麻豆社区

Despite winless records, two Yukon Strikers teams competing at nationals last week have nothing to hang their heads about, their coaches say.

The U-14 boys team returned home from Charlottetown yesterday after finishing 0-4 at the Canadian club soccer championships.

Following early losses to Alberta and P.E.I. teams, the boys dropped two more games: 5-0 to Saskatchewan鈥檚 Unidad 2000 and 3-2 to the host province鈥檚 second squad, the Eastern Eagles.

Co-captain Simon Kischuk and Felix Maltais scored for the Strikers, who were up 2-1 midway through the contest.

Maltais had two of the Yukon鈥檚 three goals at the tournament, netting each after coming on as a substitute mid-game.

鈥淲e should have beat them,鈥� said head coach Dale Cheeseman of the Eastern Eagles. 鈥淲e outplayed them the whole game, but a few calls didn鈥檛 go our way. The boys have nothing to hang their heads about.鈥�

Regardless of their record, his players matured significantly during the week, added Cheeseman.

鈥淭here was a significant difference in play as the week went on,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he team gelled and in our last game we played a solid 70 minutes.

鈥淭he boys played well and they all got something out of it. In my opinion, if we could have played to our potential, we could have won three of the games.鈥�

Kischuk said the team was finally able to settle in against the Eagles in their final game.

鈥淲e were more in our comfort zone and it was easier to play that game,鈥� he told the Star.

鈥淲e did better than we thought we would against a lot of the teams,鈥� added co-captain Ethan Vanderkley, who played defence.

Meanwhile, in Mount Pearl, Nfld., the U-16 girls team waited until the last possible moment to score their first goal of the tournament.

Utility player Aleyx Smith struck late in an 8-1 loss to Newfoundland and Labrador in the team鈥檚 final game Monday, getting the Yukon on the board for the first and only time.

The girls team led by coach Jake Hanson finished 0-5, following up early blowouts from Alberta and Manitoba with a 4-0 loss to New Brunswick and a 3-0 loss to P.E.I.

鈥淲e always walk away positive from something in the game,鈥� said Hanson. 鈥淭he kids grow in confidence because they鈥檝e seen the best.

鈥淚 always encourage players to go to nationals if they can. It鈥檚 a great opportunity to play against the top players and teams from Canada and see what the benchmark is.鈥�

The Strikers headed for Newfoundland with just 14 players 鈥� including four from the U-14 program 鈥� and two early injuries left the club with just one substitute player for the lion鈥檚 share of the games.

They had their share of chances, but by the final game, the players were fatigued, Hanson said.

The nationals provide a 鈥渞eally neat opportunity鈥� for Yukon players, said captain Jamie Joe-Hudson, the team鈥檚 sweeper.

鈥淚n the beginning, everyone鈥檚 really scared and nervous, but once you get going, it鈥檚 really fun.鈥�

Dawson City keeper Sandy Dubois had a busy week between the pipes.