supported the Blizzard on Saturday night."


After Week 7, the standings look like this......

Rocky Mountain Division	GP	W	L	T	Pts
Colorado Blizzard	5	5	0	0	15			One win away from clinching first
Ft. Collins Fury	6	3	2	1	10			The weekend of Feb.10/11 will decide their fate...
Denver Dynamite	3	1	2	0	3			5 games in the next 3 weeks, a huge month for the Dynamite
Edwards Freedom	6	0	5	1	1			A doubleheader on Feb.11th to end the season

Week 8 sees only one match as well, and it's a big one.  The undefeated Blizzard travel to Arvada to play at the home of the Denver Dynamite for the first time, on Friday night at 9:30 pm.  So far the Dynamite have come closer to beating the Blizzard than anyone else this season.  Both teams look to be at full strength in the league home opener for the Dynamite.  A win for the Blizzard will not only clinch a playoff spot, but it would clinch first place and the right to host the Division Championship Game.  The Dynamite, who do not want to see their rivals from the south clinch the regular season in their home opener, also need the victory to keep pace with the Fury for second place.  

Rocky Mountain Roundup - Week 6

Week 6 in the Rocky Mountain Division saw matches in two states on Saturday night....

The Colorado Blizzard braved the elements on their trip to Edwards, on a snowy day in the Rockies.  The first half was a stalemate, with a 1-1 tie after the first quarter and a 3-3 tie at the break.  The road and weather weary Blizzard finally got going in the second half, erupting for 8 straight goals. Colorado led 8-3 after the third quarter, and then scored 3 more goals in the 4th before Edwards got their only goal of the second half to end the match.  The second half domination gave the Blizzard an 11-4 victory and a 4-0 record, alone at the top.

Blizzard Coach John Wells gave his take on the match: " It is always interesting driving to Edwards in the winter months, but hey, that's why we play indoor. Having several players get caught behind snow plows on the pass and not arriving much before kickoff made our line up a little off the first half. At halftime I made a few adjustments due to personnel and some interesting refereeing, and we found our stride and got back to playing Soccer, and I think the result speaks for itself. It's always good to get a win on the road. "

At the same time in the DFW area, a Dynamite squad that made a trek of their own (a 14 hour drive),  took on the PASL-Premier 2009 National Champion Vitesse Dallas.  Travis Carey, who led the Dynamite with 4 goals, started the scoring before Vitesse would score 3 straight to take a 3-1 lead after one quarter. Despite controlling much of the possession in the second quarter, the Dynamite could only manage a free kick goal from Dan Millard, and found themselves down 6-2 at the half.  Both squads would score 2 each in the third, with Carey scoring the Dynamite goals.  Starting the 4th down 8-4, Carey and Fernando Yepes would score for the Dynamite to cut the lead to 9-6 with 5 minutes left.

At this point in the match the Dynamite let it all hang out, according to Captain Dan Millard -“With just over five minutes left in the game, and back down to a three goal deficit, we knew the momentum had started to change and hoped some extra risks would lead to tieing up the game.” In the process Vitesse Dallas would score two more goals to win 11-6, but the Dynamite can walk away knowing they gave it their all.  Vitesse, who were led by the 3 goals of Tito Salas, now advance to the US Arena Open Semifinals for the second time. 

After Week 6, the standings look like this......

Rocky Mountain Division	GP	W	L	T	Pts
Colorado Blizzard	4	4	0	0	12			Halfway through the season, and still undefeated
Ft. Collins Fury	6	3	2	1	10			With only 2 games left, the Fury will be doing lots of scoreboard watching down the stretch
Denver Dynamite	3	1	2	0	3			Still in 3rd, but Denver has the most games remaining
Edwards Freedom	5	0	4	1	1			One more loss/tie, and Edwards is mathematically eliminated from finishing in the top 2

This coming Saturday night at 8:15pm we will see a rematch between the Colorado Blizzard and Edwards Freedom, this time in the Colorado Springs Area, at the Colorado Sports Center in Monument.  The Blizzard look to further solidify their bid for a playoff spot, while the Freedom need to win to stay alive in the hunt for the top two.  This is the only game of the week in the Division.

The top two teams in the standings will make the Rocky Mountain championship match, provided both accept the invitation.  That match is tentatively scheduled for the weekend of February 25th.  The winner of that match would receive an invitation to the 2012 PASL-Premier National Championships in San Diego, March 9-10.

