Now that the North Cariboo Senior Soccer League has had its icebreaker tournament and teams have had chances to replenish their rosters in the league player draft, the real fun begins next week when they start shooting real bullets.
In the open division, the defending regular season and playoff champion Westwood Sports Pub will have five teams to contend with, including Rolling Mix Concrete (the playoff runners-up), Molson Grewal Group, Fountain Tire and the Prince George Youth Soccer Association under-18 boys team.
The open division schedule starts Wednesday night at 8:30 with Westwood Pub taking on Molson.
The four-team 30-plus division includes Queensway Auto World (the 2014 regular season champions), Eden Spas/Geotech (2014 playoff champions) and Assante Management, Powerhouse. Assante and Queensway Auto World meet this Monday at 8:30 p.m. to begin the 30-plus schedule.
Back for more in the 45-plus division are the Caledonians (defending league champions), Subway (defending playoff champions), Gunners and Kickers. Subway kicks off the 45-plus season against the Gunners on Monday at 6:30 p.m.
The league has altered the age restriction in the 45-plus division to allow each team to carry as many as three players aged 40-44 to try to boost roster sizes.
Registration in the league's recreation division has dropped off dramatically, from 46 in 2014 to 20 this year. League president Matt Thomson said the writing was on the all last year when the recreation games drew as few as 12 players. But interest in the new 50-plus seven-a-side kickarounds has been better than expected, with 28 players signed up for the weekly Tuesday evening games.
The league schedules continue into late August, with playoffs in all three divisions starting in September.
For more information, go to the league website at ncssl.com.
