The Coastal Storm U11 Boys were in Vancouver against the Kensington Little Mountain Force (KLM), behind Nat Bailey Stadium, this past Saturday. After being bumped from the new fancy turf at Trillium fields our boys were excited to get down to business in the sunshine.
The game started out energetic as usual with a little too much cautious play on our boys’ behalf. KLM was able to capitalize on our hesitancy and figured out how to make our boys run by passing a lot. Samuel Uwa was pure magic on the field with nothing but full tilt soccer at both ends; he made incredible saves on defence and runs that made the other team take notice, almost scoring a few great goals. Jack Marshall and Rory Scott were hustling on defence in the backfield to be sure, stopping many attacks from the Force. Hayden van der Stelt made some great saves in net to keep the game close early on.
When we thought the score was set in stone, not in our favour, Ben Walker from close to half blasted a patented arcing curve that would make Beckham jealous, beautifully into the back of the net boosting the boys to keep on fighting. Taiyo Blackwell and Fergus Pringle tried hard to make some breakaway runs but with support in short supply the Force were able to diffuse the efforts; nice moves though from our strikers.
Just when the Storm started to play with the intensity and teamwork they have been building in practice, from deep in the Force end came a defensive move from Ocean Fitzsimons, passing straight up the middle to Ben Walker who quickly slotted it up to Taiyo, who was positioned perfectly in the open space to take advantage of the momentum, put it where the fans had no choice but to admire, all net.
It took all of 10 seconds to make this play happen, coordinated and poetic. This kind of magic is inside our team of new players and when they decide to unleash it more and earlier in future matches, they will truly be the Storm to watch. This game was not to be our victory, but another hard lesson in tenacity, teamwork and passing for a young group of boys on the verge of a great season to come.
U13 Girls
Our Sunshine Coast Storm U13 Girls soccer team were a sight to behold at their home field of Kinnickinick this past weekend. playing the Port Coquitlam Euro-Rite FC. The game started off with the usual testing and toying of each other and it was apparent that the white Poco FC was here to do battle, trying to prove themselves against our undefeated squad.
We were definitely thrown off our game in the first half with this style of play but with the ever-dominant Mary Wood in net, the Poco FC could not put anything past her. As the girls were figuring out their plays, Poco FC continued the physical game. Luckily we have Ella Campbell in the backfield who went toe to toe with the big white attackers and diffused all their overt style of play. Pippa Boothroyd showed the entire field why she is needed in the backfield taking on the continued push from Poco and coordinating the much-needed passing game from her end. Aila Brampton and Paige Clucas tried to make something come from the middle into their end but were thwarted at every turn by this overt warrior style of play. It was 0-0 at the half.
Something awoke from deep inside our girls at the half, we could feel it on the sidelines – this was not going to be the same team as in the first half.
Paige was not to be denied on this day, after several hard-won runs to the net she finally made gold with another energetic breakaway, assisted by a fantastic pass up from Koenn Sauer to score the team’s first goal, sending a thrill along the sidelines, and essentially setting the pace for the second half.
The Storm kept the ball in the Poco end and in front of the net for most of the second half. Mary, who stepped into her other key role as striker extraordinaire for the second half, leaving the goal tending in the very capable hands of Pippa, crossed the ball in front of the net many times giving the girls chance after chance to put another one in. One such occasion saw Jasmine Fitzsimons playing centre middle, keeping a key loose ball in front of the net giving the ultra speedy Charlotte Thomson the split second she needed to put her fast feet to good use and touched one in before Poco had any idea what happened. We were up 2-0.
More hard work finished with a brilliant one touch into the top middle of the net by Leela Hernandes, making it 3-0.
The Sunshine Coast Storm remain undefeated and undeniably a force in the league to be respected, feared and a thrill to watch.
