Twenty-four teams are playing in the Penticton Soccer Club’s 53rd Pacific Western Brewery May Classic at King’s Park May 17-19.
Teams are separated into a men’s, women’s open and women’s recreation division. Among the teams will be the under-21 Hyundai Pinnacles women and Tim Hortons Pinnacles men representing the PSC. The defending men’s champs from Williams Lake are back, but there will be a new women’s champ since the three-time winners from Kamloops did not sign up.
“We have some good teams in,” said organizer Charlie Goeckel, who started the tournament to give the local clubs strong teams to play against. “The play is going to be excellent. There are stronger teams on the men’s side this year.”
Dale Anderson, president of the Penticton Soccer Club, said teams were calling to get into the tournament partly because the club is celebrating its 60th anniversary. Anderson also said it’s because there is more of a focus on people wanting to play in a social structure. The action kicks off Saturday at 11 a.m., with other games at 1, 3 and 5 p.m. On Sunday, the first games are at 10 a.m., then noon, 2, 4 and 6 p.m. On Monday, the women’s rec final is at 10 a.m. along with the men’s B final. At noon is the women’s and men’s final.
The Penticton Soccer Club’s first game is at 11 a.m. Saturday on King’s Park 3.
The women’s team faces the Vancouver Spurs on King’s Park 3 at 3 p.m.
All games are 90 minutes. There are no ties, games go straight to penalty kicks with five players per side until there is a winner.
The winning team receives a full set of uniforms, second place will get a 60th anniversary PSC T-shirt.
Most valuable player and top goal scorers in each division get track suits.