Denver Loss Spared No Thrills or Chills in a Classic Colorado Rivalry

Back in the day, the PASL-Pro’s two closest teams geographically, the Denver Dynamite and Colorado Lightning might have been the farthest apart when it came to their approach to the game.  But that two angled approach kept the crowds on the edge of their seats during their five head-to-head match-ups. The first three were all decided in overtime and the others in the final minutes.

In the first meeting Colorado rallied to win 10-9 in overtime on Denver’s home field, and in the return match it was Denver who walked away with a dramatic come-from-behind 8-7 overtime win at Colorado’s home turf, the Budweiser Events Center. Denver won in the same fashion in the round of 16 in the U.S. Arena Open Cup with a 5-4 overtime victory. The final two matches belonged to the Dynamite as well, 9-6 and 9-5 on the final game of regular season, which pushed Denver into the playoffs back in 2009.

Those professional days with Lightning and Dynamite may not be around anymore, but with the second coming of the Denver Dynamite on the heels of the Colorado Blizzard rolling in forecasts the same “edge of your seat” excitement…

After all the facility and scheduling issues were ironed out, the first of 3 matches everyone has been talking about finally took place last Saturday in Monument.  Game-play was intense from both sides despite it ending up to be a low scoring affair.

 The Blizzard threatened early and often the first half taking a 2 – 0 lead into the break. Later in the third quarter, the Dynamite got on the scoreboard with a swift strike from Roby Monroe to cut the Blizzard lead in half.

Then things got wild as the Denver defense was put to the test down 2 men until Colorado suffered a matching penalty to create a 3 v 4 scenario and really open up play. Both sides managed to hold on defensively as players came back on 1 by 1 for penalties served.  Though it was not good enough as the Blizzard who scored to close out the quarter.

Regrouped and focused, the Dynamite answered back with a goal by Roby Monroe, assisted by Travis Carey to open in the 4th.  Then Michael Archuleta picked up a backdoor goal for the Blizzard to regain their two goal advantage at 4 – 2.  But that didn’t crush the Dynamite’s hopes yet.  

With less than six minutes left in the match, Denver pulled their keeper, Bart Jones, and brought on Tony Avery as a 6th attacker.  The switch appeared to immediately pay dividends with a lightning fast 5 on 2 run found the ball in the back of the net.  Unfortunately the restart took place quicker than the clock and was called back.  Shortly after, Poncho Puente pinpointed Roby Monroe in amazing fashion to assist in Monroe’s hat trick.  But it was not enough to overtake the Blizzard. Final score Blizzard 4, Dynamite 3.

 The Dynamite now take a break from league action to take on Vitesse Dallas in Arlington, TX this Saturday at 8PM, with the winner set to play either the Detroit Waza or Cincinnati Kings on the road in the US Arena Open Cup.

Rocky Mountain Roundup - Week 5

2012 opened with a bang in the Rocky Mountain Division, with two intensely close matches.

On Saturday afternoon, in a match moved to an earlier time to honor the Denver Broncos playoff run, the two arena soccer clubs involved matched the score of their football brethren on the day.  The Edwards Freedom and Fort Collins Fury scorched the nets in a 10-10 offensive shootout.  The 20 total goals was the highest in the Division this season. 

Later that night, a Denver Dynamite club missing 7 players came very close to upsetting the undefeated Colorado Blizzard who were missing 4 players, losing 4-3 in a defensive battle.  Roby Monroe led the Dynamite attack with a hat trick, scoring all of the team's 3 goals.  Justin Dzuba turned in another good performance in the nets for the Blizzard, maintaining a 2.5 GAA in two starts. 

After Week 5, the standings look like this......

Rocky Mountain Division	GP	W	L	T	Pts
Colorado Blizzard	3	3	0	0	9			Out of the Open Cup, but still undefeated in the regular season
Ft. Collins Fury	6	3	2	1	10			With only 2 games left, the Fury will be doing lots of scoreboard watching down the stretch
Denver Dynamite	3	1	2	0	3			Despite the spirited showing, Denver is now 2 games out of a playoff spot
Edwards Freedom	4	0	3	1	1			Edwards picks up their first point of the season

Next Saturday night at 7pm, the Blizzard make their only trip to Edwards, hoping to preserve their undefeated record.  After the Edwards 10 goal performance, and the consistent defensive quality of the Blizzard, something has to give!

