Bellingham United continued its undefeated streak and finished the regular season on a high note.
            United took on Victoria Highlanders FC and came away with a 4-0 win on Sunday, July 15.
            Andrew Weishaar started the scoring in the 17 minute with a far post shot off a pass from Justin Diener.
            Weishaar doubled the lead in the 26 minute.  Kellan Brown played a through ball to him and he tucked it under the keeper.
            “We finished a lot better today,” Weishaar said.  “Last week we couldn’t finish the shots and it we drew both games.  We were excited to come out and, get a clean sheet and finish our chances.”
            Head coach Lance Calloway worked on finishing this past week in practice.
            “It was nice to see Andrew take what we worked on and apply it,” Calloway said. “I saw him do things I haven’t seen him do all year and it worked.”
            Tyler Bjork added the third goal in the 28 minute by following up a Brown shot and putting it in.
            The score at halftime was 3-0.
            At halftime the Bellinghammers supporters club gave out their MVP trophy for the season.  Brown was honored with the trophy for his effort this season.
            Bjork added the fourth and final goal in the 80 minute.  He collected the ball from Oscar Jimenez and put it past the keeper.
            “We did a good job pressing together as a team,” Weishaar said. “It is something we can take into the playoffs.  Our defense has been solid and if we can keep finishing we will win.”

            United will play in two end of the year tournaments.  The Kennedy Cup will be played in Bellingham on July 21 and 22.  The Challenge Cup will take place in Chilliwack on July 28 and 29.

            “We didn’t play well in the first 20 minutes,” Calloway said. “But when we started to get a hold of the game we possessed it better. Our mids worked really well together and we became more dangerous in the attack.”

            Keith Ferris was another bright spot for Calloway. He was put into the mix and caused turnovers, Calloway said.

            “It was a great way to wrap up the season,” Calloway said.

            United is now 9-5-2 with 29 points overall.  They finished second in the standings.  Their second half record was 5-1-2.

            United’s next game is on July 21 in the Kennedy Cup.

            Bellingham United FC has now gone unbeaten in its last 6 games, but has drawn the last two.
            On Sunday July 8, United took on Coquitlam Metro-Ford SC in Pacific Coast Soccer league action and tied 2-2.
            It was the second draw of the weekend for Bellingham.
            For the second game in a row, Bellingham gave up the first goal.  In the 31 minute, Coquitlam scored off a free kick.  It was their only chance in the first half, but they converted and took a 1-0 lead in at halftime.
            “In the first half we were outpaced,” said Bellingham United Head Coach Lance Calloway. “We didn’t attack, we held possession but didn’t do anything with it.”
            Calloway went into the locker room not impressed with the effort, but the team came out in the second half with a different attitude.
            United scored in the 51 minute.  Oscar Jimenez collected the ball from Joel Grossman, sent in a cross and Brendan Quilici put it away to tie the game up.
            “Quilici hit a great ball in,” Calloway said. “The guys made great adjustments at half and started to play diagonal balls in and give themselves a lot of chances.”
            Seven minutes later, United scored again.  Sean Connor found himself in the right spot and slotted it in past the keeper to give United a 2-1 lead.
            Bellingham continued to apply pressure and had chance after chance, but just couldn’t find the back of the net.
            “Credit to their keeper,” Calloway said. “He came up huge for them, we just didn’t take care of business.”
            In the 70 minute, the Hammers took a man down in the box and the referee had no choice but to call a penalty, which the Coquitlam player slotted past United goalkeeper Drew Smiley to tie the game up.
            Bellingham continued to have chances, but couldn’t put one in and the game ended 2-2.
            The Hammers are now 8-5-2 on the year and have 26 points, putting them in second place in the league with one game left.  United’s final home game is Sunday, July 15 at 3 pm at Civic Field against Victoria Highlanders FC. 
            Bellingham will also host the Kennedy Cup on July 21 and 22, before heading to the Challenge Cup playoffs in Chilliwack on July 28 and 29.

