Teams from 100 Mile House were among an estimated 2,500 athletes at the 34th Kamloops Youth Soccer Association Slurpee Cup on the Victoria Day long weekend.
The U14 girls 100 Mile Storm fought to find their legs in their first two games, losing to the Quesnel Strikers and Penticton Pinnacles.
Down to just one substitute player for game 3 with Kootenay South, the Storm were kept afloat with stellar goal keeping by Charlie McQueen and aggressive offensive team play, which created numerous scoring opportunities. Unfortunately, no goals were scored, but the team registered a respectable 3-0 loss.
Paige Hall found the back of the net in game 4 with Kelowna Eagles, registering the Storm’s only goal of the tournament. That contest ended 3-1 for the Eagles.
According to team manager Pam Easton, the tournament was a positive experience for her squad.
“I think the girls know they are capable of playing good soccer and being competitive with big-city teams.
MVP awards went to Jane Pletzer, Kailey Lund, McQueen and Hall.
The U16 girls 100 Mile Storm played four hard-fought games, posting 2-0 losses in their first two matches, followed by a 1-0 loss and a 1-1 tie.
They held their ground in game 1 with Kelowna and kept it scoreless until the final 10 minutes when Kelowna knocked in two goals. Game 2 with Quesnel Strikers saw the scoreboard idle until the end of the first half.
100 Mile outplayed Mission Blitz in a frustrating game 3, but were unable to score.
Up against Ladner Strikers in their final game of the tournament, 100 Mile made good use of a penalty shot by Courtney Dolinski who found the net past the Ladner goalie to tie game 1-1 with only moments to spare.
Winners of the MVP awards were Carly Evans, Kaila Paterson, Heidi Hagen and Dolinski.
While 100 Mile House didn’t send a U13 boys team to the tournament, local players Reid Davidson, Masen Fernandes and Kean Kellermeier joined the Williams Lake Storm and assisted them to a group B victory.
Davidson contributed four goals to the overall tally, while Fernandes scored one. Goalie Kellermeier was solid in net, earning two shutouts and winning MVP for the final game of the series.
