U17S: ENTER PLAYOFFS WITH A SOLID PERFORMANCE
Like the A I, Joe Yankey and Noor Shadmann's A II juniors had also qualified for the finals of the indoor district championship last Sunday in Sinzig. Before the second group match, in which the ABC juniors deservedly lost 0-4 to the favored Rhineland League team SG 99 Andernach, there was a 1-2 opening defeat against district league team JSG Remagen, despite a good performance in an exciting game. Denis Zogaj had even given his team the lead. This was followed by a good performance in the last group match against JSG Maifeld, based on joy of playing and will to win, which allowed the district capital team to advance to second place in the standings and into the quarterfinals. Emir Kalafat (2), Denis Zogaj, and Luca Galdino scored in the convincing 4-1 victory.
Despite a 0-2 defeat in the quarterfinals, their performance against the eventual tournament winner and district champion TuS Mayen, clearly the strongest team in the final round, was commendable. Around their captain Jan Lingen, the team had every reason to leave the indoor court in Sinzig with their heads held high. Today, Wednesday, the team begins preparations for the remainder of the district league season.