Great weather and pitches made the first annual Pinnacles FC Easter Soccer Invitational fantastic.
That’s how Pinnacles FC executive director and head coach Ezra Cremers felt.
“I ordered the weather obviously,” he joked.
The tournament featured 37 teams in age groups under-11 to 18 for boys and girls. There were eight teams from Alberta, three from the Lower Mainland and the Kootenay’s and the rest from the Thompson Okanagan. Cremers was happy with the number of teams they had, which made for a competitive tournament.
Pinnacles teams won the U14 age groups as well as U16/18 girls and U18 boys. The U12 boys and girls teams lost to the Calgary Blizzard Gunners and Bayern, respectively. Cremers said the three-week training camps for the teams helped the Pinnacles perform well.
“Not just on the score sheet but just the way they played,” said Cremers. “With roughly more than 400 players training in the fall and winter, their hard work and their effort is really shown on the field.”
In the U11boys division, Calgary Blizzard Arsenal defeated the SOYSA Soccaskool, while Shuswap FC defeated the West Kelowna Bumble Bees for the U11 girls division. The U14 girls division was a showdown between PFC U14 and PFC 13, while PFC defeated Coquitlam Metro Ford TNT in the U16/18 girls and Kelowna United in U18 boys.
Pinnacles FC received nothing but positive feedback from visiting clubs, who are impressed with the facilities and being able to play on grass. The Lower Mainland mainly plays on turf, while Calgary can’t get rid of winter weather. The soccer association built the tournament around the Calgary Blizzard, who has come every year as part of their training camp. The tournament also provides local families a tournament so they don’t have to leave town and boosted the economy.
This weekend Pinnacles FC is hosting the opening of Thompson Okanagan Youth Soccer League on Saturday. The majority of games are in Penticton because the fields at King’s Park are in better shape, said Cremers.
Penticton will also be hosting the B.C. Soccer provincials for the age groups of U15 and older and a different age group next season.
“It’s nice to know we are becoming a destination, being known for running a great tournament,” said Cremers.