More than 1500 youths descended on Penticton, Powell River and 100 Mile House for the 2011 minor soccer provincials.
And Kermodeis were abundant in all three cities, as the Terrace Minor Soccer Association sent eight teams to participate.
Coach of the U13 boy’s team, Blaine Kluss, said his team had a blast at the tournament.
“The weather was great, the hospitality in Powell River was nothing short of fantastic,” Kluss said.
The U13 Kermodeis played four games in total, and ended up with a sixth place finish.
They lost game one to eventual tournament winners, Prince George, 2-1. Game two for the Kermodeis was a 4-1win over Kelowna.
The team lost its third game to Peace Arch 4-1, but Kluss said despite the loss, it was the best game of soccer the team has ever played.
He explained all of the team’s plans were executed well, and a high level of intensity was maintained by players throughout the game.
“We never lapsed for a second,” Kluss said.
The final game for the Kermodeis was a 2-1 loss to Coquitlam.
The U13 girls were also in Powell River and placed seventh overall.
“Both teams conducted themselves both on and off the field with nothing but class,” Kluss said of both teams.
The U14 boy’s team headed down to Penticton to compete and coach Mike Denomme said the team played well.
“With a combination of thunder and lighting delays that lasted for over two hours, and the boy’s being flat, Prince George capitalized on our errors,” Denomme explained about the 4-0 loss the team faced in game one.
Game two fared better for the Kermodeis as they drew against the hosts Penticton in a 1-1 result.
Game three was pivotal for the team as it needed to take out the unbeaten Vernon team in order to advance.
And Terrace did not disappoint, moving on to the bronze medal final after a 4-2 victory.
There the Kermodeis lost against Vancouver’s Point Grey, ending with a solid fourth place finish.
The U14 girls were in Penticton as well and coach Gary Peden said all members worked hard and had a lot of fun to get to their seventh place finish.
The tournament opened up for the team with a 4-1 loss against the Peninsula Comets. Game two the Kermodeis took on Kelowna United for a 1-1 draw. Game three was against the host Penticton team, where Terrace lost 2-0.
Game four was against Kootenay East, and Peden said this game was the team’s best effort, and it showed with a 4-1 win for Terrace.
“Not holding back any, the U14 girls poured on the pressure and were able to create many scoring opportunities,” Peden said.
The U15 Kermodeis boy’s team travelled to 100 Mile house where it secured a fourth place finish.
Game one was against eventual tournament winners, Delta, where despite holding a lead for most of the game the Kermodeis lost 2-1. Game two Terrace lost to the Coquitlam Hotspurs 3-1. Game three and four went better for the team as it beat out 100 Mile House 7-1 and Nelson 4-0.
Coach Cal Struyk said they were given a good tournament.
“Given the overall playing opportunities up to the provincials, the U15 boys are very competitive, and are genuine contenders,” Struyk said of the team, which won the provincial title in 2009.
The U15 girl’s team were also in 100 Mile house, where strong defensive play earned them two wins, two losses and a seventh place finish.
Game one was a 2-0 loss to West Vancouver. Game two the team held a one goal lead until the last 10 minutes, when opposing team Quesnel scored two late goals.
The third game was a 1-0 win over Kelowna and game four was another victory for the team, with a 2-0 win over 100 Mile House.
The U17 boys were also in 100 Mile house and coach Cam Gordon said it was a solid effort for the team.
Game one started the team off with a 3-3 tie with Creston. The Kermodies went on to lose game two, 4-0 to Kamloops. The third match was a resounding 3-0 win over the Shushap, in what Gordon called the best game of the tournament. The team went on to the bronze medal match where it took a 4-0 loss to Lakehill to find a fourth place finish.
The U16 boys were also in 100 Mile House, and coach Todd Broughton said the fifth place result is the best the team has ever done. Broughton said even with a small bench the players never gave up, and all players performed well.