U18 take home silver
A Nelson U18 Select player battles for the ball against a West Vancouver Spuraways player during the gold medal U18 game in Castlegar. The Spuraways won the game 2-1.
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Updated: July 05, 2009 4:21 PM
The Nelson U18 Selects earned a silver medal at the 2009 BC Cup soccer tournament.
Nelson started the tournament with 1-1 draw against Bulkley Valley on Thursday, July 2.
They then got things rolling by defeating the Quesnel Strikers 7-1. The tie and the win gave the U18 Selects a place in the Championship game where they would face the West Vancouver Spuraways.
Nelson U18 Selects' head coach Chris Parenteau said he was a little disappointed with his team's performance.
"Our second half was good. Our first half we came out intimidated and that's what got us down right away," he said.
Nelson had to contend with various players suffering injury from the get go, but despite players playing in positions they were not accustomed to they showed up and are the second best U18 soccer team in the province.
The Spuraways drew first blood scoring on a quick counter attack midway through the first half.
Parenteau said Nelson was not playing their game in the first half, he thought that was due in large part to them being intimidated by the Vancouver team.
"You look at a Vancouver team and you picture in your mind something that's bigger and better than they really are. I told them, let's look at them for what they really are. I mean we play in the men's league. We play against guys that are twice their size and we were playing small," he said.
The pep talk got Nelson motivated and they came out and tied the game at one. However, the Spuraways continued to attack the Nelson goal, but Nelson was able to fend off the attacks and in turn created some chances of their own.
The game looked like it was definitely going to go to extra time, but a ball that could not be cleared by the Nelson defence, off a spot kick, ended up bouncing off two Spuraway heads, above the outstretched hands of the Nelson keeper, and into the back of the net.
All this with approximately two minutes remaining in the match.
Parenteau said in the end the Spuraways were the better team and deserved to win the game.
"If we had played the whole game like we played in the second half then you never know," said Parenteau.
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