Silver for now, but great exposure should help down the road for NYS U13 Boy's teams
By The Nelson Daily Sports
Kootenay South may have topped Nelson Selects in the final of the U12/U13 Boy’s Division Sunday at the Terry Walgren Rep Soccer Tournament.
But Nelson Youth Soccer should get the last laugh down the road as more than 25 players gained some Rep Tourney experience en route to Nelson Select capturing the silver medal.
“I am so proud of how those boys with several younger players on their team, played throughout the tournament,” commented coach Kerry Dyck about the younger U12/13 squad with a host of U12s filling out the roster.
“To tie Kootenay South and beat Columbia Valley like that is quite an accomplishment. Even though they didn’t make the final, they should be very proud of themselves.”
The Nelson U13 Selects finished advanced to the final with a 2-0-1 record after edging city rivals U12/13s 3-0 on goals by Ezra Foy, Ernesto Archambault and Thomas Baxter and Columbia Valley 5-1, with goals coming from Jaden Dyck, Milo Baranyai-Sheppard, Aidan Mushumanski and two from Angus Paterson.
The U12/13s tied Kootenay South 1-1 before scoring a 2-0 shutout of Columbia Valley.
Keanu Tromans scored against Kootenay South in a game coach James Baxter described as, “a terrific effort and display by the boys.”
Max Spielman scored twice against Columbia Valley with keeper Blake Markin-Hellekson earning the shutout.
In the final the Nelson U13 team played Kootenay South in a fiercely contested game, with chances going both ways. In the end, Kootenay South prevailed with a 2-1 score, with Luka Eyre scoring the Nelson goal.
“The boys came so close to tying it in the late stages of the game, when they put together a great passing sequence resulting in a great scoring chance in close that just went over the bar,” Dyck explained.
Added Baxter, “Although we fell just short of our goal of the gold medal, the boys put in a great effort, and should be proud of themselves.”
