THUNDER BAY, Ontario, Canada – Friday, June 10, 2011 – The Thunder Bay Chill did something no team in the Premier Development League’s Heartland Division had accomplished in more than a year. The defending league finalists held the Des Moines Menace scoreless.

Thunder Bay earned a 2-0 shutout in its home opener tonight at Chapples Park – the first time the Menace finished without a goal in 23 regular-season matches, dating back to a 1-0 loss to Rochester in the first home match of 2010.

“A lackluster performance,” said Menace head coach Laurie Calloway, whose team drops to 6-2-0. “Fatigue showed early on. Our guys had tired legs, and (the Chill) came at us like gangbusters. They were on two weeks’ rest, and we were playing for the third time in four days.”

Calloway’s road warriors will get another crack at their rivals tomorrow night, with a 6:30 p.m. CDT contest on the final night of this four-game swing through Canada. The weeklong journey started on the right foot, with victories in Winnipeg on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Brandon Swartzendruber scored both goals tonight. The PDL’s defending scoring champ has accounted for all of the 2-1-0 Chill’s goals this season. Nolan Intermoia assisted in the 32nd minute; Swartzendruber made it 2-0 right before the half, capitalizing on a penalty kick.

Thunder Bay has won four of the last five matches (4-0-1) in the series; the Menace was undefeated (3-0-2) in the teams’ previous five meetings, from the start of the 2008 season until June 2009.

“We can still come back and get three points (with a win) tomorrow,” Calloway said. “I’ve indicated to the guys that we need three wins, certainly two wins, to stay in the playoff hunt with Thunder Bay and Real Colorado.

At the midpoint of its 16-game regular-season schedule, the Menace has already matched the win total of last year’s 6-3-7 team.

Entering tonight, Des Moines shared a first-place tie with Real Colorado (6-0-0), which is playing a weekend doubleheader in Winnipeg. The top two teams from each of the league’s nine divisions qualify for the postseason.

MR. B MAN of the MATCH goes to: Diego Marroquin, for his solid defensive effort. A native of Petaluma, Calif., who plays for Sacramento State, Marroquin has been a staple in the Menace’s lineup every game.

UP NEXT: The Menace wraps up this four-game, five day stretch in Canada tomorrow. Fans and the media can follow all Menace action – home and away – with live in-game tweets at www.Twitter.com/MenaceSoccer.

The Menace is back at Valley Stadium on Tuesday, June 14, hosting Chicago Fire PDL in the first round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The team plays all home matches at 7:30 p.m.

Match: Des Moines Menace at Thunder Bay Chill
Date: Friday, June 10, 2011
Competition: Premier Development League regular-season match
Venue: Chapples Park in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. EDT
Weather: 50s and windy


Scoring Summary:     1   2   F
MENACE                      0    0    0
TB                                2   0    2

MENACE – None
TB – Brandon Swartzendruber (Nolan Intermoia) 32:00; Swartzendruber PK 45:00

Stats Summary: MENACE / TB
Shots: 1 / 11
Saves: 6 / 1
Corner Kicks: 2 / 5
Fouls: 15 / 13
Offside: 0 / 1

Misconduct Summary: Menace Yellow Cards: John Sosa 4:00; Coady Andrews 45:00 TB Yellow Cards: Anthony Putrus 21:00; Gustavo Oliviera 48:00; Sicelo Buthelezi 56:00; Jordian Farahani 78:00; Wilson Neto 87:00