CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR FOR SOCCER GIRLS

Two wins and a tie in four games was enough to pacify Joe Ceglie, head coach of the Pino's under-19 girls Sault Civics soccer team. But while the Sault posted a 2-1-1 record -- good for second place in their division at an invitational tournament in Kitchener which concluded on Monday -- it wasn't enough to get them into the championship round. Still, Ceglie said it puts his team in a positive frame of mind heading into a challenge of a different sort, Ontario Cup quarter-final action in Scarborough this Sunday. The Sault girls will play the Scarborough Predators with the winner advancing to Ontario Cup play in Markham on Aug. 25. "It was another good tournament for us against good competition," said Ceglie, whose Pino's team made it to the championship game of the Sudbury Panhellenic showcase the previous weekend. "We went into this (Kitchener) tournament with a plan to use the short passing game and it worked well. "We used the counter attack -- making them come to us -- and we did great." * The Pino Civics opened the tournament with a 2-0 loss to Waterloo, with the winners scoring in the 85th and 88th minutes to secure the victory. * Then came a 2-1 win for Pino's over Georgetown as Jackie McAndrew notched the game winner. Rachel Cobean scored the other Sault goal. * Game three was a 1-1 tie as Cobean scored the only Sault goal off a corner kick deflection from Shannon House. * The Sault girls then closed the tournament with a 2-0 win over London United on goals by Aine Coccimiglio and Maggie Gareau in support of the shutout goalkeeping of Andrea Scornaienchi. MARCONI TOURNAMENT: There was no local winner at the weekend's Marconi International Tournament. Thunder Bay Polonia beat Windsor Hellenic 2-0 to win the men's division. In youth play, Windsor defeated the Sault Steel Speed in the title tilt.