Packing Up The Home for New Digs

Here's the official scoop from the York papers about The Blast. The print edition had some additional quotes and language, but this offers the basic idea.
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CHRISTINA KAUFFMAN - The York Dispatch
Article Launched:03/28/2008 02:59:33 PM EDT

A popular indoor sports arena has partnered with an area resort to give its business more visibility. The Blast, which offers indoor and outdoor recreational and competitive leagues for adults and children, is looking to relocate to Heritage Hills Golf Resort & Conference Center. The resort is along Mount Rose Avenue and spans parts of York and Springettsbury townships.

The Blast co-owner Renny Picchini said the former location, in an industrial park at 90 Grumbacher Road in Manchester Township, closed two weeks ago. The business is moving out of the Grumbacher facility by April 1, and will be establishing temporary offices at Springwood Golf Club in York Township.

The timing of the move is ideal because a majority of the indoor business ended March 15 when a soccer league finished its season, he said. Winter is the busiest time for The Blast, which offers soccer, lacrosse, volleyball, roller hockey and basketball leagues at various skill levels, Picchini said.

The company has been planning to move out of the industrial park and into a more central location in a commercial area for about two years, Picchini said. A partnership with Heritage Hills "simply makes sense" because of its location, its high profile, and the fact that both entities are family oriented, he said. The business is still deciding whether to construct its own building at Heritage Hills or use existing space.

"Right now we're pursuing options to do both," Picchini said.

He said he "fully expects" The Blast to be open in its new location in by fall, before the next indoor season starts Nov.15.

Some female soccer players have been disappointed by the change because they wanted to use the building over the summer, he said. "I apologize to those women for a break in the action, but just give us a shot and we'll be back bigger and better than ever," he said. "This is really a positive move for York County."

Heritage Hills General Manager Matt DeRose said there may be a need for some renovations, depending on whether they decide to build or use an existing space.

As soon as that decision is made, the two will file the appropriate plans with Springettsbury Township, he said.

Indoor recreation spaces have a "very, very short construction cycle," he said. The partnership with The Blast is one of several ways Heritage Hills is evolving into a more well-rounded resort, DeRose said.

He wants the resort to serve the community as well as people who stay at the hotel, he said. Phipps Picchini LLC, the corporation that owned the Grumbacher building, sold the 3.38 acre site for $1.35 million on Aug. 31, 2007, according to records at the York County Assessment Office.

A manufacturer is moving to the site, Picchini said.

-Reach Christina Kauffman at 505-5436 or ckauffman@yorkdispatch.com.

Season Stats

Looking at all the numbers I could find since we started this season back in August 2007, here's what I put together so far:

Fall 2007: (W-L) 0-8; 0-1 (in the playoffs); goal differential of -26.

Winter 1 2008: 6-1-1; 2-0 (playoffs); goal differential of +48.

Winter 2 2008: 6-2; 2-0 (playoffs); goal differential of +21.

(Winter 1 & 2: 12-3-1; 4-0; goal differential of +68.)

Year: 12-11-1; 4-1 (playoffs); goal differential of +43; 2 championships

Interestingly, we were 3rd in scoring in both Winter 1 & 2 (behind the Predators & 4B's for W1, and the Preds and Strikers for W2). But we were 1st in fewest goals allowed in W1 and 2nd in W2.

A Little Perspective

From Rob:
League Fee...................................................$45

Team shirt....................................................$20

Wings at 4Bs..................................................$5

Winning the championship against "La Bamba"
and halting the funky chicken dance mid-stride.........priceless!

Final @ 10:15pm: FC Coraggio 2 - Strikers 1

Wow, what a way to end a fantastic season! A hard-fought game for the ages! This was a game to TiVo if we had the capability. The game started on a fast note, and the pace was quick throughout much of the early part of the game. Guys did a great job of some super ball control, passing back and forth, working the weakside, creating some good breaks on goal. Mark J, Will M, and Greg B worked the middle like field generals, and we retained possession much of the time. I'd also say most of the time was spent down in the Strikers' end of the field. Credit their D, and especially their keeper, for keeping the game tight as it was. He stopped some amazing shots, some point blank bullets flying at him, and he kept the net clear. Dude was on fire, and he deserves an MVP for his team.

