Sisters men play on winning soccer team

Brian Holden and Rich Hummell of Sisters came back winners from a weekend in Vegas, but the green they played on wasn’t the felt of a blackjack or craps table. It was the grass of a soccer pitch.

The two Sisters men were part of a men’s over-30 soccer team that took on teams from all around the United States in the 2006 Friendship Tournament on January 14-16.

The Central Oregon team won six games to take home the trophy in their class.

The last two games came down to penalty kicks. Holden, a forward, scored the semi-final game-winner and goal-keeper Hummell kept the Southern California opponent out of the goal for a 1-0 final win.

The win was sweet for a team that plays together in outdoor tournaments about twice a year. They faced teams with professional players and experienced collegiate alumni squads.

“We were outclassed a bit,” said Hummell. “But we played it well and we were really scrappy.”

While the team only gets together in this configuration a couple of times a year, the players are experienced and play a lot together. Some are members of the Steelheaders indoor league team and others play in a summer outdoor men’s league.

“It’s just a good group of guys,” Hummell said. “Most of them are friends.”