The soccer pitches at Quesnel’s indoor soccer facility were a hive of activity as 26 teams laced up their cleats April 15 - 17 for an indoor tournament hosted by the Quesnel Youth Soccer Association.
Three teams from Quesnel finished the weekend with gold medals around their necks as they bested teams from Prince George, Williams Lake and 100 Mile House.
Quesnel Denny’s Strikers U13 girls finished first over Prince George’s Green team in a shootout victory late Saturday night.
Striker keeper, Haley Schotel allowed just one goal and teammates Keeanna Bautista and Christina Grob each scored in the win.
“I was very happy with their strong defensive play and goal tending as they recorded shut outs for each of their games,” tournament director and U13 coach Gilbert Schotel said.
The Quesnel U13 boys team also finished first after winning their final match 1-0 with a Williams Lake team. Michael Kolody scored Quesnel’s winning goal.
Sunday’s action saw matches involving the U14 and U15 girls divisions.
Quesnel’s U15 Denny’s Strikers girls gave a gold-medal performance in another shootout finish with Prince George.
Quesnel’s keeper, Colleen Moorehouse, fresh off a strong performance at the national ringette championships, was named division MVP for her performance.
Camryn Clark and Kyra Teetzen scored for the Strikers.
Williams Lake’s U12 girls took gold as the Prince George team claimed silver.
Quesnel’s Denny’s Strikers U12 girls team was eliminated in the semi-final match with a heartbreaking shootout loss after playing to a 1-1 tie.
Gold medals were taken home by the Prince George U12 boys, with the Williams Lake team taking home the silver.
The Striker’s U12 boys team was also eliminated in an exciting semi-final match with Williams Lake.
Everyone involved with the tournament, including players, coaches and parents were impressed by the quality of play and the sportsmanship exhibited by the teams.
“Our referees did an outstanding job on the field as well as keeping the busy schedule on track,” Schotel said.
“Though the games were very competitive, the level of sportsmanship displayed by the players was exceptional.”
Quesnel Youth Soccer Association continues to look for eager young players to join it’s rep / development team program, particularly girls and boys born from 1998 through 2000.
Interested players call the Q.Y.S.A. at 250-992-2223.