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SPORTS roundup<br />
red rolls to<br />
victory in<br />
new league<br />
BY STEVE STEIN<br />
The newest Chaldean sports<br />
league is on a roll.<br />
Four teams and 38 players<br />
skated in the inaugural season of the<br />
Chaldean Roller Hockey League this<br />
spring and summer, pleasing league<br />
organizers Kroif Yatoma, 21, and<br />
Mike Abbo, 19.<br />
Games were played at the Inline<br />
Hockey Center in the Jewish<br />
Community Center of Metropolitan<br />
Detroit in West Bloomfield.<br />
“We’re very happy about the<br />
turnout,” Yatoma said. “We’re looking<br />
to have at least six teams next year.<br />
I’ll bet we had 30 people call us about<br />
the league after the registration deadline.”<br />
Two women — goalie Bethany<br />
Neldrett and Monica Yaldoo, both<br />
veteran roller hockey players —<br />
1<br />
Black team was 7-4-2, White was 7-5-<br />
2, Red was 5-7-2, and Gray was 4-7-2.<br />
The only team that scored more total<br />
goals than its opponents was Black,<br />
which outscored its foes 115-98.<br />
“Not one game had to be stopped<br />
by the eight-goal mercy rule, and each<br />
team tied their first game,” Yatoma<br />
said.<br />
On opening night May 7, Black<br />
and White deadlocked 6-6 and Gray<br />
players and made them captains of<br />
the four teams,” Yatoma said. “Then,<br />
after tryouts, the captains picked their<br />
teams.”<br />
The captains were Yatoma (Red),<br />
Randy Yatooma (White), Justin Alias<br />
(Black) and Matt Louissa (Gray).<br />
All four teams made the singleelimination<br />
playoffs. Red beat Black<br />
12-9 and White defeated Gray 5-1 in<br />
the semifinals. Red won the champi-<br />
goals and three assists to the victory.<br />
Nicholas Seman poured in five goals<br />
for White.<br />
Two goals by Abbo and one apiece<br />
by Yatoma and Manjo gave Red a 4-1<br />
lead over White after the first of three<br />
15-minute periods.<br />
Three unanswered goals by White<br />
tied the game 4-4, but Red responded<br />
with three consecutive goals to move<br />
in front 7-4 at the end of the second<br />
PHOTOS BY DAVID REED<br />
3 4 5<br />
played in the otherwise all-male<br />
league. Only about half the league’s<br />
players also play in the Chaldean<br />
Hockey League, so there were lots of<br />
new faces on the Chaldean sports<br />
scene. Players ranged in age from 16<br />
to the late 20s.<br />
The league was ultra competitive,<br />
and nobody dominated. Including<br />
regular-season and playoff games, the<br />
and Red tied 10-10.<br />
The longest winning streak of the<br />
season was four games (Black), and<br />
the longest losing streak was three<br />
games (Gray, twice.) The biggest margin<br />
of victory was six goals (Black 10,<br />
Gray 4.)<br />
How was that competitive balanced<br />
achieved?<br />
“First, we picked four of the best<br />
onship, beating White 11-8 in the<br />
title game July 27.<br />
The league championship trophy<br />
— which doesn’t have a fancy name<br />
yet — is on display at Shenandoah<br />
Country Club. The names of all Red<br />
players are on the trophy.<br />
Abbo had six goals and three<br />
assists for Red in the championship<br />
game. Ricky Manjo contributed two<br />
period. Seman scored twice and<br />
Vidal Denha tallied once during<br />
White’s comeback. Abbo, Manjo and<br />
Lawrence Kuza responded with goals<br />
for Red.<br />
Each team scored four goals in the<br />
third period. White didn’t get any<br />
closer than 9-7.<br />
Red goalie Justin Shounia made 21<br />
saves, while Neldrett, the White<br />
40 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>SEPTEMBER</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
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