Advancing into the under-12 division marks a big step for Whitehorse soccer players. That’s when they go from playing half-field to full-field.
However, the doubling of the soccer field’s dimensions didn’t tire the Coates Services team as they scored three second-half goals to defeat Impact Well Drilling 3-1 Wednesday at the Vanier field.
“Overall, I think they’re doing pretty well,” said Coates coach John Pereira. “They’re getting used to all that extra running they have to do. That’s the hardest part.”
Coates had the advantage of playing one full-field game before Wednesday. The team began the season with a 2-2 tie against Medicine Chest. Impacts’ season opener was cancelled due to weather.
Pereira says he could see a marked improvement from their first game.
“They’re not standing around as much and their passing is better,” said Pereira. “They’re not just kicking the ball as soon as they get it.”
For Impact, there’s still some getting used to it, said coach Peter Grundmanis.
“They have not gotten used to it,” he said. “They think they have a much smaller space than they do. Once they learn to spread out and take the time to get the ball to the open person, they’ll be fine.”
Midway through the first, Impact opened the scoring with Mustafa Syed squeezing a long shot between the post and Coates’ netminder Timber Schroff.
Undeterred, Schroff ended up getting the game winner in the second, scoring from in front on a pass out of the corner.
Teammate Brayden Klassen tied the game 1-1 early in the second and Alex Hansen put his team out of reach with the final goal.
For her legwork, Katarina Fekete was named Coates’ MVP.
“She really hustled,” said Pereira. “She had a rough first game—she didn’t make it through the game—but this game she had a lot of energy out there.”
Getting the corresponding honour for Impact was goalkeeper Tia Oster.
“I know she played goal before and, when I asked for a volunteer, she said, ‘Yeah, I’ll go,’” said Grundmanis.
“She basically kept us in the game in the first half. She stopped a dozen point-blank shots—diving and everything. If it had not been for her good saves the score easily would have been 10-1.”
Results
Wednesday U-11
Surgical Incisions 3, beat Klondike Copier 0
Surgical scorers: Spencer Lessard 3, MVP Josie Storey
Klondike MVP: Jarrett Peterson
Northern Denture 7, Property Guys 3
Northern scorers: Samuel Garcia 3, Isaac Allen 2, Graydon McDonnell 1, Frejean Poirier 1, MVP Samuel Garcia
Property scorers: Matthew Ng 1, Quinn Groenhyde
1, Matthew Butler 1, MVP Matthew Butler
White Pass 7, Lamarche Pearson 1
White Pass scorers: Damian Homis 3, Antoine Lafortune 1, Andrew Brandt 1, Jake Wykes 1, Nicholas Dobush 1, MVP Hayley Belcar
Lamarche scorer: Alex Soin, MVP Abby Smart
Sit Easy Office Furniture 3, Austring, Fendrick, Fairman & Parkkari 2
Sit Easy scorers: Sean Clarke 1, Niko Rodden 1, Aimee Parker 1, MVP Brook Fusik
Austring scorers: Rashaun Suens 1, Ben McClelland 1, MVP Corey Roberts
Tuesday U-13
Bilsten Creek Tree Service 10, beat Alkan Air 0
Bilsten scorers: Jono Runions with 4, Jaylene Kelly 2, Etienne
Geoffroy 2, Kate Power 1, Connor Morgan 1, MVP n/a
Alkan MVP: n/a
Tuesday U-9
Access Consulting 6, EBA Engineering 6
Access scorers: n/a, MVP Blake Troyer
EBA scorers: n/a, MVP Felix Maltais
Monday U-11
Northern Denture 4, Lamarche Pearson 1
Northern scorers: Kate Lenders 2, Isaac Allen 1, Frejean Pourier 1, MVP Kate Lenders
Lamarche scorers: Alex Soin 1, MVP Jonathan Lamarche
Surgical Incisions 4, Austring, Fendrick, Fairman & Parkkari 2
Surgical scorers: Spencer Lessard 2, J.J. Cannings 1, Kyran Allen 1, MVP Tomas Jirousek
Austring scorers: Ben McClelland 1, Christian Ouimet 1, MVP Rashaun Suens
Sit Easy Office Furniture 3, White Pass 3
Sit Easy scorers: Chance Goodman 2, Reed Philpott 1, MVP Aimee Parker
White Pass scorers: n/a
Contact Tom Patrick at
tomp@yukon-news.com