With more than ninety teams taking to the fields of Valley East to crown minor soccer champions in eleven different age classifications, the weekend was a busy one to say the least for all those involved with the Valley East Soccer Club. Between the championship and consolation finals, a total of eleven games were decided by a single goal, with several thrilling shootouts thrown in for good measure.
Among the more exciting divisions was the Girls Under 18 championship which required a total of 18 shooters to decide after Harvey’s Restaurant and Artesian Arctic finished regulation time tied at a goal apiece. Leah Rossini tallied for Harvey’s and Jessica Carson returned the favour for Artesian before Harvey’s finally pulled away in the second set of five shooters.
In the consolation game, Britanie Belanger scored twice to lead Dr B & Staff past the Valley East Renegades by a final score of 5-3. Christine Venne, Jessica Schroeder and Kayla Brunet rounded out the scoring for Dr B while Katrine Lafortune, with a pair, and Kara Arkilander replied in a losing cause for the Renegades. The U-14 girls division finals rivaled their older clubmates in intensity, with both games simulataneously decided in shootouts.
Eva Lanctot Realty captured the championship crown with a 3-2 win over Jomik Interlock while the Valley East Renegades clipped Bestech Engineering to lay claim to the consolation honours. Brittany Chase and Danielle Lamothe netted goal for Lanctot Realty with Roxx Seguin and Eugena Auger answering for Jomik.
The consolation encounter had Jennifer Ducharme and Raina Armstrong handled the scoring. In U-17 co-ed action, Elliot Richardson and Kyle Daoust scored twice each as the surprising Desjardins Food Basics squad continued their strong weekend play with a 4-1 victory over Valley East Lions in the gold medal game.
The consolation battle was all All-State Sudbury as the team received plenty of “insurance” with two goals efforts from Andre Girard, Zack Boudreau and Andrew McLeod in a 6-2 win over Eva Lanctot Realty. Patrick Trudel and Chris Daoust accounted for the offensive output for the fourth place finishers.
In Co-ed U-13 action, Bran-Kor Trophies survived an overtime scare in their semi-final contest before pulling away in the final with a 4-1 win over Jomik Interlock. Todd Bisaillon and Michel Rainville lifted Bran-Kor with two goal efforts while Dallas Cecchetto buried the only marker that Jomik could muster.
Loeb’s U-12 girls used a strong defensive effort and goals from Samantha Bechard, Kaitlyn McKay Plourde and Sarah Hampton to garner gold with a 3-0 win over All-State Insurance. In the consolation match-up, Mariah Pollock scored both goals for RDT Trucking in a 2-1 win over J.B. Jewellers. Brittany Byers rifled home the sole marker for the losing side.
In yet another one goal game, Matthew Walker and Tyler St Denis tallied for Consbec in a 2-1 win over the R.V. Doctor with Kyle Hartman hitting the scoresheet for the R.V. crew. The consolation final pitted Northtek Plumbing and Heating against Eva Lanctot Realty, with Northtek emerging with a 2-0 win on goals by Luc Seguin and Brady Prieur.
After upsetting RDT Trucking in semi-final play Saturday evening, All-State Insurance fell just short in the U-10 girls final, falling 1-0 to Popcorn Video. Julie Lamothe was responsible for the game’s only goal. RDT bounced back to capture the consolation title with a 2-0 win over Caisse Populaire on goals by Emilie Martin and Manon Emond.
In U-8 coed play, Matthieu Belanger was a one-player wrecking crew, scoring five goals in a 5-0 Hanmer Home Hardware victory over Dr Hanson Dentistry to nab the 3rd place Division A placing while Ecowater doubled Consbec 4-2, picking up top honours in the championship game. Kyle Lehto, with two, Brody Brunet and Hunter Therrien scored for Ecowater while Consbec marksmen included Sydney Walker and Harry Ireland.
Division B U-8 play saw Chenier’s clip Pro Hardware 2-1 on goals by Broedy Bertrand and Brendyn Sauve while Tyler Rivest replied in a losing cause. Benoit Alexandre was the hero in the Division B consolation match, scoring the game’s only goal as Western Valley Auto blanked Bitter Bill’s 1-0.
The U-8 girls finals ranked among the tightest of the day with three of the four encounters decided by just one goal. Kaitlyn Coufal, with a two-goal effort and Victoria Purdy found the back of the net for Bestech Engineering in a 3-2 decision over Consbec. Oliviah Hamilton and Danika Plante kept things close for Consbec.
Rebecca Kingsley and Taylor McGaughey buried their chances as Lavallee Esso stopped Popcorn Video 2-0 in the Division A consolation game. The U-8 girls Division B championship was awarded to Valley East Lions who roared to a 2-1 win over Hanmer Pharmasave as Kayleigh Coufal and Melissa Paquin tallied with Chelsey Nykilchyk countering for Pharmasave.
Billie Jeans squeaked past Harvey’s 2-1 in the Division B consolation match, with Alexa Wallace and Dana Baia scoring for the winners and Josee Emond netting the only Harvey’s goal. In U-6 coed action, Tim Horton’s Apple Fritters dumped Orange Dutchies 8-2 with Damien Giroux and Alexandre Baronette registering hat-tricks for the Fritters.
Matthieu Paradis also enjoyed a three-goal game and Jason Gough and Braedon Bilodeau added two goals each as Tim Horton’s Glazed Donuts clubbed Walnut Crunch 7-1. Dakota Demore paced the Chocolate Dips with four goals in a 6-3 win over Tim Horton’s Canadian Maples in the Division B championship game while the Vanilla Dips tripped up the Maple Dips 5-3 in the Division A consolation final.
Preston Gratton-Woods scored three times with Cameron Mostoway and Austin Cornthwaite adding singles. Lina Audet, who led Apple Fritters to victory in the mid-season tournament, turned the trick again with a five goal effort as the Fritters dropped Boston Cream 5-3. And Maple Dips took the consolation title with a 6-2 win over Walnut Crunch. Julie Martineau scored four times to stake Maple Dips to victory.