At the same, time the Denver Dynamite represent the division as they travel to the Lone Star State to take on Vitesse Dallas in the US Arena Soccer Open Championship Quarterfinals.   Vitesse, a PASL-Premier club from the South Central Division, opened their regular season last week with a 4-4 tie at the Austin Gunners.  The winner will earn a trip to the semifinals, where they would visit a PASL professional club, the Detroit Waza or the Cincinnati Kings.

Denver Looks to Carey Another Dynamite Player on Their Roster

The Denver Dynamite announced today the triumphant return of former Dynamite and New York Shockers forward Travis Carey as they look to bolster their roster during their Rocky Mountain Divisional and US Arena Open Championship run.

Travis was originally signed as a practice player during 2008-09 season when the team was a member of the Professional Arena Soccer League after a successful season first place finish with New York in the PASL-Premier's New England Division back in 2007-08 .  During the 2009-10 season, Carey appeared on the first team before he experienced a knee injury that cut his season short.

But that didn't leave Travis sidelined for long as he teamed up with Red Rocks Church and o form adult soccer leagues that also run soccer camps for underprivileged youth.  Which proves a quality on the pitch that meshes well with Coach Estrada's off the field activisms making him an exemplary re-addition to the team.

The Dynamite continue to look at capturing their first Rocky Mountain Division, US Arena Open Cup and PASL-Premier championship titles when they open at their new home for 2012 in February: Apex Field House, 10664 W 58th Ave, Arvada, CO 80002.  Single game tickets are just $5 at the door for general admission and Family4Life season ticket packages are still available for just a $40 donation. 

Rocky Mountain Roundup - Week 4

Week 4 of the Rocky Mountain Division was supposed to see two pivotal matches to end the holiday break.  Instead we saw one forfeit and one rescheduled match. 

On Friday night, the Dynamite were supposed to host the Colorado Blizzard in a match that doubled as the US Arena Open Soccer Championships Round of 16.  The Winter Break saw the Dynamite change their home venue from Highlands Ranch to the new APEX Field House in Arvada, as well as the Blizzard dropping out of the US Arena Open Championships.  This series of events led to the Dynamite being awarded a Quarterfinal berth in the Open Championships, as well as the regular season match between the two clubs being postponed to a later date, to be announced.

The Dynamite, who will be the Rocky Mountain Region's representative in the US Arena Open Championships, learned that they will be playing Vitesse Dallas in the Quarterfinals, after Dallas defeated Springfield 7-5 on Sunday.   The Dynamite will travel to Texas on January 21st for an 8:00PM kickoff in Arlington .  

In place of the regularly scheduled match, The Dynamite hosted "The Dynamite Showcase" between Dynamite Team 1 in Blue and Dynamite Team 2 in Red.  Dynamite Team 1 was victorious 6-3.

On Saturday night, the Colorado Blizzard were awarded a 3-0 forfeit victory over the Fort Collins Fury, who for some reason were unable to make the trip south.   After the forfeit, the standings look like this:

Rocky Mountain Division	GP	W	L	T	Pts
Colorado Blizzard	2	2	0	0	6			The Blizzard take a 2-0 record into their home match vs. the Dynamite on Jan. 14th....
Ft. Collins Fury	5	3	2	0	9			The Fury will face each team on the road once to close out their season
Denver Dynamite	2	1	1	0	3			After splitting two road games the Dynamite will finally play their 3rd match on Jan. 14th....
Edwards Freedom	3	0	3	0	0			The 0-3 Freedom still have a shot to turn their season around....

On Saturday, January 14th, the season will finally resume.  At 3pm in Edwards, the Freedom will hope to turn their season around versus the Fort Collins Fury.  The Fury will hope to boost their playoff hopes with a win to improve upon their 3-2 record.   At 8pm in Monument, the Blizzard (2-0) and Dynamite (1-1) will finally meet in a pivotal match for two clubs that each have 6 games remaining in their respective seasons.

Rocky Mountain Roundup - Week 3

Week 3 in the Rocky Mountain Division saw only one match going into the holiday break.

