U-14 Boys: Yukon still optimistic despite though start
Posted on 4 October 2012 in U-14 Cup
BC v NL
Sherwood-Parkdale Rangers head coach Paul Evoy didn’t have hundreds of kids try out for Prince Edward Island’s U-14 soccer team.
Just 17 players wanted a chance at representing the province at the National Club Championships, giving the coaching staff a pretty decision when it came to deciding on the final roster.
“Nobody got cut from this team,” Evoy said. “That’s all we had. You couldn’t cut anybody and we’re kind of proud of that. We didn’t have 1,000 to choose from. We had 17 and they’re all here.”
The Rangers players who were on the field Thursday morning at Vaughan Grove Sports Complex put on quite the show, defeating the Yukon Strikers 8:1 in Prince Edward Island’s first game of the tournament.
“We’ve got a couple of kids that can shoot the ball,” Evoy said. “When they get the ball on their feet they can put into the back of the net.”
The Rangers’ James Foster got his club on the board just nine minutes in with a strike from 30 yards out. But Yukon’s Callum Wood-Ryan responded, scoring on a penalty kick seven minutes later to tie it at 1-1 after he was brought down in the penalty area.
From there, it was all Rangers, as Blake Dejong scored at the 22nd minute, blasting a shot past the Yukon goalkeeper to take a 2-1 lead and the first of Sherwood-Parkdale’s seven unanswered goals.
Foster ended up with a hat trick, Dejong and Riley Cheverie scored two apiece and Cale Pierce got on the board before the end of the first half.
Now the Rangers will turn their focus to Friday’s afternoon matchup with Inter 98 (AB) at the Vaughan Grove Sports Complex. Dejong says Sherwood-Parkdale must be prepared defensively if it is to beat an Alberta squad that crushed Yukon 14:0 on Wednesday.
“We can easily tell they’re stronger than us and we’re going to have to work on defending a lot if we’re going to win.”
For the Strikers, head coach Ed Van Randen is still optimistic about his team’s chances at coming away with from the tournament with a victory.
“We have to be tough on defense,” he said. “Some of those mistakes have to disappear. We need to generate a more offensive attack and if we pop in a goal or two, there’s no reason we can’t win a game.”
Other results:
Mount Hamilton Avalanche (ON) defeated New Brunswick (NB) 1:0
Halifax City (NS) and Aurora Diablo (SK) tied at 0:0
Surrey United (BC) beat Mount Pearl (NL) 2:0
For complete schedules and results, visit canadasoccer.com/nationals.
