Vernon Tolko United U15 girls posted a tie and a win to finish the Thompson Okanagan Rep Soccer League regular season in style, drawing league-leading Shuswap 1-1 Saturday in Salmon Arm before grounding host Kelowna United 4-1 Sunday.
Holding midfielder Alassa Johnson was pivotal at breaking up several Shuswap attacks all game. Sydney Torrie opened the scoring on a 15-yard cracker after a series of passes by Brooklyn Routley and centre mid Francesca Durfeld. Shuswap’s tying goal came off a scramble.
Dynamite defending was turned in by Sarah Boyd, Claire Baycroft, Dilan Sidhu, Rushauna Tomlinson and Abbigail King in front of a brilliant Brianna Li.
Vernon spotted Kelowna the first goal before coach Greg Routley made a pivotal change which paid immediate dividends when Johnson converted in her first minute as striker off a quick transitional pass from Kate McIntosh.
Torrie one-timed a shot top cheddar from just inside the 18 off a low cross by Sydney Wilson. VU’s third goal was a wonderful switch of play where Wilson slotted home a shot left side. Emma Baycroft completed the offence with a 20-yard looper.
Vernon placed fourth and take on fifth-place Kelowna in first-round playdown action Friday night at Kings Park in Penticton.
United brushed off Kelowna in U13 Boys play Sunday at MacDonald Park.
Jentezen Peterson started the goal frenzy by taking advantage of a sweet cross from Kailen Russell. Peterson converted again, from Jerome Winters, and then capped his hat trick.
Ethan Anderson used quick feet and dead-on accuracy to register his own hatty before Kelowna responded. Tye Johnson countered with a lob shot.
Vernon got rock-star defence from Hunter Schindel, Blake Beaton, Gavin Ingbringston, Hayden Murphy, and Henry Routley.
The United Tolko U11 Boys Blue had their eight-game goals-against streak snapped in a 3-3 draw with Kelowna United Sunday morning in Kamloops.
Kelowna struck first in the cold with Liam Mallow, assisted by Keltyn McAreavy, equalizing for Vernon.
Tolko came out pressing in the second half with striker Jarek Livingston connecting, assisted by Austin Lewis. Kelowna answered right back and enjoyed numerous shots with no success as keeper Brendan Boyd was on fire.
Coby Therrien fed Dawson Bond for the go-ahead tally but Kelowna countered quickly to level the score.
With the boys refreshed, warm, and dry, they then faced another Kelowna United team and won 4-1 with Jeremy Peterson counting two quick snipes, assisted by Livingston and Mallow.
Therrien stripped the ball and wheeled it upfield before going top shelf for the final goal of the half.
Kelowna responded early in the final half before Peterson delivered a deluxe corner to Boyd for the tap-in finish.
The Tolko United U12 Boys Team Nice gained one point Sunday at Kings Park in Penticton.
In Game 1 versus Kamloops, Team Nice was simply outplayed and outhustled in a 4-0 loss.
Coach Jeff Nice performed his best motivational speech and fired up the team for the second tilt as Tolko tied Shuswap Selects 7-7.
Vernon trailed 4-2 at the half with Dane Beaton jumpstarting the attack off of a short play corner. Beaton calmly walked the ball down the end line and beat the keeper short side when he was expecting a cross.
Nolan Stiven connected on a beauty through ball from Thomas Nice. Stiven ran on to the ball, dribbled past the defence and smashed a majestic strike top right corner. That tally earned Stiven the Boston Pizza Man of the Match.
Shuswap went ahead 7-4 before Vernon United battled back with goals from Thomas Nice, Griffin Trickey, Rylan Nadurak (2) and Liam Greenan.
“Trickey played an outstanding game and distributed the ball well,” said coach Nice. “Trickey’s developing into an all-round central midfielder. Liam Greenan’s speed down the wings opened the Shuswap defence and Greenan put together a couple of beauty crosses. Nice finished with a toe poke into the bottom corner and Nadurak finished his easy chances.”
Tolko United U11 Boys White dispatched Kelowna United 7-3 on a rainy Sunday morning in Kamloops.
Jonah Petrone registered the hat trick, while Jake Earle rang up a deuce for Vernon. Keegan Mark evaded two defenders for a gorgeous snipe, while Jake McNaughton finished the scoring with a fabulous assist from Keaton Lamoureux. Marcus Barrajon made multiple marvellous saves, especially in the early going.
The sun shone for the afternoon game but not on the scoresheet as Team White lost 5-1 to the host Blaze. Petrone scored with Anderson Bicknell and Lamoureux just missing.
United U15 girls posted a tie and a win to finish the regular season in style, drawing league-leading Shuswap 1-1 Saturday in Salmon Arm before grounding host Kelowna 4-1 Sunday.
Holding midfielder Alassa Johnson was pivotal at breaking up several Shuswap attacks all game. Sydney Torrie opened the scoring on a 15-yard cracker after a series of passes by Brooklyn Routley and centre mid Francesca Durfeld. Shuswap’s tying goal came off a scramble.
Dynamite defending was turned in by Sarah Boyd, Claire Baycroft, Dilan Sidhu, Rushauna Tomlinson and Abbigail King in front of a brilliant Brianna Li.
Vernon spotted Kelowna the first goal before coach Greg Routley made a pivotal change which paid immediate dividends when Johnson converted in her first minute as striker off a quick transitional pass from Kate McIntosh.
Torrie one-timed a shot top cheddar from just inside the 18 off a low cross by Sydney Wilson. VU’s third goal was a wonderful switch of play where Wilson slotted home a shot left side. Emma Baycroft completed the offence with a 20-yard looper.
United Tolko Coldstream Lumber U14 Girls lost 2-0 to Kamloops.
The Lumber crew started strong with a nice give-and-go by Kendall McKinnon and Emma Glasser to create an opportunity for Cali Garro. The back four of Allie Maltman, Nadia Nelson-Shah, Mia Maltman and Paige Maleska did an excellent job of constantly forcing play into the Kamloops end. Brooklyn Kineshanko and Jessi Cleverly had some superb chances.