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Local U10 soccer team strikes gold

Rovers are victorious during weekend tournament in the U.S.
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Left to Right- John Beaulac

This past weekend the Kootenay Rovers U-10 Boys soccer team traveled to Sandpoint, Idaho to participate in the Pend Oreille Cup youth soccer tournament. The boys played against some strong American competition, but were more than up for the challenge - winning the gold medal.

Their first game was a 3-3 draw versus the CDA Sting, a team from Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho. In their second match they defeated The Spokane Pumas FC by a score of 4-0.

In their early Sunday game they met the Flathead Rapids, a team from Whitefish, Montana. The Rovers won this match by a score of 3-1. This win advanced the boys to the tournament final, where they would meet another Spokane, Washington team - the Spokane Breakers.

The Breakers had dominated their pool by winning all three of their games by a combined score of 19-2, however, our boys were not fazed by their success. The Rovers jumped out to an early lead that they never relinquished, winning the game by a score of 4-2.

This was the first full year that the boys have played together as a traveling team representing Cranbrook. Coach Wade Schlatter has spent countless hours of his time working with them in the gym over the winter and out on the fields in the spring and summer. With help from Assistant Coach Peter Herrmann, the boys quickly came together as a team.

The improvement in their skills and knowledge of the game was quite amazing. Team Manager Shauna Beaulac also contributed a great deal of her time and organizing skills to help make it all come together.

In their two previous tournaments the boys had come close, losing 2-1 in the final in Kalispell, Montana and a 1-0 loss in double overtime in Moscow, Idaho. The Gold Medal win in Sandpoint was a great way for the boys to end off a very successful first season together.