by Derek Neary
Northern News Services

NNSL (May 06/98) - An invasion of hundreds of out-of-town soccer players and their relatives gave some local eateries a boost over the weekend.

The pizza chefs were flipping the dough at a brisk pace at Boston Pizza.

"We were quite a bit busier, particularly on Friday and Saturday evenings," said

manager Lee Chan.

Things were also hopping at Subway. "We were pretty busy," said manager Edna Greenfield. "We got hit in the evening."

Things picked up at A&W in the Centre Square Mall as well, according to manager Peggy Ramsay.

As good as things were on the weekend, they didn't compare to the appetites generated by Arctic Winter Games.

"During the Winter Games it was more like a stream (of patrons). With Super Soccer, they come in large groups, like teams," Greenfield explained.

Chan concurred.

"It was primarily in the evenings, where the Arctic Winter Games was a lot more of an impact," he said, adding that a significant portion of athletes were adults who added to the lounge tab as well. "But for the weekend, it was busier."

Apparently, the soccer players still had some energy in their reserve tanks because Ton of Fun manager Jessie Oystrek said she noticed more kids than usual having a blast in her facility.

"It was great," Oystrek said.

Fortunately, the soccer players didn't suffer from a plague of serious injuries. Deputy fire chief Mike Lowing reported a routine weekend for the emergency units.