The BC United Team lost out on bronze, but not before battling to close finishes at the World Masters Games in Torino, Italy Aug. 2 to 11.
The semi-local team included Heidi Berry, Bonnie Kelly, Cathy Bartsch and Salmon Arm Girls Only soccer school organizers Tricia Martin and Irene Cutlum.
Playing a total of eight games in nine days and winning six, the team was undefeated during round-robin play. They played in the over-45 age category with 18 other teams and won 5-0, 5-0, 4-0, 2-0 and 4-0. The top two teams from each pool – three pools of six – moved into the semifinals.
“In the round-robin we were feeling very good,” said Martin.
They ended up playing a northern California team.
“We were playing literally in this crazy lightning storm that we normally wouldn’t play in,” said Martin.
They were surprised at the referee’s reluctance to call the game and the other team’s willingness to play in the thunderstorm. It wasn’t until the organizer arrived that the 0-0 game was halted.
The second half was resumed the next day. The match went to penalty shots, and remained tied to the end. Berry had never taken a penalty shot before and scored as their eighth shooter, winning the game for the B.C. team.
Heading into the semifinals they played the Edmonton Snow Angels. Although they won against them in a Vernon tournament, they knew it would be a tough game.
Martin said the Italian male refs don’t usually ref women’s games and they had a tendency to call either everything or nothing – in this case, nothing.
“It was a really hard-hitting game, very physical,” said Martin.
The BC United team ended up losing 3-1, which put them in the bronze medal game against Alberta FC. They lost 2-0, taking the fourth place spot
“It was one of those things where we were so close but not quite good enough,” said Martin. “It was a hard thing to swallow.”
Out of the team of 15, a dozen had played at the World Masters before, but they had only played as a team once before.
“The thing for us is that we were a pull-together team and I think that made a difference for us in the end,” Martin said. “We didn’t have that next gear to be able to win it.”
All in all, the experience was a positive one, Martin noted.
Also enjoying the World Masters Games, but in another sport, was Bartsch’s spouse, Kevin Flynn.
Flynn and Brian Laight from Salmon Arm joined forces with a group of guys, many of whom played together at UBC.
Scheduling mismanagement meant the team played only four games, says Flynn, but it was a good time anyway.
“It was a lot of fun. The camaraderie was everything we expected it to be. The organization – let’s just say the Italians weren’t the most organized in the world…”
In their round-robin the B.C. team played four tight contests, winning two and losing two. In their heart-stopping final game against Nova Scotia, Laight scored a tying basket with six seconds to go, leading B.C. to a win.
The B.C. boys then found some open gym time and set up their own friendly game with the team from Adelaide, Australia – which, Flynn says, was a highlight and epitomized what the Games are all about.
