U10G Blazers take silver at first Premier tourney

The U10 girls Blazers have been a force all year in Division 1. To prepare them for possibly advancing to the Premier level next season, the coaches entered them in the Gloucester International Soccer Tournament on August 8 and 9. There were five U10 girls’ Premier teams to climb over if the Blazers were to get a fourth consecutive gold. The first game on Saturday morning was a bit of a shock with the Ottawa International Soccer Club scoring two quick goals in the first two minutes of the game. The Blazers settled things down after that, containing Ottawa but not able to generate much offence. This was the Blazers first loss in a tournament. The afternoon game was against the host team, Gloucester Hornets. The Blazers were quick to set the pace this time and showed that they belonged in this tournament. Emily Legault started the scoring by converting a Sarah Whelan pass in the first half. In the second half, Makenna Scott had two unassisted goals and the defense was able to limit the Hornets’ threats with the game ending 3–0. The Sunday morning game was against the Kanata Lightning. This was a fast-paced challenge with equal opportunities at both ends. Finally, at the 16-minute mark, goalie Erika King took matters into her own hands and sent the ball upfield all the way to Ellexia Lazore who got in alone and beat the Lightning goaltender. Shortly after, a determined Lightning attack was almost successful but King was able to just get a hand on the ball, pushing it to the post and smothering the rebound. In the second half, the Blazers were held to only a few good chances while the Lightning were relentless. Mercifully, the whistle sounded and the Blazers were moving on with a 1–0 win. The Blazers had earned a second-place rank entering the semi-finals. Their next challenge was against third-place Cumberland Cobras. The first half favoured the Blazers slightly but although they carried the play for extended periods, they did not get a lot of shots on net. The halftime was just about to be whistled when Makenna Scott scored from a Lauren McLeod pass to put the Blazers in the lead. Early in the second half, the Cobras retaliated to put some stress on the Blazers bench (and the parents!). With only three minutes left in the game, Emma-Lee Martel fed the ball to a streaking Taylor Barkley who scored, putting the Blazers into a fourth tournament gold-medal match. The final was between the Blazers and the Kanata Lightning who had to upset the first place team to earn the right to play for gold. This was a very even battle and showcased the talent on both teams. The Blazers were able to score first at the 8-minute mark with Anik Witty converting a cross by Danyka McClements. The Lightning tied the game at 20 minutes and entered the half with some momentum. In the second half, the Lightning were pressing and scored with 9 minutes remaining. The Blazers raised their game a notch and had several good opportunities but in the end, they were unable to get the equalizer. Their effort and determination against very skilled opponents proudly earned them the silver medal in their first Premier tournament.