Air Ball.
Ryan Clarke of Huntsville goes high for the ball while teammate Luke Mensour looks on in a game against Barrie during a tournament held in town this weekend. PHOTO BY KAREN LITCHIELD
HUNTSVILLE - The Huntsville Strikers hosted a spectacular weekend of great soccer at their annual Muskoka Cottage Classic Tournament.
The following teams from Huntsville participated: The under-10 Sutton Group Muskoka Realty and under-12 Northern Disposal and Sanitation boys’ teams and the under-12 Hutcheson, Reynolds & Caswell, the under-14 Huntsville Forester and under-16 Soul Sistas girls’ teams.
Between the McCauley and Conroy fields these teams worked through a humid Saturday and a breezy, but sunny Sunday to represent our town with grit and sportsmanship.
The under-10 Sutton Group Realty boys fought hard against Barrie where they put forth a great effort but could not equalize the 2-1 loss, goal by Eric Cameron. They suffered a 6-1 loss to Ganaraska, goal by Jake Lockwood and finished on Sunday with a loss to Clearview. They are learning through each game and look to success in future tournaments.
The under-12 Northern Sanitation Boys began their weekend with a goal quick off the mark from Nicky Lavigne against Sudbury. This goal was quickly equalized by Sudbury but returned within the next minute from Josh Lawson. During the second half of the game Eric O’Brien found the net off of a pass from Nicky Lavigne. Finally, Ethan Schnier assured the 4-2 win with a goal late in the second half off of a rebound save from the Sudbury goalie. Their second game against Peterborough was close with teams evenly matched. In the end, Peterborough won the game 2-0 after 2 shots that went top shelf above Huntsville’s goalie. On Sunday’s game against Sudbury, Huntsville showed good sportsmanship by accepting a time change for the game. Maybe the time shift threw the boys off of their game as they saw Sudbury win 5-0 despite Alexandre Brunet’s great set of saves from a penalty shot and three rebound attempts. To finalize the tournament, the boys put forth an exciting show as Eric O’Brien sunk a rebound into the back of the net.
Peterborough answered with a goal to tie the match that remained 1-1 despite best efforts on both sides.
The boys finished third in their division.
The under-12 Hutcheson, Reynolds & Caswell girls’ team played very hard over the weekend. They began the tournament against Kitchener’s strong squad showing determination but finishing with a 7-1 loss, on a goal by Paige Smith. Later on Saturday they faced Sudbury and held them to a 3-0 lead. Sunday featured an amazing improvement facing Kitchener again and holding them to a 1-0 game with many scoring opportunities. They finished the tournament against Sudbury and it could have been anybody’s game. Unfortunately Sudbury put one past the girls but they look forward to greater success through the excellent experience gained this weekend.
The Striker’s underr-14 Huntsville Forester girls put forth a stunning performance earning themselves the tournament championship. Their first game against Barrie saw Rachel Miller put two into the back of the net allowing them a 2-0 victory. Later that day against Oshawa they let one by but both Sarah Steele and Emma Mensour answered with solid goals leaving them with a 2-1 victory. An early game on Sunday against Oshawa again gave Rachel Miller another chance to put one away and Hayven Boothby volleyed a one-timer beautifully out of the goalie’s reach giving the girls another win, 2-0. The final game against Barrie was worrying as Barrie had the girls down by one at the end of the first half. They came back undaunted and fierce in the second with a beautiful penalty shot goal from Robyn Goodwin and another breakaway goal also slotted in by Goodwin. The girls’ teamwork and goaltending together with the heart and determination of their strikers earned them a championship. Thanks to Megan and Charlie for their coaching.
The under-16 girls were also hugely successful this weekend. Their first game against Etobicoke was a battle ending with a score of 0-0. Goals from Holly Lupton and Laura Stillwellcotta assured a 2-0 victory against Pickering. They continued to dominate on Sunday with a 2-0 victory against Aurora. Their efforts continued on against Pickering with a 1-1 tie thanks to a goal from Emily Britton. It’s so hard to see such a great effort finished with a shoot out but the girls can be proud of a great performance.