            Bellingham United FC earned its first draw this season on Saturday July 7, against Langley Athletic.  The teams tied 1-1 in United’s final road game of the year.
            Bellingham started off slow.
            “We did not have a good first half,” said Bellingham United Head Coach Lance Calloway. “We didn’t maintain the ball, there were a lot of fouls and we couldn’t find a rhythm.”
            United began to play much better towards the end of the half, outside of giving up a goal.
            Langley scored in the 43 minute on a sloppy goal.  They continued to apply pressure when the ball was in the box and finally got the goal.
            It didn’t take long for United to respond.  Oscar Jimenez chipped the keeper after he came out of the box to clear a corner.
            “Their goal really knocked us down,” said Bellingham keeper Leo Cohen. “When Oscar scored, it put the wind back in our sails and woke us up.  We were lackadaisical in to start the game.”
            The teams finished the first half tied 1-1.
            “In the second half we held on great,” Calloway said. “We just couldn’t finish our chances. We didn’t get the ball to Kellan Brown’s feet enough.”
            Leo Cohen earned the Hammer Man of the Match in the game.
            “Leo was huge today,” Calloway said. “His last save was world class, the opposing player did everything right, but Leo pulled it off.”
            Cohen prevented a would be game winner with a foot save in the 85 minute.
            “I at first thought that I’m glad it didn’t go in,” Cohen said. “I am just glad I that that moment where I could come up big and keep our momentum.”
            United now has 25 points with a record of 8-5-1 on the year.  Bellingham plays its final two games at home, the first being on Sunday July 8 against third place Coquitlam Metro-Ford SC.

            Bellingham United earned its fourth straight win on Saturday, June 30.  The team was on the road in Victoria and took on Victoria United at Royal Athletic Park.  The Hammers won 2-0 and made up for its earlier loss to Victoria at home.
            Bellingham took the lead with a goal from Kellan Brown late in the first half, it was assisted by Chris Jepson.  It was the ninth goal on the year for Brown.
            “Jepson got the ball and laid it in to Kellan,” said Bellingham United FC Head Coach Lance Calloway. “He then was a little cheeky and chipped the keeper from about 10 yards out.”
            The team took the 1-0 lead into half.
            The second half would see another goal by Brown to further his league-leading tally to 10. It was the final goal of the game for either side.  The goal came off a corner, the ball spilled out and Brown roofed it unassisted.
            “Kellan was obviously the Man of the Match,” Calloway said. “He played really well, creating a lot of chances and having opportunities in both halves.”
            This was the second week in a row that Brown was named Hammer Man of the Match.
            The team saved a would-be Victoria goal off the line, but continued to attack late in the game with shots coming from Andrew Weishaar.
            “We really had the run of play from the start,” Calloway said. “We possessed well and did exactly what we wanted.  We targeted the forwards well and did exactly what we talked about.”
            Victoria had one really dangerous attack off of a deadball, but the shot was tipped over by Drew Smiley easily.
            “They had a couple key players out,” Calloway said. “They just didn’t look all that dangerous. We had the game in hand from the start.”
Bellingham has allowed only one goal in the last four games.
            The Hammers’ next game is on the road at Langley Athletic where Bellingham will look to lock up a playoff berth on Saturday, July 7.  Then the team hosts Coquitlam Metro Ford on Sunday, July 8.
            Bellingham United is now 8-5-0 on the year with 24 points and sits second in the table. 

_                 Bellingham United is on the road this weekend.  They will travel to Victoria to take on Victoria United on Saturday, June 30.  It is the team’s final trip to Vancouver Island this year, and the second to last road game.

                Bellingham is currently on a three game win streak and will look to keep the momentum going as the season nears its end. Bellingham currently sits in second in the standings, but has played a couple more games than the teams closest behind them.  But even if the rest of the league were to win all of their makeup games, the Hammers would only drop as far as fourth.

                “We got to win!” Bellingham United Head Coach Lance Calloway said. “It’s a big weekend for us, but we have been positive.  It’s a tough game on the road and they play very well at home.”

                In the previous meeting between the two teams, Victoria stole a late winner in Bellingham.  It is the only loss that Bellingham has had at home.

                “When they played us at home, they moved the ball very well,” Calloway said. “They have some very strong players at forward.  Steve Cooper is a very dangerous striker.”