Our D did a great job of cutting off their 2 scorers, and reducing their effectiveness while keeping the ball in the offensive part of the field. We had numerous chances to score, hitting the post 2-3 times by the end. To be fair, they also rattled the posts, and a few more inches on any shot could have meant a whole different story. Mike, Rob, Jason, Nathan, Scott, and anyone else who took a turn in the back--marvelous job! Another sterling performance from Wes as well, who carried a clean sheet (shutout) for over 20 minutes.

Finally, around the 9:00 mark, we score! A rifled shot while racing down the right wing by Will Matthewson put us out in front. Wonderful lead pass from somebody (if we had TiVo I'd tell you who). It's now 1-0. All we needed to do was keep the ball away and we're done. But easier said than done.

The only real mistake of the night that hurt us came a little later, when our subbing and moving around the field left Chris M all alone in the back with no help on a break. They brought the ball down and batted around a bit before Mr. "You-Know-Who" got a great bounce on a deflection and marched on goal and put it past Wes. It was 1-1 with 3:30 to go.

We needed to end the game before the PK shootout. They stood a much better chance of winning if it came down to that--level chances on goal with their top 2 scorers. We had to settle things before it got to that stage.

Again, we assumed control at that point, pressuring the ball upfield and cranking shot after shot. Guys were hurling themselves around the turf to win the 50/50's, yet nothing was going in. Leon and Chris were racing for anything up front to make a play or force their hand.

Then, on another break, Jeff D races to the right side of the offensive front, just inside the yellow line (almost the same spot as Will), beating the defender to the ball, and cranks a bullet right at the keeper but just off the ground. As the keeper tried to react and stop the ball, it streaked past him through his legs and into the goal. Wow! 2-1, 1:30 to go.

The last minute was a frenetic final minute to AGAIN keep them out of the net. With :15 to go, they get an inbounds re-start just inside our yellow line, with their top scorer lining up a shot. He told me later that he was forced to shoot a bad shot on goal because he didn't have any guys open to pass to, and we fronted the ball to keep him from taking an easy one. So he shoots, it bounces off the wall, gets batted around, and finally someone boots it out of the area, and the clock ticks down.

Truly a team effort. Everyone was selfless, hustled, and left it on the field by the time we were done.

Champions again! Twice as nice!

Semi-final @ 9:30pm: FC Coraggio 4 - 4B's 0

A very good start against a tough but tired foe. After having played a full make-up game at 6, then a 1st round game at 8:30, the 4B's had to face us. We needed to put early pressure on to force them to run and tire out, and it worked well. We created chances and kept them away from the net, and pretty soon it was 1-0. By the end of the whistle, we had a 4-0 win with a last minute goal by Jeff D.

Both Kevin M and I (Ned) received injuries that took us out of the 2nd game and forced us to watch from the bench.

Probably the biggest excitement prior to the game was watching the Strikers knock off the Predators with a ricochet goal in the last :10, winning it 3-2. We were told to bring our white shirts just in case, and that turned out to be a premonition at that moment. Surprising that it was that close; the Predators dominated the offense and the ball for most of the early part of the game. But the Strikers bend-but-not-break defense kept them in it with a chance to win it in the end, and they capitalized. Credit the Strikers for playing with a ton of heart and forcing the issue on the Predators, who didn't answer the call with the scores when they had the chance.

So by winning, we got a 15 minute break to rest up and get ready for the final...

Playoff Time and Team(s)

Tuesday March 18th

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First Game (Semi-final): 9:30pm vs the Gasp/4B's Winner

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If we win, then...

