Team mates battle for bragging rights

They're the best of team mates in the spring, but come fall they're the fiercest of rivals.

And tomorrow (Monday), that rivalry will be firmly in the spotlight when 11 members of Southern Indiana United's U18 boys' soccer team feature as New Albany hosts Providence at Prosser field (varsity 5.30 p.m. kick off).

The SIU players --- all seniors -- are split six for the Bulldogs and five for the Pioneers.

In the red and black corner, you have Sheldon Albertson, Alex Blum, Stephan Kossis, Chris Newland, Keegan O'Connor and Zacharia Litzelswope.

In the blue and white corner, you've got Nathan Marshall, Ben Hughes, Steven Meyer, Andrew McCartin and Nick Knear-Bell. Another, Patrick Leistner, also played with the team in the past.

Add to that the fact that many of the schools' underclassmen play for other SIU teams and you've got all the ingredients for a tasty tie.

New Albany forward Stephan Kossis said that the Providence clash is one they always love playing because it gives the winner bragging rights for the remainder of the year.

"It's an advantage playing against Ben, Nathan, and the other guys from SIU who are my teammates in the spring but my rivals in the fall," said Kossis. " I know their tendencies and their weaknesses and it enables us to exploit them. Throughout the game we are pushing and shoving, but at the end of the game we all shake hands and laugh it up."

Trying to blank out Kossis and the rest of the Bulldogs will be Providence defender Nick Knear-Bell, who says he is looking forward to playing against his 'own team'.

"Since I have played with them, I think that will give me an advantage in helping to defend Providence's goal," said Knear-Bell. "Providence has the majority of the defenders and mid-fielders and only a couple of the offense from our SIU team. Come on out and watch one of the most exciting soccer games of the fall high school season."

There hasn't been much of an opportunity for either team’s players to brag in recent years, as the last two games between the sides have ended deadlocked (0-0 in '07 and 2-2 in '06).

Providence are 7-4 on the season after last night's 4-0 thumping of rivals Jeffersonville, with all of its losses coming to Kentucky opposition, including state champion St Xavier (2-0) and Oldham County (4-2).

New Albany, meanwhile, comes into the game in good heart after a morale boosting 3-2 victory over Jeffersonville on Tuesday, and a 1-1 tie against Eastern High School -- securing a share of the spoils after a goal in the dying seconds -- on Thursday.

Photo above - Team mates become rivals(from left to right): Zacharia Litzelswope, Steven Meyer, Keegan O'Connor, Nick Knear-Bell, Sheldon Albertson, Ben Hughes, Stephan Kossis, Andrew McCartin, Alex Blum, Nathan Marshall, Chris Newland and Patrick Leistner.