On Saturday night, we saw the first rematch of the season as the Edwards Freedom returned to Ft. Collins, looking to avenge their season opening loss to the Fury.  Edwards looked like they may do just that in the first half, as they took a 3-2 lead into the break.  But just as they did in the first matchup, the Fury put away what was a close game at the half, with a dominating second half performance - this time outscoring the Freedom 5-0 in the second half, to win 7-3. 

The Freedom fall to 0-3 and will have some catching up to do if they want a shot at the Division title game.  The Blizzard (1-0) and the Fury (3-1) look to be the top contenders at the moment, with the 1-1 Dynamite hanging back in 3rd.  The Dynamite showed potential in their first match, but some inconsistency in their second. 

Going into the holiday break, the standings look like this:

Rocky Mountain Division	GP	W	L	T	Pts
Ft. Collins Fury	4	3	1	0	9			The Fury  close out their home stand with 3 of 4 wins, now they face 4 straight road matches in their quest for the Division....
Colorado Blizzard	1	1	0	0	3			The Blizzard look like the team to beat after an impressive 10-2 victory in Ft. Collins.
Denver Dynamite	2	1	1	0	3			After splitting two road games the Dynamite await the Blizzard on Jan. 6th...
Edwards Freedom	3	0	3	0	0			Still a quality squad, but there are no weeks off in this division!

On Friday January 6th, 2012; the season will resume with a huge match between the Colorado Blizzard and the Denver Dynamite. Not only is it the home opener for the Dynamite, but the match also doubles as a Round of 16 match in the US Open Arena Soccer Championships.  The winner will move on to the Quarterfinals to face the winner of the Vitesse Dallas-Springfield Demize match on Sunday, January 8th.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011-12_United_States_Open_Cup_for_Arena_Soccer

On Saturday January 7th, the Ft. Collins Fury will travel down to Monument to face a Colorado Blizzard squad that dominated them 10-2 up in Ft. Collins, for the Fury's only loss of the season.   This could turn out to be a very pivotal match for the Division title race.

Give, Receive, Join The Dynamite Family4Life

The Denver Dynamite are pleased to be able to help out Head Coach Charles Estrada, who also serves as The Men & Teen Support Leader for Mended Little Hearts, by making the Family4Life season ticket package available for just a $40 donation.  Each Family4Life package includes 4 tickets for each of the 4 Premier Arena Soccer League (PASL-Premier)’s Winter 2011-12 home games, an $80 value.

Coach Estrada was born with a congenital heart condition called transposition of the great vessels, sometimes termed ‘blue baby,’ and as a newborn his chances of survival weren't good.  He had his first surgery at 20 months old and from that moment on, he started fighting, and he's never stopped doing what doctors said he never would: he grew up, like a normal kid, deciding early on that he wanted to play sports despite the risk it meant for his heart.

Before helping run and coaching Denver Dynamite, Chuck’s accolades include playing for both the United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues (USISL) Premier Development Soccer League's Pikes Peak Stampede and the Southwest Indoor Soccer League (SWISL)'s Colorado Springs Rattlers from 1995-1996. In 1999 he was drafted by the Utah Freezz of the World Indoor Soccer League (WISL), where after being traded to Houston, it was discovered that his heart condition was destined to keep him from making his professional debut.  But he didn’t let it stop him from perusing his dreams and living his life thru other avenues.

According to Charles, "I think one thing that helped me was that I was an athlete through high school, college and as a semi-professional.  I am now on the leadership team for Mended Little Hearts. I help give support to young adults and teens along w support for the fathers who have Children w Congenital Heart Defects (CHD). My goal is to show families that just because your child had a CHD it doesn't mean that lives are over due to it.”

“In all the years I have known Chuck; I can definitely say that he is a true model of why winners never give up. Coach Estrada has been actively involved in helping others despite being on the transplant list for the past 13 months without luck.  So yes, naturally, he gets anxious every time his phone rings thinking this could save his life: a call from University Hospital in Denver that they've found him a new heart” explains Mac Howell, Rocky Mountain Regional Manager for the PASL-Premier.

And because of this, the Dynamite understands that the Estrada family is going thru tough times and accordingly wants to help raise the necessary monies.  One way the Dynamite have decided to do so, is sell a Family4Life season ticket package with all proceeds going back to the The Charles Estrada Heart Fund.

