Team Kootenay unlucky not to finish in medals at BC Summer Games
By The Nelson Daily Sports
Heiko Ihns, Fynn Keywood and Moss Caney each scored to pace Team Kootenay to a 3-1 victory over Vancouver Island in Boy’s Soccer at the BC Summer Games Sunday in Nanaimo.
The win powered Team Kootenay to a fifth-place finish in the eight-team tournament.
“All together it was a fantastic showing from our guys,” said Jamie Spendlove of Soccer Quest, who along with Yuro Ihns of Kootenay South Youth Soccer formed the coaching tandem for the Games.
“We impressed a lot of people down there who thought we would be pushovers and I believe it is the highest a Kootenay team has ever finished in the games.”
After seeing a goal being called back by the official after Oliver Arcuri rocketed a shot that appear to go into the net, Ihns scored a stunner from outside the box off the post and in to give Team Kootenay a 1-0 lead in the consolation contest Sunday.
In the second half Team Kootenay put the game away with two quick goals from Keywood and Caney, both supplied by midfielder Callum Cutler, to secure the 3-1 victory.
The rest of the game saw the boys do some great defending especially from the smallest boy on the field Andreas Rentke-Watkins winning challenge after challenge to finish off the island and secure 5th spot for the boys.
Team Kootenay opened the tournament Friday with a pair of draws against Thompson/Okanagan (1-1) and Vancouver Island (5-5).
Team Kootenay got a late goal by Hardy Hutt to draw against Thompson/Okanagan while it was a crazy game as the Island and Kootenay scored a total of 10 goals in the 5-5 tie.
Linden Jones and two each by Keywood and Caney provided the goal scoring for Team Kootenay in a game Kootenay led by as many as three goals.
Needing a win Saturday to advance into the medal round, Team Kootenay lost a heartbreaking 2-1 decision to Fraser Valley Delta.
Once again Team Kootenay had a lead on a goal by Keywood before a controversial call gave Fraser Valley Delta a penalty kick in the final minutes of the game.
Team Kootenay then pushed everything forward, exposing the backline Fraser Valley Delta took advantage of by scoring the winning marker.
Fraser Valley Delta finished second in the tournament, winning the silver medal.
“The boys were heartbroken as we all knew we deserved more,” Spendlove said. “That made it so the highest we could finish was 5th place.”
Team Kootenay was able to rebound, blasting Team Cariboo 4-1.
Trailing 1-0, Team Kootenay scored four consecutive goals to pull out the victory.
Hutt, with a shot from just over the half way line, Nick Jenner, Caney and Keywood scored for Team Kootenay.
“(Coaching staff) were extremely proud of the professionalism in which the boys conducted themselves and of course the excellent soccer they played through the weekend,” Spendlove said, adding a thanks to Scott and Randa Hutt for organizing the team and Kootenay Smiles for providing the kit for the team.
Team Kootenay, coached by Kerry Dyck of Nelson and Clemente Miranda-Trevino, placed seventh in Girls Soccer.
Fraser Valley Delta finished the games with the most medals (207), edging out Vancouver Island Central Coast, which finished with 183.
Team Kootenay athletes finished in sixth spot with one goal, nine silver and 13 bronze for 23 medals.
The next BC Summer Games is set for 2016 in Penticton.
