Eight teams from Campbell River headed down to the Lower mainland last weekend for the annual season-ending Mayor’s Cup soccer tournament held in Surrey.
The 350 team participants, ranging from as far north as Whitehorse and as far south as Texas, were just as up and down as the weather that welcomed them. From brief periods of sun to full-on slush, hail and even some rain showers, the weather simply added to the excitement that as abound at the tournament.
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“Surrey Mayor’s Cup is always a fantastic experience for the kids of the Campbell River Youth Soccer Association (CRYSA),” said CRYSA President Alex Bates. “I couldn’t be prouder of all the kids who represented our community both on and off the field. There is no better feeling than seeing the love of the beautiful game growing within Campbell River and our club.”
Ranging from U12 to U18, both girls and boys clubs took part. All clubs who participated were invited to attend a Major League Soccer (MLS) game on Saturday evening between the Vancouver Whitecaps and FC Dallas, to provide a truly unique and special soccer experience. Campbell River families represented around 270 attendees at the game.
The U12 Girls’ Cougars team won three games and got a draw from their four matches, with outstanding performances from match MVPs Ava Lucas, Sophie Creviston, Kinley Granson and Anya Atkinson. the U12 Tsunami boys finished with a perfect 4-0 record from their matches, with Matthius Richardson, Samir Gani, Henry Rentiers and Ari Barton getting match MVP honors. Their complete team effort was clearly on display throughout.
As for the U12 Vortex, they won their Saturday matches, complete with a total of 14 goals. It boosted their confidence, but an early loss Sunday ended thoughts of an undefeated record. They rebounded with a hard fought win in their final game however, leaving the team beaming with pride.
The U13 Lightning had an impressive run getting to the gold medal game. A back and forth affair ended in a 2-1 loss, but a silver medal was brought home by the boys. The U14 Gunners finished a very tough season by starting their tournament out with a draw. They followed this up with victories against Port Alberni and a Sunday morning victory against Port Coquitlam, putting them in the finals. They lost 1-0, bringing home a silver as well.
River City FC, the U15 team earned a draw Friday night against hosts Surrey FC Flash. They won their second and third games, acquiring much needed points for overall result. Needing to win their final game by a difference of three goals to nil, they accomplished just that. This catapulted them to first place in their division to end the year.
The U18 Girls’ Rapids and U18 boys Thunder each had a successful run. The Rapids allowed only five goals throughout the four games, gaining points from three of their four games. it was a nice send off for players Claire Mackinnon-Nelson, Kylie Lund, Mary Bell, Naomi Morrow and Juliette Nimmon, who have aged out the program. The Thunder won a gold medal six years after their previous one, going undefeated at 4-0 giving up only two goals. The five players aging out of the program, including Ivo Cizmic, Isaiah Craigie, Kaeden Platt, Hannah Loeb Fredrick Prinsloo and Nicholas Ball went out winners in their final tourney. Game MVPs, included Loeb, Prinsloo, Platt and Jeremy Sauer.
For more information on Campbell River Youth Soccer, visit https://crysa.bc.ca
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