The LWO Legends of Salmon Arm ambushed Surrey United 4-0 in the men’s 35+ final. MVP Kelly Sherman pulled the hat trick to finish with a tournament-high 10 snipes.
Neville (Handsome) Hamilton also scored for the Legends, while Brad (Coolio) Young registered the shutout, his fourth of the weekend.
“We had a super-charged defensive core,” said Sherman, who played college ball for the UNBC Timberwolves in Prince George. “Ben Stanchfield and David Dollack were incredible as sweeper/stoppers.”
Rather than play off for third place, the Calgary Gunners and Northside Rangers of Calgary had a friendly with a group of young children and then donated the $200 prize money to the Vernon Soccer Patch program.
Mission FC took the four-team, men’s 40+ crown over Calgary FC.
The men’s 45+ division saw the Southside Rangers of Calgary clip CUT FC of Calgary 2-1 in Monday’s championship.
Strikers Les Rybakj and Mario Gaska scored for the Rangers, whose midfielder Jack Kroll was named MVP. There were six teams in the category.
Southside won all its round-robin games by 2-1 counts, downing Vancouver Old Growth FC, Pioneer Hitch of Edmonton and FC Piast of Surrey.
Peace Arch of White Rock, who usually top the division, brushed back Pioneer Hitch 3-1 for third place.
Vernon’s Ron Krause, 51, ran alongside his brothers Randall, 50, and Robin, 47, for Pioneer Hitch. It was the first time the brothers played soccer together in 31 years, in the old Vernon city league.
Lads lively for 50+ title
The Calgary Lads edged youthful PIVA Financial of Kamloops 2-1 in the men’s 50+ final with former Winnipeg Fury pro and division MVP Kevin Methot firing the winner.
The Lads, like several teams in the tournament, are priming for the World Masters Games, Aug. 2-11 in Torino, Italy.
“We wanted to get our team ready for Italy and no matter who we subbed in, we didn’t lose a step,” said striker Roland Guebert.
“We gave up some weak goals, but we were able to get some timely goals.”
The Lads were anchored at centre midfield by highly athletic 60-year-olds Colin Hargreaves and Nigel Brattle.
Colin’s son, Owen, played seven years for Bayern Munich before joining Manchester United for their 2007 glory season.
Vernon’s Big O Tire Ogopogos, who are also headed to Italy, clipped the Calgary Selects 3-2 for third place in the 10-team division.
Ian Murphy, one own goal and John Garner provided the offence for Big O.
“Leo Nadeau made a clutch save in the dying minutes of the final,” said Al Bensmiller of the Ogopogos. “They were all over us in the last five minutes. We had a solid team effort all weekend.”
Big O started by shutting down the Edmonton Strikers 3-0 Saturday morning with Mark Wasylyk (2) and Brian Eso getting the goals and Nadeau posting the clean sheet.
Wasylyk scored in the Ogopogos’ 2-1 loss to the Calgary Selects Saturday afternoon, while the towering striker netted a pair as Big O stormed the Calgary Eagles 4-0 Sunday afternoon. Jenne Huberts and Art Renaud had singles.
Stari Prdac of Edmonton turned back Vancouver Polonia for the men’s 55+ cash.
There were six entries and the MVP gift package went to Sir Gord Lowrey of Vancouver South Hill, who played NOU in a zany friendly Saturday night in front of a packed Bavarian gardens. South Hill has been to the tourney every year.
