PDL Game Report
Saturday, June 28, 2014
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – The PDL’s Heartland Division has a sole leader…for at least one night.
In a battle for first place, the Des Moines Menace edged the Thunder Bay Chill, 1-0, tonight at Valley Stadium. These heated rivals face off again on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. CT.
Chris Hellmann’s team-leading fourth goal was the difference. In the 56th minute, Sean Dong played in a ball from the right-side end line. Thunder Bay goalkeeper Daniel Alvarado missed the ball on his diving attempt, and Hellmann slid in to poke the ball into the wide-open goal mouth.
This is the fifth PDL shutout win for the Menace (6-1-0). Goalkeeper Paul Blanchette earned the clean sheet in his Menace debut.
“It was a good team win,” defender Alec Bartlett said. “I thought we performed well. We got the goal and stayed on top. I thought we held our intensity well and fended off any of their chances.”
The Menace seeks its first home sweep of the Chill since 2006. These teams split a doubleheader in Thunder Bay two weeks ago, and the all-time series, in its 15th year, is deadlocked at 24-24-4.
“Tomorrow, they’re going to come out angry,” Bartlett said of the Chill. “If we get these six points, the sky’s the limit for us. We could put ourselves in the driver’s seat. That’s ultimately what we want, to control our own destiny.”
Midway through its PDL schedule, the Menace sits atop the Heartland Division. The defending PDL finalist Chill (5-4-0) is in second place, followed by St. Louis (3-2-3) and Springfield (3-4-3).
MAN of the MATCH: Alec Bartlett.for his role in the Menace defense’s shutout. Bartlett, a native of Overland Park, Kan., is going to be a redshirt junior this fall for Drake.
UP NEXT: The Menace and the Chill are back at it tomorrow (Sunday) at 7:30 p.m. The match follows the Iowa High School All-Star Game (boys), which kicks off at 5 p.m.