Prince Rupert Football Club (PRFC) was on the road on July 7 and 8 where they competed in the Kitimat Open Soccer Tournament.
In addition to Prince Rupert, the eight-team field featured squads from Terrace, Kitwanga, Greenville, Kitimat and Hazelton. PRFC finished third in the double-elimination tournament after going 3-2 and losing to Hazelton 1-0 in the semi-finals.
Rick Deforge, the team’s head coach, said fatigue played a major role in the team’s final result. Prince Rupert lost their first game 1-0 to Greenville on the first day of the tournament and was forced to play extra games in the loser’s side of the bracket from then on.
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PRFC was able to win three games in a row — a 3-2 victory vs Kitwanga, a 2-0 win vs Kitimat and a 1-1 tie vs Terrace which they won in a penalty shootout — to continue their run, but were forced to play two of those games in a row before immediately playing the semi-finals.
Deforge said PRFC had opportunities to tie the game were never able to capitalize.
“We were pretty evenly match, but the guys just lost steam,” Deforge said. “They held on as long as they could, but it was too much soccer in too short a time.”
Overall, Deforge is happy with his team’s progress to this point in the summer season, saying their ability to make plays and create scoring opportunities has improved as they have played longer together.
“Their passing ability and communication is getting much better,” he said. “The chemistry is really coming together now.
“We just need to work on our set plays and our decision making when we distribute the ball.”
READ MORE: Prince Rupert Football Club Under-16 squad takes second at Slurpee Cup
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