Kelowna United Roundup: U15s get the better of United U16s in TOYSL action

In a friendly rivalry, the Kelowna United U15 girls outscored the United U16s 3-1 in Week 7 of the Thompson Okanagan Youth Soccer League.

Katrina Schrod, Zayin Brown and Hailey Wright each scored a goal for the winners while Julianne Seidel replied for the U16s.

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GIRLS

Kelowna United U11 Strikers (2) Shuswap U11 (1)

Rhiannon Maynes-Tourond received a long lead pass from Mykayla Zukowski and scored in the late stage of the game to lift United to the victory.

Shuswap had opened the scoring early in the TOYSL matchup, while Zukowski got the equalizer before halftime.

Despite some steady pressure from Shuswap, the Strikers’ defence of Sofia Bigattini and Rylee Gordon and the goalkeeping of Jocelyn Stone kept the opposition off the scoresheet in the second half to set the stage for Maynes-Tourond’s heroics.

Kelowna United U11 Strikers (6) Vernon U11C (1)

Maynes-Tourond and Zukowski were at it again early in the Strikers’ second game of the weekend, with Maynes-Tourond scoring twice on a breakaway and Zukowski putting a solid strike past the Vernon goalkeeper.

Bridget Barta-Atton was forced to make some difficult saves to keep the score at 3-1 in the first half.

Maynes-Tourond completed her hat trick early in the second half, while Zukowski added her second goal shortly afterward by finishing a pass from Gordon.

Keeper Emma Geddes, supported by her solid defensive line of Gordon, Stone, Jada Burden and Sofia Bigattini, cleared the ball to Isabella Bigattini, who dribbled the ball up the wing and scored to put the Strikers up by five.

Kelowna United U11 Flames (1) Revelstoke U11 (1)

The Flames had possession most of the game, but had trouble putting the ball in the net.

Kelowna United U11 Flames (3) Vernon U11 (0)

The KU girls came out strong and dominated most of the play.

Kelowna United U12 Crushers (5) Kelowna United U12 Lightning (0)

Eden Watson opened the scoring for the Crushers early in the first half on a perfect strike off the far post.

The Crushers went up 2-0 when Watson set up Piper Guidi, who managed to squeeze the ball inside the near post.

Gabby Cavezza struck a one-timer firmly into the back of the net to give the Crushers a three-goal lead.

The Lightning, plagued by injuries and a short bench, received solid play from Paige Keeley who was dangerous all half but couldn’t beat the Crushers’ goalkeeper.

Early in the second half the Cavezza and Watson worked a give-and-go which Eden finished to make it 4-0.

Paisley Kerstens completed the scoring for the Crushers on a penalty shot late in the half after Cavezza had drawn the foul in the penalty area.

Although the Lightning worked hard, they were unable to hold down the Crushers.

Kelowna United U12 Crushers (6) Kamloops Blaze U12L (0)

Guidi opened the scoring early while Ava Craig capitalized on a through ball from Kambria Mellum to put the Crushers up by two.

Mekhila Brown, with a nice individual effort, found the back of the net off of a throw-in and Craig worked hard to create a turnover which Mellum planted in the net at the end of the half to make it 4-0 at the break.

In the second half, the Crushers added to their lead on an unassisted effort by Julia Adamson after she intercepted an errant Kamloops pass.

The Crushers closed out the scoring when Shannon Rowe sprung Guidi, who scored her second goal of the game.

Kelowna United U12 Predators (5) Kelowna United U12 Lightning (3)

Kate Rattee scored all five goals to lead the KU Predators to their ninth straight win in TOYSL play on Sunday.

Rattee, with 16 goals on the season, opened the scoring for the eventual winners by finishing a well-placed pass from Maddie Banman. A minute later, the Lightning’s Shae Taylor evened the score, but Rattee’s second goal, again assisted by Banman, restored the Preds’ lead.

While the next 15 minutes were scoreless, the Lightning once again pulled even on a Hinano Hennessey’s goal off a pass from Taylor.

Rattee’s hat trick marker came with an assist from Maddie Hicks to make it 3-2 for the Preds at the half.

A fourth Rattee goal just nine seconds into the final frame gave the Predators their first two-goal lead while Banman again set up Rattee for her fifth marker three minutes later.

The Preds continued to press, but at the 52-minute mark, the Lightning struck back as Sydney Sowerby slipped the ball past Predators’ keeper, Taylor Bay to close out the scoring.

Kelowna United U14 Jacobsen (3) Shuswap U14 (1)

In the type of game that tests the character of the team, United emerged victorious with three first-half goals.

With the keeper and several other KU players out with injuries, United had to make some significant adjustments and play without substitutions under a very hot afternoon sun.

The attitude was positive as Kelowna midfielder Lindsay Goett stepped up to replace injured keeper Yan Liang and several players moved into different positions for the game.

The KU girls started strongly, taking an early lead on a goal from Chloe Howe. Her curved ball from out wide curled around the keeper and inside the far post for a beautiful goal.

Later in the first half, after a nice combination play in the midfield, Jaxon Slaney received the ball on the wing and used her pace and speed to cut in behind the Shuswap back line to score her first goal of the game.

Shortly afterward, left-back Sienna Hinks intercepted a ball in the Kelowna defending third, and on a quick counter, moved the ball up through the midfield and into the attacking third. A cross through the 18-yard box found Slaney cutting in from the right side. Her second goal of the game put United by three at the break.

In the second half, the KU girls started to feel the fatigue with the heat of the afternoon and no subs.

With Shuswap increasing their intensity, the KU girls, under some pressure, conceded a goal later in the second half.

However, Goett did well standing in as keeper, making some good saves to preserve the victory.

BOYS

Kelowna United U11 Fire (8) Vernon U11C (0)

The Fire started slowly and were disorganized for the first 10 minutes, but finally came out of hibernation with a solid goal by Lee Martens.

It sparked the Fire offence as Ben Herbert, Shae Ragoonaden, Pavin Punia, Nash Semeniuk, Matteo Trozzo and Alex Dye all added goals in the dominating win.

Player of the game was defender Bronson Kreitz who held the boys in the game early on.

Kelowna United U11 Fire (4) Vernon U11W (0)

Up against a solid Vernon team, United utilized strong team play and passing to create their scoring opportunities.

Kreitz, Trozzo, Semeniuk and Herbert tallied for the winners while the defence was anchored by the goaltending of Dye and the play of backliner Nathan Messent.

Kelowna United U12 Legends (3) Kelowna United G (1)

In a fast-paced game, the Legends produced many scoring opportunities in the first half, with Riley Woolfall netting the opening goal five minutes into the TOYSL contest.

Twenty minutes later Bradley Neal scored off a free kick, followed by a third goal from Ryan Braam.

KU team G put the pressure on in the second half responding with their lone goal.

Kelowna United U12 Legends (4) Revelstoke U12 (1)

The Legends broke open a tight one-goal game with three later markers.

Matteo Bigattini hammered home a pass from Brett Chipchase for the only goal of the first half.

Revelstoke pulled into a tie early in the second half while Garin Milo replied with the winner. Bigattini closed out the scoring with a pair of goals to complete his hat trick.

Kelowna United U18 (3) Kelowna United U17 (0)

The younger KU squad yielded very little to the older boys in the first half of the all-KU matchup.

Although the possession game was decidedly in favour of the U18s, it remained scoreless at halftime.

Ultimately however, it was the finishing skills of Corbin Beauchemin in the second half that sealed the win. The U18 striker scored three times while the winners’ backline held strong throughout in front of shutout keeper Cory Bennett.