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Championship Game: 10:15pm vs. Predator/Striker/FC Blast winner

Rules from The Blast:
1. ONLY PLAYERS ON THE OFFICIAL ROSTER WILL BE PERMITTED TO PLAY
2. Using players not on the roster will result in a forfeit.
3. All games will be one period of 25 minutes (No Time Outs).
4. In the event of a tie a Turkey Shoot Out will take place - each team will nominate 1 player.
5. If one player scores and the other misses then the game is over - if both players score each team will nominate another player - this will continue until there is a winner.
6. ONLY THE PLAYERS ON THE FIELD AT THE END OF THE GAME ARE PERMITTED TO TAKE PART IN THE TURKEY SHOOTOUT.
7. If the Final ends in a tie then there will be a 5 minute overtime 'Golden Goal' period - 1st team to score wins - if this overtime period ends in a tie then a Turkey Shootout will decide the winner.
8. THE REFEREE'S DECISION WILL BE FINAL.

Check out our team video!

WOW! IT ROCKS!

FC Coraggio 7 - FC Blast 5

For a game that would not make a big difference in the standings, it was probably an OK night. We played well throughout most of the game, and make a couple of 'rookie' mistakes to hopefully get them all out of our system before the playoffs next Tuesday night.

We took a lead 3-1, let them back in with some bad errors to where they're leading 4-3, and then took it up a notch to lead 7-4 by late in the 2nd half. Give them credit--they played hard, did not fold, and even when exhausted at the end of the game, played to score and win.

It was arguably a good thing to fall behind in the first half and have to fight to reclaim the lead, because if we fall behind next week, we'll need to kick it into overdrive and even up pretty quickly--we'll only have 1 half to accomplish it.

Piranha of the Game: Chris Martin, for scoring and having at least 1 assist, and making some key plays overall--enjoy the fish!

Next Game - Playoffs on most likely Tuesday night (time and team TBA)

Team Dinner - March 14th

Next Friday (the 14th), we are hosting a team dinner at Living Word Church's coffee bar (It's a nice cozy "Border's" kind of atmosphere). Bring a dish to share, and bring the whole family out. A great night just to hang out with each other, and for our wives to meet all the goofballs we all play with. :-)

Time: 6-8pm
Place: Living Word Church - 2530 Cape Horn Road
(1 mile south of Mt Rose/Cape Horn intersection just east of I-83)

FC Coraggio 8 - The Gasp 2

It was tougher than the score might indicate. These guys are not the pushover team of sessions past; they are a transformed unit through some of their recent player "acquisitions". We were up just 3-2 at the break. They had a good physical style, and it seemed like they were getting some preferential treatment from the stripes. But by hanging onto the lead, we started opening them up and creating more chances in the 2nd half, which increased the lead and forced them to play catch up. The more they pressed, the more we wore them out and kept them running. Nice solid night of work--a "lunch pail" kind of victory (as opposed to the flashy, sporty kind).

Good job to the D line for holding firm in the face of their pressure. I also thought we subbed in and out frequently enough to keep the pace in our favor and away from their dangerous players. We also kept switching the field to the weakside, which one guy from their team said kept getting them caught off guard. Use those 'square' and 'back' passes frequently--the more we control the ball, the more they chase itv and wear out.

Piranha of the Game: Nathan Hammond, who did a sterling job on the back line.

Next Game: March 11 10pm vs. FC Blast (last game before the playoffs!)

FC Coraggio 4 - Predators 7

Well, we didn't win. Enough said. I'm not sure if it was just me, but it seemed we played a step behind and out of sync most of the night. I know I was not at 100%. We did OK through the first half, and I think we were down 3-2 at half time. But they pulled away, and that was that. But I respect that we did not give up, and kept up the pressure till the end buzzer.

I did notice that a large % of our attacks got squeezed to the side walls, with the ball rolling easily to their keeper to scoop up. It seemed like over a dozen times he simply bent over, picked up the ball, and that was our offense. We need to keep the ball in the middle and be near each other to pass back and forth, using the center of the field, not the edges. Relying too much on the side walls means we're not relying on each other.

We also got spread out way too far apart. They have some fast guys, and we were ready for counterattacks, but it seemed like too many guys hung back too long. And if everyone is back on D, then nobody is out to receive the clearing passes. We were strung too far up and down field. We need to work together going up on offense and helping back on defence in both directions wihout getting bunched up too close to each other.

Next Game: March 4th, 10pm vs. The Gasp