“The Family4Life package is a wonderful idea. Not only do the fans get a great price, but it is a way to help out someone in need. Basically buying this package is also giving a donation the The Charles Estrada Heart Fund. With knowing Chuck personally, we all know that he needs this fundraiser. He already has been on the transplant list for over the year. All we can do is play the waiting game. So all donations, such as this one, and charity will help out for future bills. It helps the Estrada family out in a major way.” Joseph Tolentino, Operations & Marketing Director.

Coach Estrada, Highlands Ranch Community Association & Everyone at the Denver Dynamite also want to remind everyone about the importance of being an organ donor.

The Dynamite continue to look at capturing their first Rocky Mountain Division, US Arena Open Cup and PASL-Premier championship titles when they open at home January 6th, 7:30PM at the Westridge Recreation Center in Highlands Ranch, CO. Single game tickets are also available for just $5 at the door for general admission and $1 for HRCA members. The Denver Dynamite will also be accepting donations, online or at the game, in any amount on behalf of the Estrada’s for those who can’t make the season commitment but still wish to help.

 

Charles Estrada Heart Fund (Any Amount Helps)

$40 Season Ticket Package (Includes 4 Season Passes)

Rocky Mountain Roundup - Week 2

Week 2 in the Rocky Mountain Division was a busy one, with three matches.

Saturday night saw the return of the Denver Dynamite in Edwards.  In a match of streaks, the Dynamite started out with a 3-0 lead, only for the Freedom to score 4 straight to take a 4-3 lead.  The teams then traded goals until the halftime break, where they were tied 5-5.  Mike Ogletree was the star of the first half and the game, with 4 first half goals.   The Dynamite would then score 3 straight goals in the third quarter to take an 8-5 lead.  The teams traded goals the rest of the way and the Dynamite would win, 10-7.

At the same time the Colorado Blizzard made a statement that they are still the team to beat, turning in a dominating performance in Ft. Collins, beating the Fury 10-2.

Sunday night the road weary Dynamite would travel to Ft. Collins, and the Fury came out guns blazing, looking to prove that Saturday night was a fluke.  They certainly looked the more motivated of the two squads, dominating the first half and taking a 5-0 lead into the break.  The second half would see the Dynamite offense start to pick things up, aided by a number of power plays, but it wasn't enough as the Fury prevailed, 7-3. 

After two weeks, the standings look like this:

Rocky Mountain Division	GP	W	L	T	Pts
Ft. Collins Fury	3	2	1	0	6			The Fury have the most wins, but only one home game remaining in the regular season.
Colorado Blizzard	1	1	0	0	3			The Blizzard look like the team to beat after an impressive 10-2 victory in Ft. Collins.
Denver Dynamite	2	1	1	0	3			After splitting two road games the Dynamite await the Blizzard on Jan. 6th...
Edwards Freedom	2	0	2	0	0			A quality squad, but this is shaping up to be a tough division!

Next weekend the Edwards Freedom return to Ft. Collins for the first rematch of the season, on Saturday December 17th at 7pm.  Both teams will be motivated to win this match.  Edwards will not want to be 0-3 going into the holiday break, and the Fury will want to win their final home match of the regular season before they embark on 4 straight road matches.  This will be the last match until Friday January 6th, 2012.

Dynamite fall in Ft Collins

The Dynamite came out flat in the second of back to back road games in their opening weekend, losing 7-3 to a Ft. Collins Fury club looking for redemption after a loss to the Blizzard the previous night.

In a reversal of fortune for both clubs, the Fury scored goals at the 10:15 and 15 second mark (the second goal by Zach Speed) of the first quarter to take a 2-0 lead.  Dynamite veteran Tony Thomas would leave the game with an injury in his first match of the season.

The trend would continue in the second quarter, as the Fury rattled off three more goals, at the 10:55 mark, at 7:40 - a second goal by Speed, and at 1:32 by Justin Mynatt.   The Dynamite could not connect on their passes in the first half, combined with a few defensive mistakes, which would result in the Fury taking a commanding 5-0 lead into the half.

In the 3rd Quarter the Dynamite started to wake up, with a power play goal by Chad Pearson in his debut match of the season.  Fort Collins would score with 30 seconds remaining in the quarter to keep the margin at 5 goals, 6-1.

