FAIRFIELD – It is rare that a soccer referee gets everyone to agree on a call, but when it comes to Steve Frechling’s banana bread, the opinions are unanimous. This bread is good.

Frechling started baking banana bread about 11 years ago when he suddenly found a lot a time on his hands after his son finished playing travel hockey. He had a steady supply of bananas from his employer, time and a desire to try something new. A menu of banana breads that include such flavors as white chocolate, chocolate chip, peanut butter, walnut and plain banana was born. He started to bring the extra loaves to the referee tents and quickly found himself a fan following.

“This has grown into a small cottage industry,” Frechling says. “Referees seem to like it and now expect it at soccer tournament where I referee.”

In addition to refereeing league games and tournaments, Frechling also assigns referees for the MASC, PRF and helps out with other tournaments across southwestern Ohio. This weekend and next, he and his banana bread will be at the referee tents in ample supply at the MASC tournament, in Fairfield, Oh.

For complete information at this year’s MASC, please visit the Web site at www.masctournament.com

PHOTO: Harry Bourne and Dan Craycraft, both referees at the 2008 MASC soccer tournament, take a moment between games to chat and enjoy Frechling’s banana bread with coffee.

Visit the event web site….

FAIRFIELD – This weekend, the Mid-American Soccer Classic (MASC) will host 262 boys teams from seven states, including Canada. The teams are traveling from Indiana, Ohio (North and South), West Virginia, Michigan, Kentucky, Illinois and Pennsylvania. Six of the boys teams are from Canada, with twenty-one teams total from Canada. A total of 430 games over Saturday and Sunday will be played at Optimist Park, Joyce Park and Applecreek Fields in Fairfield. The girls play at the same venues next weekend, April 12-13.

Some teams had expressed some concern about the weather, but according to Mike Hessling, the tournament schedule coordinator, the fields are in playable condition and he expects the rain to hold. “We’ll just move things around if we need to,” Hessling chimed. “No big deal.”

The total number of teams for both weekends is 577 with a grand total of 950 games. “That’s also a lot of referees,” says John Kingham, one of the three referee assignors tasked with finding and scheduling referees. “We just take it in stride, the weather and all the activity. That’s just soccer.”

For all the game action as it unfolds throughout both weekends, visit the MASC Web site at www.masctournament.com.

PHOTO: Game action from the 2007 MASC girls weekend.

Visit the event web site….

MIDDLETOWN – According to its Web site, the 2008 Middletown Spring Blast declared the following teams champions within their divisions.

BU09BLUE, Warren County B98 Black; BU09RED, BSA Celtic Premier 98; BU10BLUE, Team Challenger FC; BU10RED, Flash U10 Boys; BU11BLUE, CJ United Cyclones; BU13, PASA Flash Elite U13 Boys; BU14, North United Warriors; BU15, Warrior 92 Black; BU16, Hoosier FC Orange; BU16/17, Sycamore Arsenal; BU18/19, North United 90; G11BLUE, LUSC Courage White; GU08, Warren County United Blue; GU09BLUE, Middletown Mustangs; GU09RED, PASA U9 Girls Purple; GU10BLUE, Cardinals Gold B; GU10RED, PASA U10 Girls Purple; GU10WHITE, Lady Warrior 97 White; GU11RED, Lady Warriors 96 Black; GU12BLUE, FC Phoenix; GU12RED, Miami Valley Rangers 95; GU13BLUE, FC Phoenix; GU13RED, Lady Trojans ’94; GU14BLUE, NKSL Lightning Bolts; GU14RED, WC United White; GU15, North United Heat and GU16, North United Lightning.

For all the game scores, standings and fan-contributed photos, check out the Web site at www.middletownspringblast.com.

PHOTO: (Contributed by Michelle Alexander) GU16 Westfield Storm and Lady Wolfpack battle for possession during their first game Sat, Mar 29, 2008 4:45pm at Smith Park. The game ended 0-0.

Visit the event web site….

MIDDLETOWN – Whistles echoed sharply through the chilly air from all four corners of Smith Park at 8:00am this morning, signaling the start of the eleventh annual Middletown Spring Blast. Teams from across the Midwest converged at the Spring Blast to compete for a champion trophy. Among the hopeful teams is the girls U12 North United Blitz from Pittsburgh, Pa.

“Ohio is known for good soccer tournaments,” said Ryanne Palermo, head coach of the Blitz. This year is Palermo’s first time bringing her team to the Spring Blast, and she has high expectations. “The Spring Blast came highly recommended by other teams in our club that have played here in previous years.”

The North United Blitz is one of eleven teams from the North United Classic Soccer Club. In all, 199 teams from six states are competing for thirty champion and finalist trophies in age-based divisions, ranging from U8 through U19. Fourteen teams are from Pennsylvania.

“We’re the first tournament that a lot of teams attend to kick off their spring season,” says Kathy Stites, tournament director for the Spring Blast. “We make sure they all have a good time, go home and tell all their club teams about our tournament.”

The 2008 Middletown Spring Blast is held Sat-Sun, March 29-30, with games from 8:00am to 5:00pm. Championship games are held on Sunday starting at 1:00pm. To follow the North United Blitz and all the teams with real-time scores and photos contributed by fans, tune into www.middletownspringblast.com.

PHOTO: Members of the North United Blitz rally before their first game on Sat. The Blitz plays at 9:15am and 2:15pm on Sat and again at 8:00am on Sun.

Visit the event web site….

DAYTON – Despite the credit crunch, foreclosure rate and unemployment news, soccer tournaments appear to be doing just fine. According to TourneyCentral, applications for spring tournaments are up an average of thirty-seven percent over this time last year.

“We’re seeing an increase in most of our spring soccer tournaments across the board,” says Gerard McLean, president of Rivershark, Inc., parent company of TourneyCentral. TourneyCentral provides management software and solutions to soccer tournaments throughout the United States and Canada, including twenty events in the Greater Dayton Area.

“With the increasing price of gas, we were expecting a down year,” says McLean. “We are still cautiously optimistic about concessions sales at the actual event per capita, however,” adds McLean.

According to Carol Maas, tournament director for the Warrior Classic held during Memorial Day weekend in Dayton, people are looking for a quality entertainment and competition value. The Warrior Classic is in its twenty-second year and is up about forty-two percent in applications over this time last year.

“I know I’ll have to turn away teams because we simply don’t have enough fields,” Maas added. “That is the hardest part of being successful.” Maas typically attracts close to 500 teams into the Miami Valley, with an economic impact of over $5 million.

The official kick-off of league soccer season in the Miami Valley is Sat, March 15. The tournament season follows soon after the next weekend with the Middletown Spring Blast. For more information on soccer tournaments in the Miami Valley, visit www.tourneycentral.com/events.html.

PHOTO: From the 2007 MeadCup tournament B118v8Gold CUSA Courage 96 Premier (0) vs. Hilliard FC Raptors (5) at Sun, Sep 02, 2007 5:30 PM on field NCR06.

Visit the event web site….