                Victoria started off the season strong, winning their first four games, they then drew with Coquitlam Metro Ford and have lost six straight since then.

                Bellingham United will be dealing with fewer injuries than last week and because it is the only game of the weekend, will be able to start a strong squad.

                “We should be at a fairly full crew and Drew Smiley will be in goal for us,” Calloway said. “He is great in big games.  Hopefully everyone is fit and good to go; we need to come prepared to play.”

            Bellingham United FC earned a massive win in Pacific Coast Soccer League action on Sunday, June 24.  United took on the first place, and undefeated, Vancouver Thunderbirds in front of almost 700 fans in a match that saw the top two teams in the league playing each other.
            In the earlier match between these two teams, Vancouver came out on top with a 3-0 victory. 
            “It was a lot closer than a 3-0 score line last time,” said Bellingham United forward Kellan Brown. “We felt like we were pretty even with them last game.”
            Brown scored the only goal in the game this time to give United a 1-0 win.  Brown received the ball off a Greg Young flick on a throw in.
            “When Greg is playing, he wins 100 percent of the balls,” Brown said. “I knew he was gonna get it and hit it out, so I ran onto it and felt the defender coming on to me.  I struck it and it had front spin on it so it dipped over the keeper.”
            Brown’s 35-yard goal brought his season total up to eight.  He leads the league in goals scored, and United is second as a team in goals scored this year.
            Head Coach Lance Calloway was not at the game.  United was led by Assistant Coach Scott Caldwell for the match.
            “It was a must win game for us,” Caldwell said. “Great result against a great team. I thought Joel Grossman and Mitch Barrows were solid in the back and Brendan Quilici, Sean Connor and Oscar Jimenez all played really well in the midfield for us.”
            Kellan earned the Hammer Man of the Match for his performance.
            “Kellan’s goal was fantastic,” Caldwell said. “To drop it in from 35 yards out was high class.”
            With the win, United maintains its second place spot in the league.  It now has a record of 7-5-0, which is good for 21 points total.  United’s next game is on the road at Victoria United on Saturday, June 30.  
Victoria is in the middle of the table after starting out undefeated in its first five games of the year.  In the last meeting between the two teams, Victoria stole a late win in Bellingham with two goals in the final 15 minutes.

            Bellingham United FC had arguably its best weekend ever as a young club.  The team went on the road to Khalsa on Saturday June 16 and stole a 2-0 win on the road.  Then on Sunday June 17, the team hosted PoCo City FC in front of over 800 fans.
            In the earlier match between these two teams, United lost 4-0 and earned two red cards in the process.  This game would be much better for the Hammers.
            United earned its 6th win of the year with a 2-1 victory over PoCo City, and in doing so launched itself into second in the standings, though a few teams have games in hand.
            United got on the score sheet in the 17 minute when Kellan Brown slotted home a penalty kick, twice.  He was forced to retake the kick after someone went into the box to early. Brown earned the PK after being taken down in the box by the keeper.
            PoCo City started to show its frustration towards the end of the first half and got two yellow cards in the process.
            “They let the little things start to get to them,” said Bellingham United FC Head Coach Lance Calloway. “A couple of the guys started to make themselves a nemesis.”
            The previous yellows would come to haunt PoCo City when they scored a goal.  When they tied up the game, some players started to talk too much and the referee rewarded them with a second yellow and forced them to play with only 10 men in the 69 minute.
            United shifted its tactic and brought a defender up to the mid to play a 3-4-3. 
            “We made adjustments after their sendoff,” Calloway said. “We pushed numbers forward.  I also pushed Greg Young up forward and knew he could get balls in the air.”
            Young earned the Hammer Man of the Match for his performance.  He sent in the game-winning ball in stoppage time to Sean Connor.
            “Greg put in an incredible ball,” Connor said. “I would have had to work to miss it.  It felt amazing, I haven’t had a game winner in a few years.”
            Connor got his first goal of the year with the game-winner and helped United earn another important three points.
            The team next hosts league leading Vancouver Thunderbirds on June 24 at home.  United now has a 6-5-0 record and 18 points with five games left of the regular season.