The Dynamite really started to click offensively in the 4th Quarter, with a Sean Stedeford goal with 9:40 remaining.  With about 5 minutes remaining, the Dynamite brought in Tony Avery as the sixth attacker.  Combine this with a power play, and the Dynamite scored quickly with a Mike Ogletree goal, assisted by Jay Hamilton (at 4:18).  The Fury would put the game away with an empty net goal at 1:48, to win 7-3. 

The Dynamite go into the Christmas/New Year's break with 2 road matches under their belt and a 1-1 record, awaiting the Colorado Blizzard for their January 6th home opener. 

Dynamite Prevail in PASL-Premier Debut

The former PASL-Pro club began their new existence in the PASL-Premier Rocky Mountain Division, with a 10-7 victory at the Edwards Freedom.

After a scoreless 8 minutes, Mike Ogletree scored the first goal for the Dynamite in their new era.  Ogletree scored the second Dynamite goal as well, quickly followed with a breakaway goal by Poncho Puente, to give the Dynamite an early 3-0 lead. Tulio Fayre scored for Edwards with 36 seconds left in the first quarter to cut the lead to 3-1.

The first half of the second quarter was dominated by the Freedom, with goals by Pavel Belov, Alex Darbut, and Roberto Morales. The Freedom took what would end up being their only lead of the game, 4-3.  Mike Ogletree scored back to back goals at 3:10 and 2:40 to put the Dynamite back in the lead, 5-4.

This capped an extremely impressive first half for Ogletree, who scored 4 goals.  Duane Pelz responded with a power play goal for Edwards with 55 seconds left in the half, and the teams would go into the locker room tied 5-5.

The first twelve minutes of the third quarter was a defensive battle, with the Dynamite killing off two penalties. During this time period, as well as in the first 8 minutes of the match, the Dynamite defense showed tremendous poise while shutting down numerous opportunities for the Edwards offense. In the last 3 minutes of the quarter, the Dynamite exploded with three straight goals by Jay Hamilton, Tony Avery, and Brandon Devores; to go up 8-5.

Duane Pelz scored his second goal to bring Edwards within two goals with 7:58 left in the match, but Jay Hamilton responded with a Dynamite goal 30 seconds later. Alex Darbut would score his second goal for Edwards with 3:42 left to cut the score to 9-7, but it was too late as Tony Avery would finish out the scoring with 21.4 seconds left, and the Dynamite won 10-7.

Mike Ogletree led the Dynamite with 4 goals, while Tony Avery and Jay Hamilton had 2 goals apiece. Poncho Puente had one goal but also contributed with a number of assists. It was a promising start for a club that only dressed 11 field players, and were missing Tony Thomas and Chad Pearson. Poncho Puente and Mike Ogletree were a great combo on offense,  with the duo being involved in the majority of Denver's scoring opportunities.

There is no time to rest for the Dynamite (1-0). With back to back road matches, they travel to Ft. Collins on Sunday night at 6pm to face the Fury (1-1).  The Fury will be looking to rebound after a 10-2 pounding at the hands of defending division champs the Colorado Blizzard.  Both the the Fury and Dynamite beat Edwards by a 3 goal margin, so it looks to be a good match up.

Rocky Mountain Roundup - Week 1

In the opening match of the 2011-12 PASL-Premier Rocky Mountain Division season, hosts Fort Collins Fury took the early division lead by defeating the Edwards Freedom, 8-5. The Fury withstood a first half 3 goal barrage by Duane Pelz of the Freedom to take a narrow 4-3 lead at the break, before pulling away in the second half.

Week two's busy schedule sees the return of the Denver Dynamite, when they travel to the mountains to take on Edwards, kicking off Saturday night at 7pm. At the exact same time, the Colorado Blizzard begin their title defense in Ft Collins against the only team to beat them in the division last year , the Fury (both squads finished 7-1 in the regular season). Sunday night at 6pm, the Dynamite takes their turn visiting Ft. Collins to re-kindle a rivalry with the Fury, who are successors to their original rival, the Colorado Lightning.

This weekend will be a pivotal one for both the Dynamite and Fury, who will each play two games. The Fury need to make the most of their opening 4 game home stand, while the Dynamite hope to start their new era with a bang on their two game road trip. With the top two teams from last year facing off, plus the return of the Dynamite, it promises to be a great weekend of Arena Soccer in Colorado!

