Defying its name, it was a beautiful sunny weekend for soccer matches in Port McNeill as the annual Mud Bowl tournament hit the field Friday, April 29 to Sunday, May 1.
With over 60 teams competing in divisions ranging from U6 to U18, featuring Vancouver Island teams from Port Hardy, Port McNeill, Alert Bay, Port Alberni, and Gold River, the all-day/all-weekend event featured nonstop action, a concession, prizes, and most importantly, fun for players and spectators alike.
In the mini divisions, U6-U10, each team got to play four games and were awarded prize bags from the tournament organizers. In the U12 boys division, Port McNeill 2 played four games and won the finals on Sunday; in the U12 girls division, it was Port Hardy 2 who took first place; in the U15 boys division, Port Hardy 2 took first place; in the U15 girls division, Port Hardy 2 took first place; and in the U18 finals, Port Hardy defeated Alert Bay 2-1 in a very close, back-and-forth finals game to close out the non ‘muddy’ tournament for another year.
