Vernon Tolko United handled a cool, rainy Sunday in style by stopping the Shuswap Selects 4-1 in Thompson Okanagan Under 13 Boys Soccer League play in Salmon Arm.
Most of the first-half play was in the Salmon Arm end and only several great saves by keeper kept the game in reach. As the half progressed, a rebound was quickly jumped on by Kailen Russell and it was 1-0 for Vernon. Salmon Arm responded with a long shot that eluded Dillon Rinkel.
Vernon applied big offensive pressure in the final half and a great cross pass by Russell was put away by Ethan Anderson to make it 2-1.
The Selects fought back again and Rinkel was given a yellow card after a breakaway takedown which resulted in it a penalty shot. The PK went wide and Vernon’s offence fired up again as Jerome Winter decided to take matters into his own hands and rushed by three defenders with great footwork and made it 3-1.
Ty Johnston made a stellar rush and fed a lead pass to Anderson, who fed Winter for extra insurance.
United U14s finished the regular season by blanking Kelowna United A 3-0 Saturday with Jonathan Fraser-Monroe earning the clean sheet.
Alexander Jones sent a pass to Nick Noren, who sent along a snipe to Owen Challen to give Vernon the lead.
Vernon’s midfield held strong in the final half. Cam Acob fed Cash Anderson, who made it 2-0. Challen snuck one up to Anderson, who sent it along to Marcus Erho for the final insurance goal.
Vernon iced Shuswap 3-1 in a Sunday exhibition tilt with Challen, Anderson and Erho supplying goals and Justin Ruscheinsky recording the shutout.
The Vernon U12 Boys Team Nice brushed back the Penticton Pinnacles 4-3 with four goals in the first half.
Griffin Trickey danced his way through the Pinnacle back line and slotted home a quality finish to open the scoring. United worked hard all game and Rylan Nadurak dominated the midfield with strong play, great runs and several shots on net. Nadurak’s efforts were rewarded with two goals, earning him the Tolko Man of the Match.
Liam Greenan ran the right flank, got in behind his defender and carried on towards goal before finishing with a low, hard blast from a tough angle.
Alex Sewell took his turn between the posts and faced a penalty kick which sailed over the crossbar.
“Cyriaque Anhe and Ethan Nickoli went hard on every challenge and have the battle scars to show for it,” said Tolko coach Jeff Nice.
Team Lockwood dispatched Team Nice 5-1 in a feisty Sunday showdown at Marshall Field.
Team Lockwood used possession, passing and passion to knock off Team Nice before dousing the Kamloops Blaze 6-2.
Vernon’s physicality and creative plays through the middle of the pitch confused the Blaze in the second half. New acquisitions Conrad Halloran, James Tolpinrud and Charlie Erickson added depth and skill to an already strong group.
“There are key players that can be game-changers but the Vernon United coaching staff is always striving to ensure all players are involved and all players are constantly improving,” said coach James Lockwood.
The Tolko U11 Blues bounced the Revelstoke Avalanche 4-0 and dispatched Shuswap 1-0 Sunday.
Coby Therrien sent a sweet free kick to Jeremy Peterson, who made a nice dangle before finishing for theopening goal versus the Avs. Coby Therrien then converted a one-timer off a beautiful cross-net pass by Thomasz Ociepa.
Therrien connected again off another nice pass by Brendan Boyd, while the last goal was finished by Keltyn McAreavy, assisted by Therrien and Cale Fraser. Keepers Ociepa and Deklen McDonald were stellar.
Dyanmic defense came from Cole Budgen, Tyler McInnes, Fraser, Austin Lewis, Liam Mallow and Therrien, while aggressive attacks were turned in by Dawson Bond, Emmott Out, Peterson, Jarek Livingston, Keltyn McAreavy and Boyd.
In Game 2, Ociepa was fabulous in net, making a crutial save on a nice tw0-touch play to keep the game scoreless.
Fraser hit Bond, who made a marvellous move and finished top cheddar for the only tally. Boyd made a huge diving save in the final minute.
Tolko U11 Whites lost 5-2 to the Kamloops Blaze before zapping Kelowna 7-3.
Strong defence by Carter Gislason and Cole O’Conner, along with two goals by Jonah Petrone, wasn’t enough for Vernon against the Blaze.
Petrone jumpstarted the match against Kelowna with an early goal, assisted by Brayden Fernley, who pocketed his own goal soon after. Jake Earle volleyed the third goal top right corner, while Anderson Bicknell juked and jived through the defence for the fourth snipe.
Keeper-turned-striker Keaton Lamoureux buried a powerful kick top shelf for the final goal.