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The Cavalry has arrived
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| 2002 Pine Creek grad Pete Randall has helped to bring semi-professional arena soccer to the town of Monument. Randall’s team, on which he plays, coaches and owns will be calling the Colorado Sports Center home. Photo by Ryan Boldrey |
By Ryan Boldrey
Monument’s very own semi-pro soccer team, the Pikes Peak Cavalry, has arrived.
The team is owned by 2002 Pine Creek graduate Pete Randall, who also plays defense and coaches the Pikes Peak team. The Calvary is part of the 50-team Professional Arena Soccer Premier League, and is calling the Colorado Sports Center on Old Denver Highway home.
“I just wanted to keep playing,” Randall said. “I went and played for semi-pro teams everywhere I could after college and eventually landed back here.”
Randall, whose college career took him from Macalester College in Minnesota to Whitman College in Washington, graduated in ’06.
After bouncing around the Northwest playing soccer, Randall found himself back in Colorado playing for and co-owning the Denver Dynamite, a PASL pro team, last winter.
When the season concluded, Randall and his business partner proposed the idea of forming a semi-pro team in Monument to the commissioner. Once it was accepted Randall severed ties with the Dynamite and made his way back home.
“I really wanted to try and do something in this area,” he said. “I figured if I wasn’t going to make it to the top, I might as well try to provide as much as I could for as many guys as I could. I had a lot of friends here that weren’t playing. All of a sudden I had the chance to do it so I went for it.”
Randall said the competition in the league is at a higher level than college, but is basically for those elite players who want to continue playing at a competitive level after their collegiate days are done.
The team is holding open trainings every Wednesday night throughout the summer at 9 p.m. at the Sports Center for anyone who wants to come out and play with them. The Calvary plays their games on Saturday evenings.
“If you haven’t seen an arena game before it’s worth doing just once,” said midfielder Kyle Conroy, who calls the game quicker, harder hitting and more viewer-friendly than its well-known outdoor version.
Played in a rink constructed the same as a hockey rink, arena soccer pits two teams five aside with a goalie, the boards are fair game and blue cards are handed out instead of yellows, with the penalty for a blue card being a two-minute power play for the other team, just like in hockey.
“There are usually more fouls than outdoor due to it being a faster game,” said Conroy, who played his college ball at Missouri Southern State University and also coaches locally for the Pride.
Other area coaches that may be seen playing for the Cavalry this summer include Pine Creek head coach Ben Corley, Bryant Contreras of Pride and Michael Neppl, who coaches the Corinthians and handles the administrative duties for the Cavalry.
“These guys all have day jobs,” Randall said of his team. “It can be a launching pad for some of the guys for sure. That said, it’s not the purpose of it. The purpose of it is to provide an opportunity for these elite guys that want to play competitive still, wanting to play in front of crowds and play for something that means something still.”
The Cavalry, which will become part of the 30-team pro league this winter along with 11 other U.S. teams, 10 Canadian teams and eight Mexican teams, will be at home next on 20 when they host the Denver Dynamite’s semi-pro team at 7 p.m. at the Sports Center.
Tickets are $5 at the door and children 8 and under get in free.
For more information on the league check out www.arenaleague.com.
Pikes Peak Cavalry remaining schedule
June 20 HOME 7pm vs. Dynamite Reserves
June 28 @ Highlands Ranch Heat
July 11 HOME 7pm vs. Highlands Ranch Heat
July 18 HOME 7pm vs. Ft. Collins Fury
July 19 HOME TBA vs. Ft. Collins Fury
The team is owned by 2002 Pine Creek graduate Pete Randall, who also plays defense and coaches the Pikes Peak team. The Calvary is part of the 50-team Professional Arena Soccer Premier League, and is calling the Colorado Sports Center on Old Denver Highway home.
“I just wanted to keep playing,” Randall said. “I went and played for semi-pro teams everywhere I could after college and eventually landed back here.”
Randall, whose college career took him from Macalester College in Minnesota to Whitman College in Washington, graduated in ’06.
After bouncing around the Northwest playing soccer, Randall found himself back in Colorado playing for and co-owning the Denver Dynamite, a PASL pro team, last winter.
When the season concluded, Randall and his business partner proposed the idea of forming a semi-pro team in Monument to the commissioner. Once it was accepted Randall severed ties with the Dynamite and made his way back home.
“I really wanted to try and do something in this area,” he said. “I figured if I wasn’t going to make it to the top, I might as well try to provide as much as I could for as many guys as I could. I had a lot of friends here that weren’t playing. All of a sudden I had the chance to do it so I went for it.”
Randall said the competition in the league is at a higher level than college, but is basically for those elite players who want to continue playing at a competitive level after their collegiate days are done.
The team is holding open trainings every Wednesday night throughout the summer at 9 p.m. at the Sports Center for anyone who wants to come out and play with them. The Calvary plays their games on Saturday evenings.
“If you haven’t seen an arena game before it’s worth doing just once,” said midfielder Kyle Conroy, who calls the game quicker, harder hitting and more viewer-friendly than its well-known outdoor version.
Played in a rink constructed the same as a hockey rink, arena soccer pits two teams five aside with a goalie, the boards are fair game and blue cards are handed out instead of yellows, with the penalty for a blue card being a two-minute power play for the other team, just like in hockey.
“There are usually more fouls than outdoor due to it being a faster game,” said Conroy, who played his college ball at Missouri Southern State University and also coaches locally for the Pride.
Other area coaches that may be seen playing for the Cavalry this summer include Pine Creek head coach Ben Corley, Bryant Contreras of Pride and Michael Neppl, who coaches the Corinthians and handles the administrative duties for the Cavalry.
“These guys all have day jobs,” Randall said of his team. “It can be a launching pad for some of the guys for sure. That said, it’s not the purpose of it. The purpose of it is to provide an opportunity for these elite guys that want to play competitive still, wanting to play in front of crowds and play for something that means something still.”
The Cavalry, which will become part of the 30-team pro league this winter along with 11 other U.S. teams, 10 Canadian teams and eight Mexican teams, will be at home next on 20 when they host the Denver Dynamite’s semi-pro team at 7 p.m. at the Sports Center.
Tickets are $5 at the door and children 8 and under get in free.
For more information on the league check out www.arenaleague.com.
Pikes Peak Cavalry remaining schedule
June 20 HOME 7pm vs. Dynamite Reserves
June 28 @ Highlands Ranch Heat
July 11 HOME 7pm vs. Highlands Ranch Heat
July 18 HOME 7pm vs. Ft. Collins Fury
July 19 HOME TBA vs. Ft. Collins Fury
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