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Selects overcome sluggish start to book Provincial B Cup ticket

The Nelson Daily Sports
By The Nelson Daily Sports
June 10th, 2013

Once the Nelson Selects shook off the rust, it was clear sailing to Prince George.

The Selects scored a pair of wins over Columbia Valley to capture the Kootenay Provincial B Cup U16 Boy’s Soccer Playdowns Sunday at the Lakeside Pitch.

Nelson needed a late second half goal by Micah May to edge the East Kootenay visitors 1-0 in the opening tilt. Nelson dominated the play but had trouble finding the back of the net against the pesky Invermere-based squad.

In game two the real Selects show up at the pitch.

The first goal came at 14 minutes with Bryce Twible following up on the play and striking home a loose ball after much Nelson pressure. 

Twible would then feed James Miller two minutes later and Micah May added a third goal at 26 minute.

In  the second half Nelson continued going at the Columbia Valley goal but kept missing wide until Twible again would find the back of the net at 69 minute. One minute later Jake Anderson lofted the ball and fooled the Titans keeper from distance. Nelson would get their sixth and final goal one minute after that when Dylan Bennett would flick a free kick toward an unmarked Spencer Szabo who’d make no mistake putting it into the top right corner.

Liam Guenther was solid in goal for Nelson in both games, registering a pair of shutouts.

The series victory advances the Selects to the B.C. Soccer Provincial B Cup July 4-7 in Prince George.

Nelson is off to Cranbrook this weekend to compete in the Sam Steele Days Rep Tournament.

Selects earn silver in Kalispell

In the final tune up before provincial playdowns the Nelson Selects U16 boys team went 3-1 and came away with a silver medal at the ‘3 Blind Refs’ Youth Soccer Tournament held recently in Kalispell, Montana.

In their opener Saturday morning, a battle of the ‘Queen Cities’, Nelson dropped a 1-0 decision to Helena, Montana in a very evenly matched game and their only loss in the tournament. Helena scored the lone goal midway through the first half on a bending corner kick that beat keeper Liam Guenther.

The Gem state squad would go on to win the tournament.

Nelson rebounded strongly in their second match of the day knocking off Cranbrook-based Kootenay East 5-1.

Nelson opened the scoring six minutes in when Owen Thurston pounced on a rebound following a free kick. Four minutes later, James Miller would add to the lead running on to and converting a well placed through ball in behind the defenders. In the 23rd minute Kootenay East would get one back closing out the first half scoring.

The second half was all Nelson as the selects would add three more. Goals coming from Nigel Ziegler (32′), Guus Lammers (43′) and Miller with his second just 5 minutes later. Micah May was keeper for the Nelson side.

Game three on Sunday saw Nelson dominate play over Columbia Valley on the pitch yet had to hang on for a 2-1 victory.

Nelson missed many scoring chances and enjoyed most of the possession throughout. James Miller scored midway through the first half with Bryce Twible getting another early in the second. Columbia Valley scored their lone marker with a minute to go in the match.

Micah May in net once again for the Selects.

Nelson would finish the tournament that afternoon against host Flathead, Montana. Ziegler scoring late in the first half to give the selects a 1-0 lead, Flathead responded 10 minutes into the second half before James Miller got in behind the defence and scored the winner with two to go in an exciting finish and another 2-1 win. Guenther backstopped Nelson for the win.

 

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