              Bellingham United FC needed a win.  The team has struggled on the road this season with only one win coming in against last place Okanagan Challenge. 
              On Saturday June 16, United traveled to Khalsa SC.  United came away with a 2-0 win to help advance up the standings.
            “It was a good win for us,” said Head Coach Lance Calloway. “It was good to get a win on the road against a good opponent and to come away with a clean sheet.”
            The team was 1-3-0 on the road this season, but found a way to score early.  Sujinda Dangvan scored in the 7th minute off a pass from Gabrielle Zaccagnini to give United the lead. 
            “We dominated the run of play in the first half,” Calloway said. “We had good possession and played with a better purpose than Khalsa.”
            The score would remain 1-0 through the end of the first half.
            “Khalsa came out quick and pressured,” Calloway said. “There wasn’t; anything too dangerous, and the one chance they had Hunter Torsett came up big for us.”
            Torsett competed in his first game for United as the starting keeper. 
            United would have a couple chances of its own, with a chance being cleared off the line to rob Kellan Brown of a goal.
            Matt Hardin scored the second goal in the 80th minute. The Khalsa players stopped playing thinking the ref would call offside but he didn’t.  Hardin kept playing and put it away to guarantee the win.
            Sean Connor earned the Hammer Man of the Match award for his effort.
            “Sean led the team with tempo and calmed the players down if they started to get frustrated,” Calloway said. “He led by example for sure.”
            The team plays at home on Sunday against PoCo City FC, who defeated United 4-0 earlier this year on the road. United is now 5-5-0 on the year and has 15 points.

            Bellingham United has the chance to help secure itself a playoff spot this weekend as it takes on two other playoff contenders.
            On Saturday, June 16 the team will travel to Khalsa SC.  United has already played Khalsa at home and won 2-0.
            “We always except a very challenging match anytime we go on the road,” Bellingham United FC Head Coach Lance Calloway said. “We obviously have been challenged whenever we hit the road this season due to injuries and players being unavailable.  This Saturday though I am expecting to field the strongest squad we’ve been able to have on the road.”
            Calloway anticipates being able to use Oscar Jimenez, Sean Connor and Justin Diener.  There will be a goalie change as Leo Cohen received a red card last match against Vancouver Thunderbirds.  Expect either Riley Liddle or Hunter Torset in goal as Drew Smiley is unavailable
            On Sunday, United will take on another opponent they have already played.  PoCo City will be visiting for the first time this season.
            “I know our guys really want to redeem themselves this week,” Calloway said. “They are a very experienced squad with players who play quick and are very good at penetrating.  I know our guys want another shot at them and I expect the match to be far better than last time.”
            PoCo City is sitting second in the standings and have played the fewest games in the league.  They defeated United 4-0 in their last meeting on May 27.
            “The big thing for us this weekend is man management,” Calloway said. “At this level, doubleheaders are really hard on the guys and we need to manage the players and make sure they get rest so we can get the best result we want, six points.”

          Bellingham United FC lost on the road to Vancouver Thunderbirds 3-0 on June 9. Vancouver maintains its undefeated record with the win.  Bellingham United moves to 4-5-0 on the year. 
           United gave up its first goal on a penalty kick in the 36 minute. 
           "We played well and it was really competitive," Bellingham united FC Head Coach Lance Calloway said. "The game wasn't as bad as the scoreline indicated. Neither team really had scoring chances."
            The first PK was a soft call, but nonetheless Vancouver put it away. 
             The second goal was off a deflection and the ball took an unfortunate spin.
             Bellingham gave up the last goal on another pk call. Goalkeeper Leo Cohen was called for the foul when he came out and the opposing player sold the call after going down in the box. 
             "We had to adjust after that and Kellan Brown played great," Calloway said. "Brendan Quilici played solid and Joel Grossman had an incredible work rate."
             Thomas Kauffman was another player that played phenomenally, and for his effort he received the Man of the Match honors.
              United plays at home on Sunday June 10, against Frasier Valley All-Stars. It is the community shield match with part of the proceeds going to Soccer Without Borders.