Stay tuned, as the Rocky Mountain Roundup will be a season long weekly report on the happenings in the PASL-Premier Rocky Mountain Division.

Dynamite Bring on Ferguson, Monroe & Puente More...

The mood is set; the final pieces are in place, and the Dynamite look to make a triumphant return to indoor soccer circuit of the Premier Arena Soccer League, "One Touch at a Time."  Not when the first whistle blows; not then, but now... Dynamite, ignite:

After a successful season with the Springfield Demize (currently on hiatus from the PASL-Pro) last season, Justin Ferguson found himself back west and eager to help rebuild the Dynamite. Justin's other accolades include Trials with FC New York & Richmond Kickers (USL-Pro), 2009 PDL All Conference Honorable Mention with the Springfield Demize (USL-PDL).

Roby Monroe, makes his Dynamite return to the Highlands Ranch, CO based squad. But before his origins with Denver, he played for the Colorado Lightning in the PASL-Pro's inaugural season and was rostered on the original San Diego Sockers, who played in the previous incarnation of the Major Indoor Soccer League. He also played on several United Soccer League; Premier Development League (USL-PDL) teams such as the Colorado Comets, San Diego Gauchos, El Paso Patriots, and Nashville Metros. He also spent a stint in Cincinnati with the Riverhawks who played in the USL's A-League, now known as USL-Pro.

A diamond in the rough, Poncho Puente, came out of nowhere working his way up from the Denver's reserve squad in Dynamite fashion, notching 6 goals and 9 points in his first PASL-Pro match;  2nd only to the San Diego Sockers: Kraig Chiles and fellow teammate Jay Hamilton (7 goals, 11 points) in the Professional Arena Soccer League's history.

Other notable players from the PASL-Premier joining the Dynamite family are defenders Danny Bills & Tyler Conley and midfielders Taylor Kendal & Andrew Kummer (Colorado Predators/Denver Dragons), plus Defender Dan Millard & forward Trevor Wheeler (Denver Boom) with goalkeeper Jordan Howes (Golden Strikers).

The Dynamite kick off their 2011-12 campaign on the road with back-to-back games this weekend in Edwards, where they face Freedom FC on Saturday at 7PM; followed by a trip up I-25 to Ft. Collins to go toe-to-toe with the Fury Sunday at 6PM.

One Touch at a Time: Rattlers & HRCA Retro-brand with Dynamite Flare

Highlands Ranch -- The Rocky Mountain Rattlers, in conjunction with the Highlands Ranch Community Association (HRCA), announced Monday that the team has changed its official name to the Denver Dynamite.

The dynamic change forged with this new partnership reflects the original expansion name awarded by Professional Arena Soccer League in March 2008 and again returns the Dynamite brand to Denver thru the Premier Arena Soccer League (developmental division for the PASL's pro league).

  

The Dynamite Crest and the "*" brand will continue to be the marketing focus of the organization and the Westridge Recreation Center in Highlands Ranch, remains the home of the 2004 defending American League Western Division Champions.

  

The Dynamite have enjoyed tremendous success on the field in Denver, highlighted by a trio of quarter final appearances:

• Beginning with the 2008-09 PASL-Pro North American Finals Appearance against Tigres Dorados MRCI Oaxaca (LMFR, Mexico) held at Stockton, CA. 
• Followed by the 2008-09 United States Open Cup for Arena Soccer against the Tacoma Stars (PASL-Premier, now Pro).
• Concluded with the 2009-10 United States Open Cup for Arena Soccer against Vitesse Dallas (PASL-Premier).

Player/Coach Tony Avery said, “I think we’re going to add a good mix of new and old faces to the indoor game.  Once we get our top 15 picked, I believe we will get off to a good start.

Our motto will be, “One Touch at a Time.”  Sunday’s training went well and got to see how some of the new players worked without some of our seasoned veterans and I definitely think the mix of leadership and flare will be dynamite to watch.”

The organization will continue to work closely with the HRCA in promoting the Highlands Ranch and surrounding Denver communities as they build the foundation to return the professional arena soccer experience back to the Mile High City “One Touch at a Time.”

The Dynamite will look to capturing their first division and PASL-Premier championship titles when their inaugural season gets underway in December. Single game tickets are just $5 at the door for general admission and $1 for HRCA members.