Soccer parents and spectators alike lined the soccer fields this past weekend to watch their children battle it out in the Sliammon Junior Braves Cup.
A total of 19 teams participated in the youth soccer tournament this year, a number which has more than tripled over the six teams that played last year.
Teams from Mount Currie, Squamish, Sechelt and Tla'amin (Sliammon) first nations played against each other in the fourth annual tournament.
“We appreciate all the teams that came out to play,” said tournament organizer and Braves coach Dave Moon.
Teams played in five categories during the tournament from the youngest in under-seven to the oldest in under-21 with four teams playing against each other in each bracket, except in the under-sevens where only three teams played.
Moon said that he was pleasantly shocked by how many teams signed up to play.
When asked about why he thought the tournament had caught on this year, Moon said he was not sure but maybe it had something to do with, “how nice I was when I tried to sell the idea.”
He did admit though that after four years of touring Sliammon teams to various tournaments he has built a lot of relationships with other coaches and clubs.
Moon had his work cut out for him during the weekend tournament serving as a part-time referee, coach to two of his Sliammon teams and working in the concession.
“But it was all worth it,” he said. “It was a competitive tournament. It was probably the best soccer I’ve seen while out on tour. It was pretty high calibre.”
Sliammon teams took first place in the under-seven, under-10, under-13 and under-21 categories.
Moon is looking for increased support from Sliammon First Nation to improve playing fields, soccer nets and bring certified referees in to call games.
Results
Under-seven
Sliammon Cubs vs. Lil’Wat Rec 8-1
Sechelt Bumblebees vs. Sliammon Cubs 9-3
Sechelt Bumblebees vs. Lil’Wat Rec 13-0
Lil’Wat Rec vs. Sliammon Cubs 13-0
Sliammon Cubs vs. Sechelt Bumblebees 8-7 in shoot-outs
Sliammon Cubs won category.
Under-10
Lil’Wat Rec vs. Lil’Wat FC 8-2
Sliammon Junior Braves vs. Sechelt 8-3
Lil’Wat Rec vs. Sechelt 11-1
Sliammon Junior Braves vs. Lil’Wat FC 2-1
Sliammon Junior Braves vs. Lil’Wat Rec 7-1
Lil’Wat FC vs. Sechelt 7-3
Sliammon Junior Braves vs. Sechelt 3-1
Sliammon Junior Braves won category.
Under-13
Sechelt vs. Squamish Thunder 5-4
Sliammon Junior Braves vs. Lil’Wat FC 8-4
Squamish Thunder vs. Lil’Wat FC 5-2
Sliammon Junior Braves vs. Sechelt 3-1
Sechelt vs. Lil’Wat FC 6-1
Sliammon Junior Braves vs. Squamish Thunder 5-3
Sliammon Junior Braves vs. Sechelt 6-5
Sliammon Junior Braves won category.
Under-17
Sliammon Hurricanes vs. Lil’Wat FC 10-1
Sechelt vs. Squamish Thunder tie 1-1
Sechelt vs. Lil’Wat FC 8-1
Squamish Thunder vs. Sliammon Hurricanes 6-2
Sliammon Hurricanes vs. Sechelt 1-1
Squamish Thunder vs. Lil’Wat FC 8-2
Sechelt vs. Squamish Thunder 2-1 in shoot outs
Sechelt won category.
Under-21
Sliammon United vs. Sliammon Braves 9-7
Sliammon Citizens vs. Sechelt Chiefs 3-0
Sliammon United vs. Sechelt Chiefs 6-4
Sliammon Braves vs. Sliammon Citizens 4-3
Sliammon Braves vs. Sechelt Chiefs 5-2
Sliammon Citizens vs. Sliammon United 3-2
Sechelt Chiefs vs. Sliammon Braves tie shoot outs 2-1
Sliammon United vs. Sliammon Citizens 6-5 shootouts
Sliammon United won category.
