Round robin loss too much for Nelson Selects to overcome, finish sixth at Provincial B Cup in Aldergrove
By Nelson Daily Staff
So close, but yet so far away for the Nelson Selects at the B.C. Soccer Provincial B Cup U15 Boy’s tournament Sunday in Aldergrove.
The Selects watched as Prospect Lake score the lone goal of the second half of the final round robin game to edge Nelson 2-1 and knock the Kootenay/Columbia reps out of the gold medal game and into the consolation round.
Nelson did not rebound from the heartbreaking defeated, dropping another 2-1 decision to Chilliwack in the fifth/sixth-place contest.
“Nelson matched up very well with some of the best teams in the province,” said Dan Szabo of the U15 coaching staff.
“And although were disappointed with sixth in the eight-team tourney, the margin between those who played for medals and the others was very tight.”
“(This was a) good, competitive tournament,” he added.
As in any eight-team tourney that uses a round robin format to determine the finalists, one game can make a huge difference.
Which is definitely what happened to the Selects.
Sitting in the driver’s seat after scoring a 2-2 against South Burnaby and registering a 5-0 blowout of Williams Lake, the Reps stumbled against Prospect Lake.
A goal in the 71st minute was too much for the Selects to overcome.
Prospect Lake opened the scoring in the 25th minutes off a corner kick.
However, Nelson rebounded minutes later when convert a perfect cross form James Miller to even the count at 1-1 heading into halftime.
Nelson pressed for the equalizer but could not crack the Prospect Lake defence.
The Selects opened with a deserving 2-2 draw against pre-tourney favourite South Burnaby.
Trailing 2-0 at halftime, the Reps got goals from Micah May and Nicholas Wethal to surprise Burnaby.
Spencer Szabo assisted both markers.
Friday Nelson looked like world-beaters after blasting Williams Lake 5-0.
Nolan Percival, with his first of two in the game, and Jimmy Johnson scored in the first half for Nelson.
Percival, Miller and Owen Thurston completed the scoring in the second.
In the consolation round against Chilliwack, a couple of mistakes erased a 1-0 Nelson lead allowing the Fraser Valley squad to escape with the one-goal victory.
CCB Elite (Whalley) defeated South Burnaby 2-0 to capture the gold medal while Vernon edged Prospect Lake 3-2 to claim the bronze.
U16 & U18 Boys finish fourth and seventh, respectively
Shuswap FC of Salmon Arm scored the only goal of the game en route to 1-0 win in the bronze medal of the B.C. Provincial B U16 Boy’s Cup Sunday in Aldergrove.
Much like their younger cousins, U15 boys, the U16 squad lost in the final round robin game 1-0 to Douglas Park Blue Rangers to drop into the bronze medal game.
The Selects opened with a 1-1 tie against Comox Valley Red Devils before Quesnel Strikers 1-0 Friday.
Meanwhile, the U18 boys struggled out the gate with draws against North Delta and Prince George.
In the final round robin game Saturday, Nelson lost 3-2 to Saanich to fall to fourth spot in the Group B standings.
Nelson responded in the final match to blast host Aldergrove 5-1.
