A 10-team girls soccer tournament held at Clearwater Secondary School last weekend was a roaring success, according to CSS Raiders coach Ian Eakins.
“We won two games and lost two in the round robin play,” he reported. “We played for fifth place in the playoffs and defeated Merritt in a very exciting shootout.”
The coach credited District of Clearwater and the district’s sports coordinator Mel Romeo, plus Clearwater Secondary School and its principal Darren Coates for the tournament’s success.
“The Raiders got a lot better as the season progressed,” Eakins said. “They are playing some very good soccer right now and are a pleasure to coach and to watch. It is so much fun to see how much they have improved and how much fun they are having. This is a great group of young women.”
Clearwater came second in a 10-team tourney in Hope earlier in the season, he reported. The Raiders played strong though the whole tournament and made it to the final game for first place.
“We lost 1-0 in the final game to Merritt but put up a great battle and had a chance to win the trophy,” Eakins said.
In the school season, the Raiders won two and lost two games, and then went on to beat St Ann’s in the playoffs.
“It was a solid performance for the girls for a convincing 2-0 win against a more experienced team,” said the coach. “The players deserve a lot of credit for their drive to win and for how they can protect a lead.”
The win over St Ann’s allowed Clearwater to qualify for the zone playoffs, which will be held in the Okanagan. “We will play some extremely talented teams there and the top four teams go on to provincials. The soccer played in the Thompson/Okanagan school districts is among the best in B.C.,” Eakins said.
The coach commented that soccer has come a long way in Clearwater over the past 20 years. Community soccer is very well run and has good numbers again this year.
“Those community players feed right into the high school soccer program, so a person can start soccer here at age four and play every year right to Grade 12,” he said.
“Our fields are the best kept and most beautiful fields of any school in our district. We can be proud of the whole soccer program in Clearwater. Thanks to all of the volunteers that make this happen,” Eakins said.
